Small tanks- discussion thread [Archive]

bert501

03-13-2006, 7:55 PM

Thanks for posting this! :clap:
A lot of good info for those of us who enjoy a smaller tank!

All we've ever had is small tanks with Betta's. Then Christmas came and we received a 20g long--I feel like a complete klutz trying to learn how to "do" a bigger tank! LOL

You are right about the water changes in the smaller tanks. They are essential but since the tanks are so small they are no problem for me to just do a quick rinse while the fishies wait in a cup. If it takes 10 mins total then I am really in slow motion!

I will say that we got a snail with our new betta lady last week in the 1 gallon tank---the first snail we've ever had and it is a BLAST! Talk about a fun little critter; it is all over the tank and the Betta's hideout rock-just everywhere. The Betta gets fed up and dive bombs it and it just lets go and plops to the bottom! I didn't realize they were so active and the Betta is completely entertained by it.

Between it and those crazy cory's in the big tank the TV is losing it's audience! I highly recommend, especially if you have kids, to try the mystery snails. Of course I have exactly 1 week of experience with them and all I know I have learned on this site! But so far it is a great addition to our "fishy family".

We never tried the Killie fish or the Endlers but now that I've read this most excellent advice, we may get another small tank and set it up.....

Did I just say that we would get ANOTHER tank?!!!?!! I'll have to tell my husband they "followed us home"! Sorry this turned into a novel--just an over enthusiastic newbie here!!

Emg

03-13-2006, 8:15 PM

How about folks posting pics of thier small tanks ??

Here are a few of mine to get things started...these are thumbnails, just click on them for a larger view:

One gallon planted betta tank:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/th_DSC02741.jpg (http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/DSC02741.jpg)

Two gallon planted:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/th_DSC02240.jpg (http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/DSC02240.jpg)

Five gallon "river" tank:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/th_DSC00909800.jpg (http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/DSC00909800.jpg)

One gallon "fake" betta tank...silk plants and gravel:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/th_OrangeGirl.jpg (http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/OrangeGirl.jpg)

The three "cubby" tanks:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/th_DSC03015.jpg (http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/DSC03015.jpg)

rbishop

03-13-2006, 8:27 PM

Well done Emg!

dorkfish

03-14-2006, 12:04 AM

EMG: really like the river tank espescially all the plants.
EMG or anyone else who knows: If Iwere to place a five and a couple smaller tanks in a cubbyhole and use a small space heater or reptile heater(they do exist right)on a thermostat would that keep the tanks at a good temp. or will it just be on all time over heating the tank because it's trying to keep the room warm? If it's the later I think I'll make the cubby hole a insulated (with styrofoam) and partally sealed terarium. my parents seem to have something aggainst having the heat on (for the house, because of the power usage) so some form of heat will be needed. I know I will be getting a 2.5g in a few days and already have the 5g. I had 10g's without heaters wich was fine, in the summer. I checked the temps and imeadiatly added heaters I had sitting around.

Gena575

03-14-2006, 12:34 AM

EMG: really like the river tank espescially all the plants.
EMG or anyone else who knows: If Iwere to place a five and a couple smaller tanks in a cubbyhole and use a small space heater or reptile heater(they do exist right)on a thermostat would that keep the tanks at a good temp. or will it just be on all time over heating the tank because it's trying to keep the room warm?.

I'm just thinking out loud here. Please if someone thinks this is dangerous or flat out won't work, say so!

What about something like this http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9771&N=2006+22787 under the tanks? It would take some experimenting as to placement and such...maybe even timer use to keep from overheating, but it might just work?? I think I would try it with empty (edit: as in no fish, just water) tanks first LOL!

Emg

03-14-2006, 7:57 AM

Gena, the only problem with something like that mat is that you can't regulate it. As far as finding a way to heat your 2 1/2 and 5....the 5 shouldn't be a problem to heat. I had a 25watt heater in one of my 5s and it worked fine. I have since replaced that with a walmart jr. heater because I needed the 25 for another tank. That too works well. The jr heater should also work for your 2 1/2. You can't regulate those heaters, but I have found them to do well in the 2 and 5 size tanks. If you have the smaller tanks in the cubby right next to the 5.....with only the front exposed, the heat from the 5 may be enough to keep the smaller tanks warm enough. You could try it out and see...put a thermometer in each tank and see what you get.

