Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Tank Plant Advice => Topic started by: Cod_only_knows on September 23, 2016, 08:09:27 PM
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Hi all,
Has anyone kept this plant? I've recently re-done my Aquanano 40 and invested in a quality substrate. I have purchased several Crypts (Wendtii, Balansae, Parva, Walkerii and Nevelli) and some Rotala rotundifolia. They're all coming along nicely after the inevitable Crypt melt, but I have a gap at the back of the tank. I think Micranthemum umbrosum would look beautiful alongside the Rotala and Balansae, but wondered what it was like to keep.
It also looks the perfect plant to make my new and skittish Celestichthys erythromicron settle down.
I'll try and get some pics of the tank up once the plants and fish fully settle in.
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Good to see you on here again, Cod.
Unfortunately I'm still in the "experimental" stage with live plants and this isn't one I've kept yet, nor aware of anyone mentioning it before; however, I notice that Aquarium Gardens do suggest it as a 'medium' level of plantkeeping difficulty and that it's suggested as a foreground plant. I agree with you, though, that it does look the type of plant that skittish fish could settle down in - my limited experience is that fish seem to like plants where they can rest in but simultaneously keep a watchful eye on what else is going on around them.
Looking forward to seeing your pics in due course.
Remind me what fish you now have; I seem to recall you used to have x-ray tetras and pseudomugils and possibly also have a bigger tank as well...?
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Thanks FCMF,
It's been a very busy year, so haven't had much time to get on here. New house, new job, new baby and all in the space of 12 months!
Unfortunately, the proposed larger tank has made way for a piano :( But I have completely re-done my Aquanano. Your memory serves you well. I have 3 of the original 6 X-rays (tank is too small), but just two of my Pseudomugils are still around. They have a penchant for leaping, and unfortunately 4 males ended up on my carpet, whilst the females only live for a year or two. As I purchased my original shoal 2 years ago I'm not expecting the remaining 2 males to last too much longer. Stunning fish, but my LFS is now charging £5.50 a fish, when I picked up mine for £2.50! I also still have my beautiful Stiphodon.
As my tank was so understocked, I have now picked up 9 Emerald Dwarf Rasbora, which are better suited to my small tank and hard water than X-rays and Pseudomugil.
So, in short:
Aquanano 40
9 Emerald Dwarf Rasbora
3 X-ray tetra
2 Pseudomugil sp. red neon
1 Stiphodon
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Good to read your update, Cod - I was fairly sure I remembered a house move was in the offing but you have indeed been busy.
Tank and inhabitants sound lovely, so will definitely look forward to seeing the new pics when you get the opportunity.
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Gosh, that is a busy year, congratulations on all of your achievements. :cheers:
I'm also quite new to live plants, and tend to be quite low tech, but I'm growing something similar (possibly hemianthus sp.) in my betta & panda cory tank. It's a 34L/50cm tank with an aquabase substrate coved with sand. It's been set up for several months and most of the planting was at the end closer to the window. The plants went nuts and last week I had to do quite a heavy trim (down to 10cm or less) again, thin them out, and replanted them throughout the tank. All of the fish seem to enjoy having these plants in the tank and they are growing well.
Best of luck with yours, and let us know how you get on. :)
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Thanks for the info Littlefish,
I went to my LFS and they didn't have M. umbrosum, but they did have Ludwigia palustris. Couldn't resist the lure of an easy grow red plant. It's bright green at the moment, but I'm hoping it will turn crimson soon. I'll keep you posted!