PetSmart "aquarium" plants

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Winged

Likes being a biology major.
Jan 11, 2009
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Louisville, KY
Both the Aqua Fern and the Peacock Fern are non-aquatic. Regardless of which store sells them, all the tubes come from the same company. I compiled a list of them several years ago, but I can't seem to find it anymore.
Do you know what company?

The aqua fern might be java fern. I got one of the tubes that said aqua fern and it turned out to be java fern, as long as the little name under the name "aqua fern" says "microsorum pteropus" it is a java fern. Most of the anubias and amazon (not argentina) swords are really big actually and look healthy from what I've seen at my PetSmart. All the others I would stay away from.
The ones at work don't look like java fern, but like a regular ol' fern, complete with fronds and everything. I'll check the scientific name tomorrow when I go in to be sure though, but I don't always trust the scientific name they put on labels (my two turtles I adopted where labelled as Pelusios subniger, and they're really Pelomedusa subrufa and ever since I've not trusted the labels).
 

vampie

AC Members
Oct 25, 2006
2,451
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New York, NY
Do you know what company?
I'm not sure. You might be able to find it on the package though.

I also managed to dig up the list I compiled, though it is quite old and could be outdated by new/retired plants at this point. I'll list them by the name they're sold as, and their scientific name (some missing) next to it.

The following are aquatic:

Amazon Sword - Echinodorus amazonicus
Argentine Sword - Echinodrous argentinensis
Compacta - Hygrophila sp. 'kompakt'
Ozelot - Echinodorus sp. 'ozelot'
Tropica Fern - Microsorum pteropus
Wisteria - Hygrophila difformis

And the following, non-aquatic:

Aluminum Plant - Pilea cadierei
Aqua Fern / Borneo Fern - Trichomanes javanicum
Borneo Sword - Aglaonema simplex
Coconut
Giant Papyrus
Gold Ribbon - Dracaena variegatus
Kyoto - Ophiopogon japonica
Peacock Fern
Pongo Sword
Umbrella Plant
White Ribbon - Dracaena sanderiana
 

justahannah

Fascinated newb
Jul 29, 2008
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Tacoma, WA
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Hannah
PS is tricky with the labels... Some of the tubes are labeled "For aquarium use" and others "For aquarium and terrarium use". The first label is on the anubias, water wisteria (hygro difformis), amazon sword, and the aqua fern, maybe a couple others (I'm trying to recall from memory)...mostly true aquatics (although I don't know about the fern). The second label (on everything else) really means "For terrarium use" but they want to squeeze an extra few bucks out of the aquatics customers that think they'd look good in their tank and don't know better...and won't be able to return them after they rot a couple months later. I warn customers about them whenever they show an interest in live plants.
 

Hairechest

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Dec 4, 2008
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New Jersey
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I used to work in Landscaping. All the PS around here have only "land plants" in their "aquarium plant" tubes. The fern is an odd thing I looked up once, and it supposedly is an African water fern. Go figure. Supposedly it likes really warm water and super bright light, but I have never been able to get it to thrive. Definitely not in a "normal" aquarium situation.

Personally I think someone should be shot for selling oranges as apples. Orange pies don't go well with ice cream.
 

PaulJ69

CP addict
Mar 18, 2008
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NJ
I hate those tube plants, I tried getting the planted tank for my store again(they got rid of it years ago), but my managers says that it gets clogged and over flows...
 

beblondie

grand high exhalted poobah
Mar 25, 2005
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neither of the below are true aquatic plants sorry
Amazon Sword - Echinodorus amazonicus
anubias spp.
 
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