carnivorous plants

[elgecko]

I grow alot of carnivorous plants and have been thinking of growing some aquatic CP's in my 40 gallon tank. I was wondering if anyone grows any and how's it doing? What PH, lighting ,and temp?

[Captain Hook]

Very cool site! I used to grow venus flytraps when I was younger. Very healthy looking plants in your pics.

I've never heard or seen any underwater carnivores. Do you know of any specifically? Freshwater or salt? What would they eat, fish?

[RTR]

Utricularia species, bladderworts, are carnivorous. But their prey is at rotifer size or thereabout. Maybe up to baby brine shrimp size, so would only be a hazard to the tiniest of fry, if that.

It is floating and I believe rootless. Normally come in as a contaminant from pond raised plants. Not much of a show plant to be kind and generous, but for a collector, obviously needed. I have seen several species listed, but know nothing of their validity or availability.

HTH

[odessa]

I know nothing about them but did enjoy this.
http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=4006090712&f=1306023812&m=1356097714


HTH>

[plantbrain]

Many species of Utricularia's are easy to grow along with Aldrovandra if you use CO2 and good light, cooler temps.
pH/Hardness does not effect these plants.
U stellaris grows 2-4 inches a day in very hard or soft waters.

KNO3, KH2PO4, traces and K2SO4 help and these plants can grow indefinitately without any rotifers food supply.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[lesley]

I got a little piece of some Utricularia when I purchased some wisteria. It seems to be slowly dying.

I have seen Aldrovanda fry instantly when added to an aquarium. This was in Davis, CA, though, where the water is EXTREMELY hard.

I have been in swithers over getting rid of my fry tank and turning it into a carnivorous plant terrarium, or getting some guppies or something.

[plantbrain]

If you use CO2 and some nutrients, these plants grow like mad.

They like high light.
We had some nice exmaples of flowering U. gibba at an aquatic restoration grow out facility in Dallas for the AGA meeting a couple of weeks ago.

U inflata is nice also and flowers and grows better in the winter here in FL.

You can check out Meadow Biological reseach station in VA for some CP's. They sell a number of different species.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[elgecko]

Thanks for all the help.

Looks like I'm trading some of my aquatic plants that I trim and throw away for some Utricularia aurea. :D I hope it will do ok in my fish tank.
I might also get some Utricularia gibba.

[plantbrain]

DO NOT GET U. gibba!!!

It is a very bothersome weed and it's extremely difficult to get rid of.

Stay away from that one above all else. The others in the gensu are okay. I have U stellaris and inflata and one more I'm not quite sure of. U. infata does better in cooler temps, U stellaris grows easily with light/CO2/nutrients in the water column.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[elgecko]

I do not think U. gibba is all that pretty. Looks to me that it is just a green stem that has some small traps on it every here and there. If I got U. gibba I would not put it in my fish tank. I would grow it in a cup on the windowsill.
I can not find much on the U. stellaris. Does this plant float and grow in a circular pattern?