DF...being a parent myself.....with bills and all... I can totally understand your parents desire to keep the energy usage down....lol....don't be too hard on them DF, they're saving up for your college education....LOL ! A heater like you were talking about for your cubby area probably would just be on all the time because the front would be open to the room temp.

I'd say the best solution for that area would be lighting. You could try using a towel or something over the open front at night when you turn the lights out.....better yet....lol.....a small shade type item attached under the shelf, that you can just pull down to close the opening....lol.....what a brilliant idea..... :rolleyes:

Roan Art

03-14-2006, 8:24 AM

I'm just thinking out loud here. Please if someone thinks this is dangerous or flat out won't work, say so!

What about something like this http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9771&N=2006+22787 under the tanks? It would take some experimenting as to placement and such...maybe even timer use to keep from overheating, but it might just work?? I think I would try it with empty (edit: as in no fish, just water) tanks first LOL!
IMO those are dangerous to use with tanks. I've used those, as well as several other brands and Flex Watt heat tape, for my ball pythons and while you *can* buy a thermostat to control them, they are not water proof or water resistant.

They are also not supposed to be used with acrylic or plastic *at all*. They will melt plastic or acrylic easily and most small tanks are not made of glass.

Some of them get very hot -- many snakes need heat in the 100-110* range -- and I wouldn't trust a tank sitting on them, period.

The 25w heaters Emg is referring to are great for small tanks 2.5g and larger. I'd use one of those before I put a plastic tank on a reptile heater. A heater is also a LOT cheaper than buying a reptile mat. The smallest run around the same price as a heater and the larger ones are 2-3 x more. A thermostat will run around 25-30$.

IME and IMO

Roan

Emg

03-14-2006, 9:06 AM

Thanks much for the input Roan ! Very helpful ! :thm:

dorkfish

03-14-2006, 9:42 AM

EMG: thanks for the advice. I think I'll just get heaters for the 5 and 2.5 and see what happens if I get any 1gs.

minnesotagal866

03-14-2006, 9:48 AM

I've got a 2.5 gallon with amano shrimp and 2 elusive endler's, a 5.5 betta tank with 3 white clouds, a lone leftover glass catfish that freaked in the 55, and snails, and a 10G with endler's and cherry shrimp for my small tanks.

My house is cold and the walmart jr. heater did not keep my 5.5 warm enough, so it now has a 25W heater that is great. It has a whisper 10i (I think) for filtration, as does the 10G (which has a 25W heater also).

The 2.5 gallon has the walmart jr. heater which works great and the red sea nano-filter, which I can not recommend highly enough. Best money I ever spent.

The 2.5 gallon has anubias nana, dwarf hairgrass, java moss, and some vals (which will eventually outgrow the tank). The 5.5 has melon swords, java moss, and various cuttings that I let float until they develop roots.

The 10G has some glosso (not sure if it will grow at 2 WPG), microswords, anubias nana, melon swords, crypts, and of course java moss for the endler babies.

IF you use endler's be prepared for a bigger tank. I started with a trio 6 weeks ago and I have at least 15 now.

My only thought is that I should have removed the amano from the 2.5 and put them in the 10 and put the 6 cherry shrimp in the 2.5 G so I'd have a better chance of seeing them. The amano I think would be very active in the 10G. If I can ever see all the cherry shrimp I may do that, although everything is coming down in three months for a move anyway.

