Staurogyne repens?

[WhistlingBadger]

Thinking about trying this plant as a foreground for my Orinoco tank, since I just do not appear to have the gift of dwarf hair grass. I'm especially interested in the possibility of growing it attached to wood/rocks, like java fern. Anybody have experience with this plant? Please tell me about it.

Thanks!
Tom

[angelcraze2]

I was growing it in my 90g dirted tank, and it did well until I reduced the lighting. It did ok with 2 t5s on 24" of height. I really like this plant, but it's fairly slow growing and it succumbed to BBA in my tank. I think the plant loves a dirted tank, go for it!

I don't think it would grow on driftwood or rocks. It grows quite the root system for a small plant.

[WhistlingBadger]

Thanks, Kat. T

[Boundava]

Yup it likes light and you have to keep on top of trimming it once established, longer it gets then the lower leaves die off.

I had a nice population in my 20L-was doing very well sending out roots and runners, and my Sis did a tank rescape and pulled it all out on me. Kinda ticked me off. :shrug: I recommend trimming of about 4-6 of the lowest leaves to encourage root growth if you get them. I also tried and do not recommend hair grass to anyone-fussy, fussy, fussy plant!

[angelcraze2]

I also tried and do not recommend hair grass to anyone-fussy, fussy, fussy plant!

Ahhh :( funny, it was just capturing my interest, thanks, I won't bother with it then.

[WhistlingBadger]

Yeah, I've about had it with hairgrass. I've tried it four times in three different tanks, and just cannot get the stuff to grow. I think this might be a good alternative for a low-grower among the rocks in the "creek".

[Boundava]

I would like to give it a try again- the staurogyne, not the hairgrass, lol.

Would also love to try this again too, she puled it out on me as well. Tool a little more to get established, but an alternative too:

Pogostemon helferi (google photo) Trim it like the staurogyne to keep it low.

50486
50487

[angelcraze2]

Oh man, helferi for me melts if I sneeze too close to the tank. I think it does very well with co2, from what I've seen in others' tanks, but with only a dirted tank, it's best to let the tank mature; too many changes in parameters at first. But then again, crypts melt when I sneeze too close as well, I just find helferi to be particularly finicky. It's so pretty though, I would be pretty upset if someone ripped them out on me. Staurogyne fits your SA biotope as well.

[Boundava]

Lol, that is hilarious. I didn't have issues in the 20L with them. Funny they didn't like the 75 with CO2 :scratchheadyellow:

[angelcraze2]

Well then, I have no idea. One of the local aquarists here in Ottawa keeps a huge heferi section in his 75g. The tank is ridiculously regulated though, co2, pH controller, crazy filters, just everything you can think of for equipment and he DIYs most things, buys good quality materials and builds things the way he wants it. Idk, maybe it likes stable conditions better than co2. A friend of mine still has some in his dirted-only tank, just nothing compared to this other guy's 75g.

Back in the day, I wanted helferi in my 120g, even though it didn't fit the biotope, it's just so darn pretty!

I substituted helferii for stargrass instead, I just keep the stargrass short and spaced out so that I get nice big crowns. Looks a bit like helferi, soooo much easier to grow, and fits a SA themed tank.

[Boundava]

I agree, its gorgeous. I like the erectus variety as well but that melted entirely away on me too-probably didn't help that my loaches, cory and big BN kept uprooting the new stems nightly.

50488


May try it again when I remove some of the bottom feeders. It is such a neat texture in a tank...guess looking back at it I miss it, lol

[angelcraze2]

Never tried pogostremon erectus, it is pretty as well though. If it's that sensitive though, I see other plants that are similar and easier to keep. It would be sweet to grow a helferi and erectus in your tank one day, but not enough to remove some of your nice bottom feeding fish. I got crazy into plants at one time, experimenting with dirt and lighting, dreaming, but I went back to easy growing plants and plants that like my soft water, I figure the tank is healthier and more stable for the fish, and they are the stars of my tanks.

