Aponogeton

[Cinnebuns]

Awhile back I was deciding between apogoneton crispus and ulvaceus on the ACO site. I chose ulvaceus. It has since done AMAZINGLY in my tank and even is sprouting what I'm told might be a flower. My problem is it's doing so well it's blocking out light to the plants below it. I'm considering trying crispus instead but will I have a similar issue?  I love the looks of the plants but I don't want the plants below them to struggle. Tbh, I'm not entirely sure if the plants below them are or not. I did move the crypt pink flamingo just in case and I haven't seen major issues with the others so maybe I'm over thinking it. The guppies love to sit in the big leaves too. 

Edited December 1, 2022 by Cinnebuns

[anewbie]

Don't worry after 2 to 4 months it will hibernate for  6 to 18 months and eventually resprout. Technically you should remove the bulb and store it some place cool and semi-dry for a while - actually i should look up the exact requirement for this plant as different species of aponogeton have different requirements but anyway i just leave the bulb in the tank and while they are suppose to die if you do that they always resprout after i forget about them. I think one took over 2 years.

[Jennifer V]

On 12/1/2022 at 5:03 PM, anewbie said:

Don't worry after 2 to 4 months it will hibernate for  6 to 18 months and eventually resprout. Technically you should remove the bulb and store it some place cool and semi-dry for a while - actually i should look up the exact requirement for this plant as different species of aponogeton have different requirements but anyway i just leave the bulb in the tank and while they are suppose to die if you do that they always resprout after i forget about them. I think one took over 2 years.

Do they die back entirely or do they just stop growing? I love the look of them and don't really know anything about them. 

[anewbie]

On 12/1/2022 at 6:10 PM, Jennifer V said:

Do they die back entirely or do they just stop growing? I love the look of them and don't really know anything about them. 

It completely dies back. It is one of the nicer looking aponogeton but it has a short grow period which I find annoying.

[Jennifer V]

On 12/1/2022 at 5:27 PM, anewbie said:

It completely dies back. It is one of the nicer looking aponogeton but it has a short grow period which I find annoying.

Oh that's a bummer! I suppose I'll look for something that has a similar effect but doesn't routinely "die." Any suggestions? 

[anewbie]

On 12/1/2022 at 6:35 PM, Jennifer V said:

Oh that's a bummer! I suppose I'll look for something that has a similar effect but doesn't routinely "die." Any suggestions? 

I know of no other plant with the same look; but in the aponogeton group I esp like boivinianus; it is a bit of a slow grower but after a few years can get fairly large. In theory it will hibernate and when it does you are suppose to remove it from the aquarium for a rest period but mine hasn't gone into hibernation in 3 years.

Here is a picture of my aquarium with the plant around 3 years old:

 

It is the dark green plant left middle.

 

Another plant people like is apongeton cripus which is not suppose to hibernate but mine went into hibernation after 5 years - well actually i think it died but the bulb is still hard so who knows what it is doing:

and a new cripus in my on the far right:

The plant will eventually out grow the 10 but will probably take another 18 months - it will fit comfortably in a 29.

 

[Minanora]

@anewbie That's a beautiful pleco. What one is that? That dark water tank looks fantastic in that last photo!

You can't the the same effect but there are some smaller amazon swords that look nice. I have an amazon sword that is huge in my sons tank, the other varieties I have, I'll have to look up the names. They're all staying much smaller, but they aren't super well established yet. Only been in their tank for 5-6 months. I'm not sure how big they are actually going to get, or what the adult leaves look like so I guess I'm not much help there. But they don't go dormant, which is nice.

I feel like the plants below yours are doing well. The anubias likes less direct light and it may be curbing algae blooming on the lower plants.

[Cinnebuns]

On 12/1/2022 at 9:57 PM, Minanora said:

@anewbie That's a beautiful pleco. What one is that? That dark water tank looks fantastic in that last photo!

You can't the the same effect but there are some smaller amazon swords that look nice. I have an amazon sword that is huge in my sons tank, the other varieties I have, I'll have to look up the names. They're all staying much smaller, but they aren't super well established yet. Only been in their tank for 5-6 months. I'm not sure how big they are actually going to get, or what the adult leaves look like so I guess I'm not much help there. But they don't go dormant, which is nice.

I feel like the plants below yours are doing well. The anubias likes less direct light and it may be curbing algae blooming on the lower plants.

I already have an Amazon sword. Wanted something with a different texture look to it. 

[Minanora]

On 12/1/2022 at 11:23 PM, Cinnebuns said:

I already have an Amazon sword. Wanted something with a different texture look to it. 

What about some of the large leaf crypts? Ones with the ruffle leaves. I can think of a few, Cryptocoryne Balansae but that is a more narrow leaf, maybe Cryptocoryne Usteriana Green or Cryptocoryne Retrospiralis.... hmmm, or there's this super cool java fern, "Java Fern Sunrise". It's leaves are ruffled(ish). >.> There are so many plants... Lol

Nothing that replaces that super cool look there though

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Ulvaceus can easily take over a tank. Crispus is a little more manageable.

Madagascar lace, Crinums and Crypt balansae or spiralis/retro spiral is is are also good for a change up from sword plant.

[anewbie]

On 12/1/2022 at 9:57 PM, Minanora said:

@anewbie That's a beautiful pleco. What one is that? That dark water tank looks fantastic in that last photo!

You can't the the same effect but there are some smaller amazon swords that look nice. I have an amazon sword that is huge in my sons tank, the other varieties I have, I'll have to look up the names. They're all staying much smaller, but they aren't super well established yet. Only been in their tank for 5-6 months. I'm not sure how big they are actually going to get, or what the adult leaves look like so I guess I'm not much help there. But they don't go dormant, which is nice.

I feel like the plants below yours are doing well. The anubias likes less direct light and it may be curbing algae blooming on the lower plants.

That is an L204.

[anewbie]

On 12/2/2022 at 1:23 AM, Cinnebuns said:

I already have an Amazon sword. Wanted something with a different texture look to it. 

There are a lot of different species of Echinodorus plants with different texture and colour. One of my favorite is Echinodorus Parviflorus ‘Tropica’; this is a dark green plant that is around 2 inches high and 3 inches wide - there is two different flavor 'tropica' and regular it can be a bit of a slow grower and it will never get very large but it has imho a please leaf shape (much nicer than 'amazon' sword) and a darker green.

 

There is also flame swords and similar ozart sword; these are hit and miss in terms of 'like'; there is rubin sword - here is a picture of a large one in my 120:

 

It is the reddish tall plant left center behind the pair of gold angelfishes; this tank has some co2 being injected without co2 it won't get that large.

 

There is also kleiner prinz and kleiner bar plants - i have a prinz plant and it is nice but kind of hard to grow. There is purple aflame which can be very difficult to grow but deep solid purple - lovely plant if you can grow it. Anyway there are more than 20 different species readily available if you go the 'sword' route. I wont' get into crypts other than to note there is at least 30 species readily available and some of them are pretty darn nice but unfortunately and kind of oddly the nicer the plant the harder it is to find. Seems more stores just sell the 'less' nice ones....

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

My Aponogeton Crispus made a flower

[Cinnebuns]

That's how my flower looked too!  I was like "well I've seen prettier flowers before but I'll take it"  then 1 hour later my cat yeeted it out of the tank and started throwing it around. Cats are jerks. 

[Nanci B]

On 1/22/2023 at 9:04 PM, Cinnebuns said:

That's how my flower looked too!  I was like "well I've seen prettier flowers before but I'll take it"  then 1 hour later my cat yeeted it out of the tank and started throwing it around. Cats are jerks. 

They certainly can be brats. 😱