Jackie

Ms.Bubbles

03-14-2006, 12:50 PM

Emg thanks for posting this. I don't know what it is exactly, but there is something amazing and beautiful about tiny planted tanks that really draws me! I just bought my (spoiled) betta a 10 g and now I want a little tank again :)

Regarding Endler's Livebearers, what temp do they prefer? You mention that they don't need a heater, but I didn't know they were cold water fish. I thought they were a variation on a guppy...

misopeenut

03-14-2006, 1:20 PM

heres my 7 gallon, is this considered small?
i plan to add cryptos soon.
fun part of keeping small tank is taht water parameter chages so quickly you cant be lazy and youre always challenge to maintain. it keeps me motivated
http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/2613/imgp17940vb.jpg

minnesotagal866

03-14-2006, 1:31 PM

I am not EMG, but I do keep endler's livebearers. They can be kept without a heater--but one of the advantages of having a heater is a stable temperature. I keep my endler's at about 76 and they do really well. I have talked to my LFS (Uncle Ned's Fish Factory in Millis, MA, one of the best) and they recommend heaters for most fish primarily for the issue of stable temps. If you keep your house at the same temp all the time, I don't think it would be a problem, but we turn our temp down to 60 at night and weekdays when noone is home. That's a pretty drastic temp shift in a small tank.

The only tank I don't heat is my newts tank, where the temp stays about 70 year round.

Jackie

Emg

03-14-2006, 2:21 PM

yeah, what Minnesota said. We don't turn out heaters down at my house...too lazy and we'd always forget..lol....so temps here are steady at 72F. I have a few endlers in my river tank and they do fine without a heater.

Minnesota.....do you have any pics of your tanks ?? Love to see them !

MissO....LOVE that 7 gallon ! Very nice job, it looks bigger than a 7 !
See, that is the fascination with small tanks that some just don't "get". If you work your scale right, it's amazing how they look like a miniature little world ! You just have to choose wisely what plants you use and the stock you choose, has to match the scale ..and of course....be able to do well in that tank size.

Bravo folks !! :thm:

Emg

03-14-2006, 4:52 PM

Just took this pic of my 2 gallon planted hex. This one has one betta and one little ghost shrimp. I have echo-complete substrate underneath the sand in here. I just cropped the plants back, so they're pretty sparse. That water sprite will fill in fast though.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/DSC03024500.jpg

new2tanks

03-15-2006, 4:30 PM

EMG, what cool cool looking tanks.
i would love to have a minature betta tank like that .... (my parents will only let me have one tank :sad: )

tricksterpup

03-15-2006, 4:53 PM

EMG,
Some day, you are going to have to try hets in your micro tanks. I think you would have a blast with them. :)
Once the weather warms up, I am hoping to order some more and add them to a 10 gallon planted tank. :)

Emg

03-15-2006, 6:46 PM

Trickster, if I ever find them around here, I may just do that ! ;)

tricksterpup

03-15-2006, 6:56 PM

Trickster, if I ever find them around here, I may just do that ! ;)
ahem.. http://www.aquaculturestore.com/index.html

Emg

03-15-2006, 7:33 PM

Lol Trick...I can't afford to have fish shipped to my house........would be nice, but I'm trying to save up to fix a very nice old violin.....thanks for the link though... ;)

Jighead

03-15-2006, 8:09 PM

Great Post! this is very informative and i believe deserves a look at for the article section. Most new tank owners that come here for info have relatively small tanks, this is perfect to start from.

- Jighead

Emg

03-16-2006, 6:48 AM

Lol....I'm not so sure it would ever end up in the articles section......too many folks here don't like small tanks and think it's cruel and wrong to keep them. :huh:

I wrote this up because I got pretty tired of folks "downing" small tanks and the people who keep them. Sure, some who don't know any better are probably keeping the wrong fish/stock in their small tanks...and/or.... not caring for them properly.......hence..the reason for this thread. Hopefully these people will check in here and learn something so if they want to keep their small tank, they can at least find ways to properly set it up and care for it...getting alot more enjoyment out of it as a result.

Small tanks are for people who love to keep fish.....but don't have the time or space for a larger more involved setup. Yes, more frequent maintenance is required for these little tanks, but the time involved in doing so is pretty minimal. If it's setup properly, you can get just as much enjoyment out of these smaller tanks as you do the larger ones.
;)

minnesotagal866

03-16-2006, 6:53 AM

At plantedtank.net there is a forum on setting up nano planted tanks. It's a great resource and you'll find a bunch of people who set up great small planted tanks (most with fish or shrimp). Lots of diaries by people showing step by step. Worth taking a look at if you are interested in small tanks.