I have angelfish in all of my tanks lol, and they are too rough on delicate stem plants. But I bet those delicate plants would be beautiful with smaller non-cichlid fish!

[Boundava]

Guess I am lucky with my hard Midwest great lake water. Plants seem to like it for the most part.

[WhistlingBadger]

I've thought about putting some Pogostemon helferi in my SE Asia tank. I'm definitely going to try some stargrass in the Orinoco tank. It would be a very cool contrast with the swords.

[Boundava]

Would love to see that :thumbsup:

[WhistlingBadger]

Stay tuned. :)

[angelcraze2]

I've thought about putting some Pogostemon helferi in my SE Asia tank. I'm definitely going to try some stargrass in the Orinoco tank. It would be a very cool contrast with the swords.

Cool. So many beautiful Asian plants, heferi will look gorgeous in there!

Glad you liked the stargrass idea, it works wonderfully in my 120g SA tank.

[WhistlingBadger]

Cool. I've been doing a lot of research on SA plants, since the last few years I've been concentrating on Asian. I've put together quite a list! And hey, even though it's snowing, it's almost warm enough to order plants off Ebay again!

[angelcraze2]

I'd like to see that list :) I've researched South American plants for my 120g, I just like the look of plants that are native to the region the fish live in in the wild and feel they just look better in a biotope. Like how angelfish love to use amazon swords as a breeding site.

I got off the top of my head:
Amazon sword (and hybrid swords)
Chain sword, micro sword, tenellus
Jungle vallisneria
Stargrass
Frogbit
Brazilian pennywort
Dwarf sagittaria

Hmmmmmm.......

What am I missing?

[WhistlingBadger]

Well, let me see...here's what I'm planning on putting in this tank. It's only a 29, remember, so I have to show SOME restraint. ha ha ha
Melon sword
3 rosette swords
Dwarf hairgrass (yep, I'm still trying to get it going, but I'm starting to lose interest...it's been over two weeks and I'm not even seeing any root growth)
S. repens for foreground and/or on the wood. Maybe some H. tenelum...never tried that one, either.
Java Moss tucked in the hollows
Amazon frogbit floating

Leaning toward stargrass, A. reineckii (or redneckii as our dear Slap calls it), and pennywort for stem plants. (also considering Mayaca fluviatilis, Brazillian milfoil, and Bacopa Monnieri "compact")


That would give me nine different species. Not a bad start for a Walstad tank. My year-old Asian tank currently has 12 species of plants, but I started out with 16 or 17, I think. In a natural tank, some species come to dominate over time, others die out, and in my case, some make themselves such a nuisance that they must be destroyed. ha ha ha

[mac]

Think hair grass has a lot to do with substrate and co2 from what I have read.
Another option would be dwarf Chain sword. That grows well just takes some time to plant. Want to spread it out in a grid to get a decent carpet type look

[AmazonJoe]

PROSERPINACA PALUSTRIS

50504

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=197
Technically from the America's
It's a new one I've gotten recently and its been doing well in my apisto tank....

[AmazonJoe]

Think hair grass has a lot to do with substrate and co2 from what I have read.
Another option would be dwarf Chain sword. That grows well just takes some time to plant. Want to spread it out in a grid to get a decent carpet type look

Exactly what we all said in the beginning but you know its best also to try first hand accounts :P

Chain sword would take over in no time :)

[angelcraze2]

Duh...forgot about the thread title staurogene.
Maybe I forgot about the other types, since I thought they'd be too hard. My friend keeps wanting me too try mermaid weed. I didn't know it was south american maybe now?

I had Myriophyllum orange (if I remebered right....at one time, it caught all the BBA in my 90g, but I'd like to try it again in a tank without BBA, it was a really weird orange colour. Didn't know it was from South America either. Thanks for your list.

[flchamp89]

P.helferi in my experience is not demanding. No doubt co2 is a bonus. But have grown both ways. Ive actually done better with it in lower par. I have typically high Gh/kh but it seems to love macro/micro.

