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Scheel's Letters: Plants for Rainforest Tanks
courtesy of
ARK - Arizona Rivulin Keepers
The Scheel Letters, No. 43
Plants for Rainforest Tanks
Through the years I tried several common aquarium plants in my "rainforest tanks".
Only a few established themselves for years.
Cryptocorynes:
"affinis" also called "haerteliana" is the fastest growing, sometimes too fast.
"undulata" (often called "willisii" in the USA and "becketti" in Europe) grows
fine. This also does "nevillii" (called "becketti" in the USA).
"griffithii" grows slowly at the temperatures I use, but if the temperature is
increased to 25 C or more it grows fine.
Before I changed to "rainforest tank", "beckettii" ("cordata" in the USA,
"ciliata" in Europe) was the best of the Cryptocorynes in my tanks. Now it lives
but not as the other species. Since I changed to the water and tank type I use
now, I have never seen any "Cryptocoryne disease" in my tanks.
Aponogeton:
"ulvaceus" and "crispus" are growing very fine. However, the latter is too
high even in my big tanks. The "fenestralis" I have tried would not live.
Echinodorus:
only the very big "martii" species established itself. The other species
may live in tanks without Cryptocorynes, not together with these plants.
(Species names in accordance with A. Wendt: "Die Aquarienpflanzen")
Ceratopteris, Amblystegium (a fine moss), the common Hygrophila, Nitella (a form
native to Nigeria) grew fine.
The following would not live under these conditions:
Acorus Bacopa Cabomba (5 species have been tried). Elodea
Myriophyllum
(several species) Sagittaria Vallisneria.
One species of Ludwigia (I do
not know the species name, leaves olive green on the upper side and red on the
backside) mostly lives well in such tanks. The Symnea triflorum ("water wisteria")
is growing fine, but if temperature is below 23-24 C, the leaves do not develop
their beautiful jagged shape.
