View Full Version : Anubias Nana Bloomed, whats all the hairy stuff?
moved from the newbie thread, as I realized that there was a plant specific thread:
Hi guys!
I'm new to all this aquarium stuff all over again, so I'm posting as a newbie (I had a tank when I was a kid/preteen, but that was a few years ago...)
I've had my tank (29 gal, w/ 2 bio wheel minis, stocked with 6 neon tetras, 3 guppies, 1 snail that I bought, and a few that came in plants) set up since about november. It's got layered flourite/gravel base, 2 4 ft plant bulbs suspended inches above the top of the aquarium (which also acts as a plant light for my some of my houseplants) and I've just upgraded a DIY CO2 system to the nutrafin CO2 system with the ladder just to get a cleaner, slicker looking system (plus, it was on clearance at my LFS for $15!! as opposed to $40-$45 everywhere else). I don't care for the nutrafin packets, so I'm using the standard diy recipe. SO ON TO THE QUESTION...
I've been successful at getting plants to grow, and algae to not. But I noticed that my Anibias Nana has bloomed (pretty!) and the spadix (I think thats what it is) has a number of short, ~1cm, hairs coming off of it. I don't know what this is. I assume that it's normal, but I've never had any anubias before..
I guess I will know either way in a week or so, as there are 2 more flowers on their way, but any input is appreciated.
Thanks!
irishspy
03-19-2008, 10:20 AM
Sounds normal to me. Some plants have an outer "peach fuzz." Congratulations on a successful tank! :clap:
I just don't know what it is..
I mean.. I'm sure it's okay.. just wish I knew what it was.
msjinkzd
03-19-2008, 1:42 PM
Do you have a pic?
irishspy
03-19-2008, 10:15 PM
Looks to me like the core has opened for pollination.
Sammie7
03-20-2008, 11:10 PM
Looks like fungus to me... :lipssealedsmilie: Mine never did that.
msjinkzd
03-21-2008, 8:22 AM
mine didn't ever do that either, how odd. any changes in it?
no, no change really.. just fuzzy. it caught some fish poop yesterday evening.. that was different.
fungus on nothing in my planted tank except for on 1 new bloom seems just as strange as the fact that I've got a hairy flower.
creoguy
03-22-2008, 4:41 AM
Mine did the exact same thing. Was having a hair algae outbreak at the time.
IceH2O
03-22-2008, 8:48 AM
I've had 6 blooms at once in the same tank and have never seen any fuzz on the flowers.
I have 2 tanks with blooms in them now and no fuzz.
I have no idea what it is though.
fishorama
03-22-2008, 8:54 AM
Mine has done that before too. It's kinda firm, not squishy. I thought it's the anthers & maybe fungus between but I'm not sure. I cut it off when it does that or if the flower turns brown, don't want it to suddenly break apart & yuck up the tank.
this is the only questionable thing going on in the tank right now..
also it looks like someone ate half the fuzz last night.. the snail maybe? I don't know, but a big portion of the fuzz is missing.
I'll post pics later.
dixienut
03-22-2008, 10:09 AM
mine never did that either , but in regular plants some are male and some are female so maybe your is one and mine is another..
0live
03-22-2008, 10:24 PM
yeah.. whatever it is, some one in the tank sure likes it!
0live
03-22-2008, 10:37 PM
yeah.. whatever it is, some one in the tank sure likes it!
fishorama
03-23-2008, 8:34 AM
I had a clown loach & a tiger barb that liked it too. The loach even slept on a leaf to guard it, not that any other loaches or barbs seemed very interested. He quit when it got fuzzy so I removed it.
leocom2000
03-23-2008, 8:41 AM
Olive, what lights do you use? I am wondering what stimulated the bloom. I specifically want to know the temperature and intensity.
Thanks.
the aquarium is set up on a workbench that also holds a number of house plants.. I already had a 4ft shop light w/ plant lights there.. so I just used them for the aquarium.. it's just a shop light hung from the "ceiling" with some plant bulbs I purchased at lowes in them.
They are different than the ones I see at Home Depot.. and I actually haven't been to lowes in a while to find out exactly what they are.. I did set up the aquarium AFTER I had the whole plant table set up so I didn't exactly plant my tank with these lights..
Unfortunately, I won't know exactly what the bulbs are until I get back to Lowes.. I do know that they are more pink than blue.. something that I like..
leocom2000
03-23-2008, 9:28 AM
I see. Thanks. Just like I suspected. In hydroponics they use HPS lights to promote bloom. The lights are less K (more red). MH are used to promote green lush (more blue). I think your success is due to your pink grow lights.
Thanks again.
very cool.
what I'd like to do, is get a fluorescent fixture for the tank that I can put another light in.. just not something I have to hang.. I like the pink glow in the room, I don't want to give that up if I use a more blueish light.
As for the lights, if you use a warm white(~2700-3300K) and a cool white or "daylight"(4000+ or 6500+K) you'll get a mixture of the two spectra. The light output should diffuse through your tank and look even. A dual tube fixture would do that for you.
As for the fuzz; I was going to say it looks normal, until everyone said they'd never seen it! Here's my take; It looks *exactly* like a dandelion does when it develops it's white fuzz. If it's only growing in that spot, I don't see how it couldn't be plant growth. It could be bacteria or fungus, but it's not necessarily bad. Regardless, if it's only in that one spot, it's probably part of the plant.