Anacharis keeps dying. Are there other fast growing plants that fill that niche?

[Aussie_Bristle]

No. Shops don't sell Elodia in Australia because the fines are huge if you get caught. Hydrilla is a really dark green whereas Elodia is lighter green.

lol pet shop here label it as elodea, I wonder if they are aware of the fines

 

[Irksome]

Something ive heard about anacharis is that it has something in it that helps ward off blue green algae by secreting some kind of antibiotic.. Not sure how true this is but its something i heard on the grape vine.

This is actually why I got anacharis in the first place, unfortunately where my blue algae coats the anacharis it is the anacharis that dies

 

[StevenF]

Something ive heard about anacharis is that it has something in it that helps ward off blue green algae by secreting some kind of antibiotic.. Not sure how true this is but its something i heard on the grape vine.

this is caused Allelopathy. It is an old theory. The theory was orrigionqlly applied to plants that could outcompete other plants. Scientists were very eager to find such plants and identify these chemicals. Obviously a very effective natural plant extract could resut in big profits for any company that found it and sold it. Despite decades of work my searches on the internet only found one that came to market only one chemical was found and produced but it is not the most effective herbicide on the market.

As fare as I have been able to find there is no Allelopathy algicide on the market. Additionally any such chemical would have to be watersoluble to get in the algae and kill it. So in theory any shuch chemical from one plant should protect all plants in the aquarium. Anacharis doesn't do that.

many people have been trying to explain how some aquariums are algae free while others are not. Many bring up Allelopathy is used to explain the effect. But if you ask for the name of the chemical or its formula and where you can buy it to use in your tank. You will find no one has identified an allelopathy chemical from aquatic plants. And there is no evidence of this occurring in aquatic environments. the most likely reason anacharis is often not covered in algae is because it grows fast and consumes a lot of nutrients Depriving algae the nutrients it needs. In short it simply grows faster.

 

[Willbacon23]

I cannot grow it either. Most of the stock we can get in the UK is grown outdoors in cooler water and melts in a tropical tank. Water sprite is a good choice. I recently got some from K2aqua on eBay and its doing well. Like anacharis you can float it or plant it. Let it float first and then you can start planting the new shoots if you choose to. Another that works well for me is amazon frogbit. Make sure you get Amazon frogbit (Limnobium Laevigatum) and not European frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) which looks almost identical but does less well in tropical tanks.

Couldn’t agree more with elodea in UK, jus disintegrates

 

[mbsqw1d]

Weird, it grows like mad for me - based in Chester, UK.
7.7 PH and 5.7 GDH tap water. I have bogwood, add almond leaves and have some co2 injection which would lower PH but I'm yet to measure the tank water PH... My tank is at 72F/22.5C

 

[Irksome]

Weird, it grows like mad for me - based in Chester, UK.
7.7 PH and 5.7 GDH tap water. I have bogwood, add almond leaves and have some co2 injection which would lower PH but I'm yet to measure the tank water PH... My tank is at 72F/22.5C

It is, I grew it as a kid 15 miles from here without problems in low ph and low hardness water. I have something better now though, water wisteria, it grows rapidly and seems to help prevent algae.

 

[Retired Viking]

I will have to look into water wisteria, my LFS can not get anacharis and I have salvinia still on back order. All I have been able to buy is various ferns and cherry hedge.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I will have to look into water wisteria, my LFS can not get anacharis and I have salvinia still on back order. All I have been able to buy is various ferns and cherry hedge.

I have both Anacharis and Salvinia. Take some of mine!

 

[eatyourpeas]

I think I just experienced nasty Allelopathy when introducing Egeria densa into my Betta tank. It killed my Windelov Java Fern in about a week, turning it dark brown. The Anacharis is thriving, sending roots everywhere

Also, I just found out Anacharis is not a legal plant in Washington State. Double whammy!

 

[Retired Viking]

Wide leaf anacharis is not legal but narrow leaf is where I live, I have been using salvinia and hornwort as floating plants lately.

 

[eatyourpeas]

I believe I have Egeria densa and not Egeria naja but do not know enough about the species to tell the difference. I got it to replace the Hornwort because Morocco (my Betta) was shredding his fins on it.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I have Anacharisma from years ago still growing in my tanks. I do nothing to t. I think it’s just the luck of the daw. Even the anacharis that PheonixKingZ spoke of above came from my tanks. Crazy how some just takes off like the weed that it is.

 

[eatyourpeas]

I have Anacharisma from years ago still growing in my tanks. I do nothing to t. I think it’s just the luck of the daw. Even the anacharis that PheonixKingZ spoke of above came from my tanks. Crazy how some just takes off like the weed that it is.

This one is extremely happy! You look at it and it throws a root in glee!