Synodontis petricola Riparium Display
- Thread starter hydrophyte
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Today I got some plants and fish in there. Here is shot looking down through the top of the tank.
It's not much to look at now, but once the plants get a chance to grow in it should be pretty nice. Here is a quick rundown of the selections that I included, beginning with the red-stemmed plant on the left.
It's not much to look at now, but once the plants get a chance to grow in it should be pretty nice. Here is a quick rundown of the selections that I included, beginning with the red-stemmed plant on the left.
- Limnophila aromatica, this is an excellent riparium plant for creating a floating carpet of stems. Here it is planted in a hanging planter, then trained to grow across a trellis raft.
- Cyperus ??, I don't know which variety this is. I wish that I had not lost the variety information, because this one is perfect for riaprium culture. Most of the other ones that I have tried grow to be too large.
- Bacopa ??, I am not certain, but I believe this one to be madagascariensis. It is really great for creating a floating carpet. It looks thin here, but I will trim the growing tips to encourage branching and make a nice dense green carpet.
- Cyrtosperma johnstonii, this thing is really cool. It is a tropical aroid with unique red-veined leaves. It might eventually grow too large for this setup, but for right now it is only growing very slowly. I wrote an entry about it over in the Plants sub-forum,
- Lipia nodiflora, this is not a true aquatic, but it grows as a creeping stem in wet areas. I have seen it a few times in Florida.
- Echinodorus cordifolius 'Tropical Marble Queen', this is an excellent riparium plant. Here it is sort of competing with the C. johnstonii as a centerpiece, but the two also make an interesting contrast with each other. The leaves are about the same size on each, but white-variegated in the sword, but re-veined in the aroid.
Just FYI -- Your synos need actual caves, not just rocks, to feel secure. They particularly like a cave with a low ceiling that is big enough for all of them to snuggle as a group . . .
I have observed that to be the case. The already found some "caves", the spaces behind the planters, which are completely out of sight. I have tried to stack up a few rocks and they use those too, although I need to build a larger rock cave to get more of them up to the front where I can see them.
Here's a new update for the planting. It still needs to grow in, but this gives an impression of the general idea.
I have added a few more fish too. I got some shots of them and I'll return with some more description.
Here's a new update for the planting. It still needs to grow in, but this gives an impression of the general idea.
I have added a few more fish too. I got some shots of them and I'll return with some more description.
Here is a close up of that Archocentrus there in the foreground.
I really like this fish. I have had him for a couple of years and he has a great personality.
I really like this fish. I have had him for a couple of years and he has a great personality.
Wow, I really like how it looks so far. 
That aroid is really spectacular and the L. aromatica looks so different grown submerged. Great work thus far.
That aroid is really spectacular and the L. aromatica looks so different grown submerged. Great work thus far. 
sweet tank. the bacopa looks a lot like the bacopa I have, which was sold to me as a lemon bacopa years ago... when I got it, it was apparent it had been growing near salt water, and it had an amazing lemon smell and hairy leaves. That all died back and then reappeared in the form I have now, which are smaller smooth leaves that trail and float at the surface. Whatever it is, it grows like wildfire and gives off a few white flowers every now and then. Great stuff.
I am not certain but I believe that mine is B. madagascariensis.
If yours develops yellow flowers then it probably is not lemon bacopa (B. caroliniana), which have blue flowers.
If yours develops yellow flowers then it probably is not lemon bacopa (B. caroliniana), which have blue flowers.
Here is a quick update. The plants are all growing in pretty well. The carpeting stem plants (e.g., Bacopa, Limnophila aromatica) are beginning to cover and hide the trellis rafts.
Here is a quick shot from a few minutes ago.
I don't much care for the tannish-yellow wall as a background for photography, so I tried a white sheet. It is wrinkled, but it gives an idea of how the foliage looks against white. I think that the color and contrast are improved. I need to see about painting the wall, or finding a temporary background that I can hang up for picture-taking.
I don't much care for the tannish-yellow wall as a background for photography, so I tried a white sheet. It is wrinkled, but it gives an idea of how the foliage looks against white. I think that the color and contrast are improved. I need to see about painting the wall, or finding a temporary background that I can hang up for picture-taking.