Jackie

Primetime

04-01-2006, 7:13 PM

Speaking of small tanks, eversince AC was down, I got hooked on them!! Let me get some pics of mine (gonna edit the post after I upload).

Btw, this thread didn't survive the AC crash but I had it in my favourites and somehow its still here.

Pics:

0.25 gallon mac n cheese salad nano tank -Water's actually clear... Plastic is not :(
Inhabitants:
2 hichhiker snails
1 Ghost Shrimp
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/poc4.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/poc.jpg

0.2L (believe it or not!! not even a litre) bowl "The Island"
Inhabitants:
4 hichhiker snails
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/pic6.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/pic4.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/pic2.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/pic33.jpg

2 Gallon

BEFORE (ugly)
Inhabitants:
3 Ghost Shrimp
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/pic.jpg

AFTER: (decent)
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/Untitled_0001.jpg

Well what do you think? I'm most pleased by the 0.2L bowl..

misopeenut

04-01-2006, 7:57 PM

i finally got my cryptos and rotala that i ordered and now its all planted, well its was a while ago before this site went down and rotala sure grows fast.. so here it is
http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/4341/imgp20514fs.jpg
from the front. notice the little crypto wendtii under the wood.
from the side:
http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/4067/imgp20590ra.jpg
the shrimps is messing up my flouride... maybe theyre just trying to make it look more natural i dont know...
by the way its dimenseion is 12x12x12 about 7 Gallon
what do you think?

tricksterpup

04-01-2006, 8:56 PM

Emg

04-01-2006, 10:27 PM

PrimeTime and Misopeanut....VERY nice tanks !!!

Prime, it's too bad the plastic is so cloudy....those mini scapes you've put together are fantastic ! It would be nice to see them clearly. Is that last one one of those little pet totes ?? The scale of the items you've put in there makes it look larger ! LOL on the "macNcheese" container.....I used a cheese ball container once for some plants...I still have it hanging around..just in case...lol. You know, you should go out and buy one of those large round cheesepuff bowls...they're much clearer than the M&C bowl ! ;) Prime, I'm ssooooo glad you happen to have this thread on your list !! Thanks for reposting it ! :D

Misopeanut, that tank is fantastic ! Love the scale and the plants you've chosen. Very colorful ! Like Trickster said....keep up the good work ! :thm:

Primetime

04-01-2006, 11:01 PM

PrimeTime and Misopeanut....VERY nice tanks !!!

Thanks!

Prime, it's too bad the plastic is so cloudy....those mini scapes you've put together are fantastic ! It would be nice to see them clearly.[quote]
Yup, at first I thought the water was cloudy, but then I was very disappointed to realize that it was something that I couldn't fix. I'm gonna move it to a clearer tank/food conatiner soon :D
[quote]
Is that last one one of those little pet totes ??
LOL nah, its just a little bowl I "borrowed" from my mom. Its realllly tiny, its probably less than 3" high.
The scale of the items you've put in there makes it look larger !
Thanks, I had to use tweezers to set everything up in that last one :)

LOL on the "macNcheese" container.....I used a cheese ball container once for some plants...I still have it hanging around..just in case...lol.
LOL yeah thats what I LOVE about small tanks, you can make them from virtually anything! And to top it off, you can get a finished product from cuttings that you probably won't even notice in your main tank! Whats not to like :)
You know, you should go out and buy one of those large round cheesepuff bowls...they're much clearer than the M&C bowl ! ;)
Thanks for the advice, I was thinking of those too. They're already on my moms list next time she goes out :)

Prime, I'm ssooooo glad you happen to have this thread on your list !! Thanks for reposting it ! :D

Yeah I was glad too when I found it. I kept it in my favourites because I knew it would come in handy eventually. Now it's inspired me!

justintoxicated

04-02-2006, 5:03 AM

I have a 3 gallon eclipse I'm still working on...

It has 1 Bumble Bee Gobie, and a few growing guppies (3 of them) (they are growing fast since I removed the others.) And one Ghost Shrimp.

