Blacklist aquarium plants

[Phyroath]

Hi everyone,
Does anyone have a list of blacklist plants with pics? I am getting nervous here buying some fake aquarium plants from my Lfs. Have a small list but not with pics. I bought an Anubias like plant with similar flower but I was surprise just last week seeing the same plant at someone garden. Kindly help with this.

 

[livingword26]

Here are a few common ones that are sold buy petsmart and petco as aquatic (but are not).

http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_list.php?category=11

 

[Lupin]

The anubias can be grown out of water as long as humidity is high I believe. Well, I've seen photos of them and Java ferns grown outside water.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

might want to take pics and come back and try and id. i cant even remember all the plants names lol...... i get most of my plants online from sites like this. this way i know i not wasting money on a plant that will just die.

 

[Phyroath]

Thanks to all. What I have bought is pretty much like Spathiphyllum sp., Anubias Caladiifolia, Anubias Heterphilla or Anubias Pynaertii - these plants are quite confusing however the I bought has the same flower as Spathiphyllum Sp flower - I assume it must be Spathiphyllum Sp.

 

[KarlTh]

Anubias is what I call a type 2 plant - it's a terrestrial plant which grows underwater sometimes in nature and will do so in aquaria indefinitely.

I have the following classifications (I'm planning to do an article for PFK in the UK; ultimately we need a code of practice, adherence to which would be required for being on PFK's lists of recommended shops):

1. True aquatic plants - e.g. Cabomba, Vallis, some Echinodorus
2. Amphibious plants which will live and grow indefinitely underwater - e.g. some Echinodorus, Bacopa, Anubias, Java Fern, (a surprising number of common plants are in this class rather than class 1)
3. Amphibious plants which will not live and grow indefinitely underwater - e.g. Spathiphyllum, Acorus (Japanese dwarf rush)
4. Terrestrial plants which briefly survive underwater and then die - e.g. Ophiopogon (Mondo grass), Dracaena, "Wheat plant" (whatever the wretched thing is)

Only Class 1 and 2 could be sold as "aquatic plants". Class 3 could be sold as "Decorative Aquarium Plants" as long as their temporary nature was made clear at point of sale. Class 4 should be left to the house and garden plant industry.

 

[Sammie7]

Thanks to all. What I have bought is pretty much like Spathiphyllum sp., Anubias Caladiifolia, Anubias Heterphilla or Anubias Pynaertii - these plants are quite confusing however the I bought has the same flower as Spathiphyllum Sp flower - I assume it must be Spathiphyllum Sp.

One way to tell if it is an anubias or not is to see if it has a rhizome or not. The rhizome is the horizontal fleshy bar(usually green) at the base where the roots and leaves come from. Here's a pic that I took:

 

[fishorama]

All anubias I have seen have very stiff, heavy leaves, peace lilies have thin, more pliable leaves. They both have the same shape of flowers (as do many others) a single petal-like bract (spathe) & a finger-like spadix where the tiny, actual flowers are.

Eventually spathipyllums do develop a rhizome but on plants much larger than would fit in most tanks. I had 1 ~18 inches tall & 24+ inches wide, not as big as I've seen but there are several cultivars too.

Many of our plants are from areas that flood periodically, shallow streams & bogs. I think we use the term "aquatic" to mean able to live fully underwater all the time not just for a few months. Less a botanical term than a practical one.

 

[Phyroath]

All is clear and very helpful to beginners - like me. Since we do not know much about plants, we are enticed by availability of plants i.e. at Lfs without much thought. In my case, my Lfs have little knowledge about plants -They even planted Java fern directly in the substrate. Once again - thanks all for your kind contributions.