What are the extremes of plant growth?

[Rhaethe]

So, I'm curious.

What would be the fastest growing plants, and what would be the slowest ones? At least in your experience.

[Lady Hobbs]

I have anubius that have managed to get new leaves but the thing is nearly the same size it was 3 years ago. Boring!

I've had red vals that grew to the waters surface and then an additional 18" above the waters surface. Also spiral crypts, Ludwigia and hygro all grew very fast. Other plants some refer here as "simple to grow" will not grow for me at all. Some simply just melted away.

What I refer to as "easy to grow" as those that grow well for me in my water and not from some article.

[Zilla]

I think it depends on a range of factors really. I've known people that can grow just about anything with the simplest of set ups while others have to had to work really had just to get anything to grow.

The one aquatic green thumb that comes to mind is a person on the fish forum I used to hang out on. He doesn't use ferts, C02 or even lights made specifically for fish tanks. He uses Zoo Med bulbs and his tanks are always overflowing with healthy plants. The only other thing he uses is Eco-Complete with a layer of gravel on top to keep it from blowing dust everwhere.

It's a guess that he must have really good water because while I can keep plants alive and green, they don't grow like they are on steriods like his does. My plants outside do well, but it's a different game than tank planting.

[toddnbecka]

Duckweed will grow faster than anything else I've seen, Najas and hornwort are also fast-growing plants.
Anubias are probably the slowest-growing; they're not really an aquatic plant to begin with, but can survive underwater w/out CO2 and/or high light.

[DrNic]

Anubius are some of the slowest growing plants around. I swear those things can just sit there for years and stay alive but not grow.

As for the fastest, Java moss can get pretty crazy. Hygropolysperma is also a really fast grower that can grow right out of a tank and be happy to find its way into any nearby potted plants. (This has happened to me 2 or 3 times).

[Wild Turkey]

Java moss, duckweed, najas, hornwort, a lot of things come to mind


For some reason I dont have a problem growing my anubia but I can never get them to flower either.

[Rhaethe]

What's funny is that of the plants I've tried out, the anubias is the only one that I can remember actually doing *anything* of note ... which was grow its little white rootlets. And it did that with some speed.

All the others have simply sat there, looked great for a week, and then started melting. Root tabs, liquid ferts, daylight cfl's, and plant substrate. All there, but still they just go "eh".

The microsword looks like it wants to do something ... but its hard to tell since my gourami inhales it :sconfused:

I've just stuck some hygro-polysperma (sunset) in my tank a couple days ago. I've noticed that they all have re-oriented themselves to point toward the light, so that's something, I'd guess.

[Zilla]

I finally got fed up with having to clean out the filter intakes on the 55, so now the Vals and the Pennywort are in the 20 I set up yesterday.

Instead of getting the point, they are now working on the Java Moss and they are doing a excellent job as now the intakes are full of brown moss instead of green leaves. :banghead: They haven't bothered with the Giant Hairgrass, Java Fern or Ludwigia for some reason. Perhaps they are waiting for the Moss to go away first.

I always expect alittle melting at first, but if plants don't bounce back within a week, I consider them duds.

[annageckos]

Plants that have grown fast for me are red lotas, foxtail and the dryed bulbs (aponogeton).

[candice&jeff]

I just wanted to through out there that if you regularly trim anubas it will grow much much faster! I have one that seemed to quit growing, I trimmed it now it is twice the size! Even just trimming off the tip with only one leaf will make it grow faster IME.:ssmile:

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I used to get tired of trimming Rotalla roundifolia in my tank as well as Ammania gracilis. I used to have to trim both of those on a weekly basis. I used to get about 6" of growth a week out of both of those.

[troy]

I would have to say guppy grass. It managed to stay hidden in my tank for over a year before I found it and put it where it would have enough light. Since then, it has really taken off. I haven't anubias as slow growing as some others have mentioned.

[smaug]

Diandra grows crazy fast in my tank as did ludwigia repens,dwarf water lettuce also grows quick.Anubia coffeefolia is the slowest plant I have at the moment,it is experiancing fast growth right now with 1 new leaf per week per plant,in the past that was about half that.