I just discovered some kind of baby snail I have not yet IDed. I have no idea where it came from as I have not added anything to the tank in a long time other than some salt for the BB Gobie. Somehow it is in there though! Very strange I think it might be a trumpet snail but untill it is larger i dunno.

I just found a way to mmodify the stock eclipse filter, I carefully ripped up one side and removed teh skimmpy few pieces of charcoal they give you. Instead I filled the inside of it up with charcoal (about 5 times what comes in there) And rinsed the filter in old tank water. I try to keep up with my water changes but I like having the charcoal in there just in case I also think it helps to polish the water.

misopeenut

04-02-2006, 6:46 AM

does charcoal helps clear the water that much?? i took the charcoal off from my eheim and now i have black water from using peat and putting driftwood but my fish are putting color taht ive never seen before so i guess im gonna leave it like this..

justintoxicated

04-02-2006, 7:08 AM

It seems to help for me, but it probably depends why your water is not clear. It also needs to be changed often. I don't always change it as often as I should but when I do it does seem to help.

tricksterpup

04-02-2006, 4:56 PM

2 Gallon

BEFORE (ugly)
Inhabitants:
3 Ghost Shrimp
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/pic.jpg

AFTER: (decent)
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Primetime44/Untitled_0001.jpg

Well what do you think? I'm most pleased by the 0.2L bowl..

This would be a great tank for the dwarf livebearer. :) In a tank this "big" you could atleast keep 10 happy with regular water changes.

misopeenut

04-04-2006, 12:14 AM

What are endlers?

tricksterpup

04-04-2006, 5:30 AM

Endlers are a small live bearer that is closely related to the Guppy. They are brightly colored and very active fish. I also raise them myself, very nice fish.
Go ahead and google them, you will see plenty of pictures of the fish.

tuvok

04-10-2006, 1:56 AM

I just had to chime in. This is a great thread (I wish it was a sticky or an article as has been said before). I think this thread does the community a great service by giving people information on how to responsibly stock a small tank. Right now I have a 38g tank (only 16g of water in it) and a 10g. I have to say that the 10g seems to be doing quite well and is a pleasure to watch. Another factor that will likely see me running smaller tanks is simply that the only place I can keep my large tank is in the basement due to space considerations. While this works in a practical sense, and I'm down there every day to look after the fish, I always wish that I could have the fish somewhere that I spend more time such as the living room or home office. In my house this requires a small tank. This was a lot typing to basically say "great thread". I hope that it keeps getting read because I feel it has a lot to offer.

rosita

04-10-2006, 9:39 PM

EMG, thank you so much for starting this thread!!! I think the small aquaria
are absolutely beautiful when done right, and if the keeper is intelligent
enough to research and put correct size fish, without overcrowding and
changing water often enough, what's the problem? We gots yer big fishies, we gots yer giant fishies, we gots your average fishies, and we gots yer minie fishies!!! Fishies is fishies. :D

born2lovefish

04-10-2006, 9:49 PM

I have a sweet 2.5 gallon glass tank and I love it. I have a deep sand bottom built up to one side with some river rocks in there. The only filter I run on it is a little palmer one and I use a filter pad and bio cyclinder in it. I have three amazon swords in it and they are growing like crazy. I also have some java fern in there on some drift wood that sticks out like a branch from the built up sand. You ask why anyone would keep a small tank and the answer is simple. I do it because I want the challange of it. I do a 50% water change once a month and add minerals to the RO water and blackwater extract along with plant fertilizer. I have kept one cardinal tetra in there with no prob, and also a pymy cat. Looks great sittle on a night stand of even a desk. call me crazy but I want to try turnering another 2.5 gallon into a small saltwater tank. Sure I have a 75 gallon and a 29 and some other tanks, but after a while fish keepers just need a challange, especially when others say it can not be down.