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[WhistlingBadger]

Think hair grass has a lot to do with substrate and co2 from what I have read.
Another option would be dwarf Chain sword. That grows well just takes some time to plant. Want to spread it out in a grid to get a decent carpet type look

Agreed. I think everybody warned me about that toward the beginning of my Orinoco thread? Maybe it was a different thread. But anyway, Noooooo, I just had to try it for myself. Blame it on my Scottish ancestry. :) I've done dwarf chain sword, and it grows like crazy, but it's a bit tall and gets pretty out of control...not the look I'm going for here.


PROSERPINACA PALUSTRIS

50504

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=197
Technically from the America's
It's a new one I've gotten recently and its been doing well in my apisto tank....

Oooooooo. :1luvu: I love how these "which plant/fish should I choose" threads always turn into fireworks displays. That's a beauty!

[AmazonJoe]

Figured I would throw some more ideas your way to really make your life harder haha :P

[angelcraze2]

P.helferi in my experience is not demanding. No doubt co2 is a bonus. But have grown both ways. Ive actually done better with it in lower par. I have typically high Gh/kh but it seems to love macro/micro.

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Maybe that's my issue then with helferi, not enough minerals in my water and I don't use ferts at the moment until I figure out TDS.

Low PAR you say....what is low lighting in your opinion?

[angelcraze2]

...In a natural tank, some species come to dominate over time, others die out....

I've noticed this too, what might do well in one tank might not do well in another. I let whatever grow that likes to in my tanks, although it would be nice to try other species of plants again. I also can't get reneiki to grow, too much shade I think, but that's a beautiful plant I wish I could grow in my 120g SA tank.

Edit: And we forgot about good old combamba

[flchamp89]

Maybe that's my issue then with helferi, not enough minerals in my water and I don't use ferts at the moment until I figure out TDS.

Low PAR you say....what is low lighting in your opinion?
You know ....there various charts around stating par levels. I believe there low and high. I dont like alot of middle terms. I think if your pars in the 30s you can grow helferi. I think there are several so called high light plants that will grow in that kind of par. I think there are way to many factors to just state this is a low light or this is a high light plant.

Here is a pic. About 35 par. Lots of macros/micros and 15-30 ppm. Almost 6 months growth. Was two plants originally. No trimming.

So what would 50 par do ....idk
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170208/8510fac842c96b710c71f8e1d1cf0fb8.jpg

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[angelcraze2]

Wow, that fast growth for helferi. 30 PAR at the substrate is not bad. Idk how much PAR I have personally, but I think it's time I try some new plants, maybe in my breeder tanks without ram cichlids. I'll have to increase my ferts.

I had helferi growing nicely along with red mini ludwigia, and they did well for a while. Then, one day, just melted. Probably just bad luck or an odd swing in parameters, idk. I'd have to dig for a pic, but it really is a pretty plant.

[WhistlingBadger]

That helferi is really cool. Have to try it some time, but right now the Blyxa japonica is doing really well in my Asia tank, so I'll stick with it for the time being. That's a really good, adaptable carpet-type plant, by the way. it loves dirt/sand, and it is really eager to send out roots. I just plop it on top of the sand, put a pebble on it to hold it down for a week or two, and it's rooted. Plant them about 3" apart and they will fill up the space pretty handily.

How does one measure PAR?

[flchamp89]

Par meter lol. Theres different ones. Hoppy at planted tank forum is running a rental program.

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[WhistlingBadger]

Par meter lol.

Well, that makes sense. :) Oy, they don't give those things away (https://www.google.com/search?q=Par+meter&rlz=1C1CAFA_enUS695US695&oq=Par+meter&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=Par+meter&safe=active&tbm=shop), do they? I could buy a lot of fish and plants for the cost of one of those...so I think I'll stick with the TLAR method. (That Looks About Right)

[flchamp89]

Nice thing is most finnex lights have them online

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[Boundava]

The PAR measurement?

[WhistlingBadger]

The Parr measurement?

50512

[Boundava]

:hmm3grin2orange:

I like your TLAR method...it works for me too :thumbup: