Hoa G. Nguyen's very low-tech

PLANTS

Key to the tank image on the Main page:

1 Echinodorus bleheri; 2 Cryptocoryne wendtii; 3 Egeria densa; 4 Microsorium pteropus; 5 Bacopa caroliniana; 6 baby Echinodorus bleheri (from 1) (planted here until they are large enough to trade in); 7 Echinodorus amazonicus; 8 Anubias nana; 9 Vesicularia dubyana; 10 Microsorium pteropus; 11 a taller variety of Cryptocoryne wendtii; 12 Hygrophila polysperma

Current plants:

• Anubias nana (Dwarf Anubias): growing very slowly and seems to do better at the corners of the tank. Those near the center of the tank tend to develop dark spots and holes on the leaves.
• Bacopa caroliniana (Giant Red Bacopa): very nice plants, very robust for a couple of years, then died out at the same time as the Hygrophila. The tank probably lacked some nutrient during that period. Now that I have stepped up my fertilizing again, I have tried to revive a few surviving stalks. They seem to grow well, but growth is just keeping up with the rate that the lower leaves are getting eaten by some fish. I suspect one of my Clown Loaches, who has grown to about 10 cm (4") in length.
• Crinum thaianum (Onion Plant): growing fast, but not propagating.
• Cryptocoryne wendtii*: establishing a jungle on the left side of the tank. Have to be thinned regularly.
• Echinodorus bleheri (Broad-leaved Amazon Sword) and Echinodorus amazonicus (Amazon Sword)*: 2 large plants, constantly producing baby plants, which I use as foreground plants (see the picture) until they are tall enough to sell back.
• Echinodorus tenellus (Pygmy Chain Sword): I tried this once before without success. I suspected 2 factors may have contributed to its demise: large gravel and not enough light. I now have built a small "beach" of fine gravel in the front, and am trying to grow it again.
• Egeria densa (Anacharis)*: growing best under bright light.
• Hemianthus micranthemoides (Pearlweed)*: This was sold to me by the local fish store as Glossostigma elatinoides, and I thought that was what I had for several months, until close comparison to the pictures in Amano and Baensch's books revealed otherwise. I discovered that this plant does not grow in coarse gravel. I created a separate pocket of fine gravel (2 mm size) towards the front of the aquarium, surrounded by the regular (5 to 8 mm) gravel. Then I planted a pot right at the border (leaving them in the rockwool--I tried removing the rockwool at first but that made it very hard to keep the delicate plants in the gravel). The plant spreads out and upward, but does not penetrate into the coarser gravel (see picture).
• Microsorium pteropus (Java Fern)*: original cutting now become two large clumps.
• Nymphaea stellata (Red Water Lily): I got 2 bulbs from a friend and just dropped them into the tank. Both immediately sprouted gorgeous red leaves. I accidentally broke the bulb off the leaves on one (interestingly, the leaves came off together with roots). I'm replanting this plant to see if it would develop a new bulb. Meanwhile, the broken-off bulb sprouted new leaves. The other bulb has developed very large submerged leaves, and aerial ones that shot up to the surface about every week. I keep pinching off the aerial leaves, before they hit the surface, to encourage more submerged leaves.
• Vallisneria asiatica (Corkscrew)*: Did not do well until I moved them to a better lighted location.
• Vesicularia dubyana (Java Moss)*: multiplying fast and attaching to various places, tend to become untidy if not removed from unwanted locations.

Past plants:

• Hydrocotyle leucocephala (Brazillia Pennywort): New shoots appearing, but plant seems to be a favorite fish food.
• Alternanthera sessilis (red): withered and died within 4 weeks. I have not been able to possitively identified this plant. The store clerk said it was a Ludwigia!
• Nymphoides aquatica (Banana plant): new leaves appear, but get eaten right away. Eventually the leaves were all eaten and the tubercles were covered with algae. Thrown away.
• Spider plant (some stores label as a sword): root rotted and died within 2 weeks. Now I know this is a terrestrial plant.
• Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae (Micro Swords): did not propagate. I suspect it needed more light. It withered away covered in algae during a period when I had an outbreak of brown algae.
• Ophiopogon Japonicus (Mondo grass): told by store personnel that it would grow well, but didn't. Got covered with algae and died. Now I know this is a terrestrial plant.
• Pothos (the common houseplant): Philodendrons and Pothos are often grown with their roots in water. The roots do not rot as other plants. Philodendrons have been reported to grow in aquaria. I attempted to do the same with Pothos. My branch of Pothos developed new leaves and roots, but after several months withered and died.
• Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort): grew like weeds on surface. I had to prune every week to allow light to reach below. Tired of the constant pruning, I decided to remove it all together. That effort took another couple of months, because any broken bits of it left in the aquarium soon grew another mass.
• Hygrophila polysperma (Dwarf Hygrophila): grew like weeds for a couple of years, then died out.
• Ceratopteris thalictroides (Indian Fern): Like the Hornwort, another story of destruction by over success. It grew like weeds and tended to float to the surface, blocking light to other plants. I removed it after a few months.
• Egeria densa (Anacharis): grew best under bright light. In dim light it's very lanky. Eventually I removed it because it was growing much faster than the other plants and required pruning much more frequently.