Emg

04-11-2006, 7:50 AM

50% water change once a month doesn't sound like enough, but if all is well with the tank that's great ! :)

Emg

04-12-2006, 10:28 PM

Anyone want to share some pics of thier small tanks ? Love to see them ! :D

tuvok

04-14-2006, 5:11 PM

Five gallon "river" tank:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/th_DSC00909800.jpg (http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/DSC00909800.jpg)

Emg:
Would it be possible for you to post a little how-to on this tank? It looks like a really cool small tank project. I'm wondering specifically how you created the land section, how it is filtered and where is the heater hidden? Very inspirational setup by the way.

Oh yeah . . . and how is it being lit?

Emg

04-14-2006, 9:51 PM

I wish I had taken pics of the tank while I was setting it up....but I didn't :huh:

I used a piece of plexiglass/lexan for a platform. I made a form from cardboard and my husband cut it to size at work. I siliconed it to the side of the tank by laying the tank on it's side and putting a heavy bead of silicone along the bottom edge of the platform and also the top edge. I proped it up with something, can't remember what, until it dried. It seems to be on there solid enough, but I am careful about pressing down on it anytime I fuss around with the plantings. If I were to do this again I'd make little plexiglass stilts for the platform, siliconing a few thin 'legs' under the platform just for good measure.

I have a sponge filter along the back wall under the platform, there is no heater. I have ADFs, a few endlers and one male betta in there, along with 2 redbellied newts, who stay up on the platform.... we keep our thermostat set at 70-72 in our house during the winter so the temps stay warm enough for the betta. I had tried to put a heater in it when I added the betta, but it didn't work out for some reason....temps wouldn't stay stable. Figured a steady 70-72 was better than 85 one day, then 70 the next.

I scooped some echo-complete for planted aquarium from one of my tanks and put a layer of it on the platform, along with a little bit of flourite. Picked a few small plants for it and set them in the substrate, putting a layer of moss that I got from my backyard...over all of that. I have many types of moss to choose from back there...lol...

That's it ! I do have to occasionally replace the moss with fresh, which is no problem at all. I just did a trimming and moss replacement in the tank this past week. I'll take some pics after I get back from NC.

I really like this tank as well....it's a no muss no fuss setup, just take the sponge off the filter from time to time and rinse it in the old tank water and wipe the sides down on occassion as well. All the fish in there are doing very well, also the frogs, which I've had for about 2 or 3 years now !

The only thing I would change in this tank is the gravel. I'm not happy with the color of what I have in there...not sure what I would replace it with if I ever do...but something less "brownish/orange"....maybe small river pepples with more of a greyish color, with a few larger pepples here and there.....

Anyway.....glad you enjoy it Tuvok !

OH...forgot to answer the "how is it being lit" question.............This tank has a light over it that comes with the hood. I can't remember what the wattage is, but I believe the bulb is a 12inch bulb, not sure....and I'm in NC right now and can't check...lol....

tuvok

04-15-2006, 11:40 AM

Thanks for the details Emg. I was trying to do something like that with my 38g but I just can't seem to come up with a plan that will fall within budget. Also becuse the only place I can keep the tank is in the basement, the only person who would derive any enoyment from watching this project is me and I would like to have something I can share with the family. A sensibly excuted paludarium project on a smaller scale seems like a very workable (and slightly less costly) way to go.

Ms.Bubbles

04-15-2006, 6:00 PM

Picked a few small plants for it and set them in the substrate, putting a layer of moss that I got from my backyard...over all of that.

Can you tell us which type of plant(s) you used here? Looks like they're growing both submersed & emersed from the water? Are they low-light plants?

Emg

04-18-2006, 7:20 AM

I have no idea what type of plants those are......Picked one up somewhere, PetCo I believe....but whatever they are they grow VERY well on what lighting they get in this tank. I am having to trim them back quite often. I don't remember what the wattage is of the bulb....small 12inch bulb...maybe 9watts (???)..not sure.

These plants don't grow for long submerged......what you see there is a few plants that have grown down into the water from the platform, and then grow straight up out of the water.....so, part of the stem is under the water shooting off roots, but the base of it is up on the platform. Also, I take some of the cuttings from these plants and prop them up between the sponge filter and the back wall (stem in the water)...to hide the filter a bit and add something to the other side of the tank.