Carnivorous Aquarium Plant???

[Ian Turkstra]

HI everyone!

I have a strange fascination with carnivorous plants.  I have 4 different types now and when I was at Big Al's for the boxing week sale I found an aquatic carnivorous plant

It's called utricularia graminifolia and is a great foreground plant that only gets 1cm to 2cm high!  It has little 'bladders' that trap microscopic organisms and digests them for extra nutrients.  I'm trying it in my little 1g bowfront and some in my 30gallon bowfront!  Pics to come but check google images for some in the meantime if you're interested!

[crazy4bettas]

very cool.  If you can get it growing, I'd be interested in trying some too:)

[Ian Turkstra]

I'll be happy to help with that if it takes off.  I likely won't know for a few months.

It looks neat in the tank.  I split the small pot up into maybe 8 different clumps to spread out over an area in each of two tanks.  They spread by runners so the more they can be separated at first, the better chance they have of filling in an area quickly

Also bought a small clump of bacopa yesterday that will just sit in the pot in my main tank for a week until I get back and have time to plant it where I want it.

-Ian

[hyperfin]

sounds like a fun plant. have you ever tried Baby Tears??? I got about three pots a few weeks ago. Attached some to driftwood and the rest i planted as a foreground plant but it just seems to be melting away. Cant figure it out!!! Everything should be good for it to grow in the tank which is a 15 gallon with 3 T5 HO bulbs running a fluval 104 filter with a pre filter sponge on the intake so as to not suck up any plants, i have a home made CO2 system with a bubble ladder in the tank and am dosing ferts and flourish excel as needed.

My dwarf hairgrass grew like crazy in that tank till i got too busy with school and a nasty algae took over, so i tore it apart and thought i"d try something different till i can move everything over to a 20 gallon for the extra height

By the Ian i have not forgot about the DH i promised I'd get to you. Unfortunately it hasn't been coming in so as soon as it does I'll let you know. My deepest apologies!!!

[Ian Turkstra]

Nice Hagen, I haven't tried that but it looks neat!

-Ian

[amtowell]

Hyperfin,
Don't even get me started about the HC(baby tears) as I've tried a multitude of times with no success. I also had no luck with hairgrass until my latest batch from April in Vancouver. Considering, I have a bit of an aquatic green thumb, it's been frustrating. Lately I am loving the dwarf 4 leaf clover as a small foreground plant. Sorry Ian, it's not carnivourous though!!

[hyperfin]

AM I did a little lookong into the HC aka baby tears and found it builds itself up better if grown immersed rather than emmerged. Needs alot of CO2 as well. I guess i just haven't been giving it enough. Since mine is still just barely alive i'm gonna move out the female bettas i have in that tank and try growing the HC with no water.

[Ian Turkstra]

lol AM!

Any idea of the clover like plant's real name?

-Ian

[amtowell]

It's marsilea minuta Ian. I can send you some once it's warmer as mine's doing well. Grows slowly but seems quite hardy.

[Ian Turkstra]

Thanks!  Looks like an interesting plant!

[bettasandbeads]

I could always bring some back for you Ian when I go out to Calgary in June if Ann Marie doesn't get around to sending you some.
Catherine

[Ian Turkstra]

Thanks Cat!  I'll let you know if I need some


So my CPs are doing OK.  They aren't melting (from what I can tell) but they aren't doing much else yet either (which is to be expected for these)...Pics soon (I promise lol)!