Dracena plant

[Divinityinlove]

Temporary aquarium plants are a thing. Usually they are bog plants or plants from flooding zones. They hold their own for a bit, then it becomes too much.
I have Anubias and Bolbitis, stream margin plants, that have acclimated and grown like mad underwater. The Bolbitis has thrived for 30 years, and the Anubias is around 20 now.


A lot of people take the view that aquatic plants and even fish are short lived, disposable decor.

Planting plants in aquarium gravel with water pressure and such is an extremely annoyingly difficult thing for me, very arduous trying to make them stay in the gravel, and I cannot fathom why someone would want to do this if they don't plan to have it there longterm! I will have to remove the two mentioned. So basically all 4 plants I purchased in an aquatic shop are not even aquatic

 

[GaryE]

Aquatic is a question. My understanding is my Anubias is a stream border plant, and water levels are seasonal in its habitat. Mine has spread and is doing well, without the roots buried, which would kill it. I have about ten times as many as I started with, and I will make like an Australian and pot one out of water again to try that. It didn't work the last time I attempted.

Based on growing it, I'd say it's 'semi-aquatic', but that it can thrive submerged for years. It has spread in my tanks, slowly but surely. so it does adapt even if submerged conditions aren't ideal.

One of my first aquarium books was a 16 page or so booklet on aquarium plants, probably printed before I was born. It was very concerned with differentiating between terrestrial plants sold in the aquarium trade, and real aquatic plants, It saved me from wasting the very little money I had as a kid on the wrong plants as probably 80% of the rooted plants sold in stores here in the 70s were not aquatic, like the draecena.

You know with this hobby that even if the booklet I had was probably from 1955, there will still be people who swear all those short lived plants are truly aquatic!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I had thoroughly cleaned the pump but with no luck. I did discover however, that opposing its usual operation, it now only sucks up water if the output of the hose (sitting in the bucket) is inside some water. How odd! Before, I had to ensure the output was out of water or else it would only pump air out and splash around. Now, unless the output is inside water, the intake won't suck up the water. But once the output is submerged a bit, the intake sucks up effortlessly! Physics mystery to me.

It is possible that you put the pumping mechanism on backward when you reassembled it. I've done that one, too.

 

[Byron]

Anubias is very popular for aquariums? This is the first I've heard it is not? I have to check this if this is what you meant. Because I was thinking based on the earlier comment that Anubias stands up straight out of water. What a shame!

From my profile:

Origin and Habitat: Tropical central and west Africa. Found in rivers, streams and in marshes. Species in the genus are aquatic or semi-aquatic; Kasselmann (2003) mentions that some species grow better as marsh/bog plants as opposed to fully submersed.

I had fully submersed Anubias for years. In my 90g it grew a rhizome of just over 24 inches/60 cm and in 2008 I cut it apart and used it in my 3-foot 33g (photo below). None of these ever grew out of the water. Anubias barteri is the most commonly available species of Anubias and there are several varieties having different leaf forms and varying in overall size. A. barteri var. nana is the smallest and the species most often seen in the hobby.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I've got a couple anubias in my paludarium that are half and half. I'll be interested to see how they do.

 

[Divinityinlove]

It is possible that you put the pumping mechanism on backward when you reassembled it. I've done that one, too.

When I put the pump on backwards it usually pumps air into the fish tank lol and doesn't suck anything up. But that's not the case here. I also checked because it has arrows. So, it is sucking up water about 2 inches and then getting stuck, but when the output is in water then it sucks up more. No idea why!

 

[Sgooosh]

Aquatic is a question. My understanding is my Anubias is a stream border plant, and water levels are seasonal in its habitat. Mine has spread and is doing well, without the roots buried, which would kill it. I have about ten times as many as I started with, and I will make like an Australian and pot one out of water again to try that. It didn't work the last time I attempted.

Based on growing it, I'd say it's 'semi-aquatic', but that it can thrive submerged for years. It has spread in my tanks, slowly but surely. so it does adapt even if submerged conditions aren't ideal.

One of my first aquarium books was a 16 page or so booklet on aquarium plants, probably printed before I was born. It was very concerned with differentiating between terrestrial plants sold in the aquarium trade, and real aquatic plants, It saved me from wasting the very little money I had as a kid on the wrong plants as probably 80% of the rooted plants sold in stores here in the 70s were not aquatic, like the draecena.

You know with this hobby that even if the booklet I had was probably from 1955, there will still be people who swear all those short lived plants are truly aquatic!

I think plants that can flower while all their leaves are underwater are suited for submerging and can live a long time.
even anubias which is not fully aquatic can flower underwater which is pretty cool

I've got a couple anubias in my paludarium that are half and half. I'll be interested to see how they do.

thats cool! i wonder if one plant can be half in water and half on land.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I think plants that can flower while all their leaves are underwater are suited for submerging and can live a long time.
even anubias which is not fully aquatic can flower underwater which is pretty cool


thats cool! i wonder if one plant can be half in water and half on land.

Don't see why not. Pond plants do it in nature all the time.