%^#$%#$% bladderwort

[StereoKills]

They will eat usually microscopic organisms, although some of the bladderwort species are capable of ingesting newborn fry, etc.

Frances Lloyd devoted several studies to the possibility, often recounted but never previously accounted for under scientific conditions, that Utricularia can consume larger prey such as young tadpoles and mosquito larvae by catching them by the tail, and ingesting them bit by bit.
Prior to Lloyd, several authors had reported this phenomenon and had attempted to explain it by positing that creatures caught by the tail repeatedly set off the trap as they thrash about in an attempt to escape—even as their tails are actively digested by the plant. Lloyd, however, demonstrated that the plant is quite capable of ingestion by stages without the need of multiple stimuli.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bladderwort#Trapping_mechanism


Not a plant you generally want in the same aquarium as fish, shrimp etc.

 

[Pixie_84]

Your title describes my reaction perfectly when I'm stuck in front of my tank and notice it. "%^#$%#$% bladderwort" but then I have to tag on, AGAIN!? REALLY!? AGAIN!?

UGH, I hate bladderwort! It is so difficult to get rid of. Here recently I haven't been seeing any new, which is new for me. My work seems to be paying off. *crosses fingers* I've been picking and pulling it out every other 2 days or so for gosh...I don't even know how long! At least 2 months I'm sure. It seems to take nothing for a new runner to form and grow. I use a lot of patience each and everytime seeking and pulling it out too.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll win the war on it.

Wow, so it seems like if we endured a nuclear war bladderwort and cockroaches would be the two things to survive eh? geez...

Bahahaha! )

 

[calivivarium1]

To be honest, I am tempted to try and use some scuds to see if they will eat the stuff. I was picking the stuff out 2x a week, but I am going to up it to 3x and see what happens. It sucks because I can no longer move/sell any plants from that tank(though I haven't sold any from there since at least three months before I noticed the bladderwort).

 

[Pixie_84]

I don't feel comfortable offering any plants from the tank I have either. Not until I know for sure it is gone. I wouldn't like for someone getting a package and bladderwort being included. That is how I got it. I purchased riccia. It came with frogbit and bladderwort tangled up within. I didn't know what it was until it was too late. I thought I was getting a cool looking plant and I was allowing it to grow.... in my shrimp tank! Can you imagine? I was not happy when I got the ID and specs of this plant.

I don't know much about scuds but that’s an interesting experiment. If you get them, please let me know how that goes. Believe it or not, I have seen my apple brigg eating off the bladderwort. Briggs don't eat plants but I'm positive it was eating it. I was watching it disappear before my eyes. It was only a one time occurrence though.

 

[Ozymandias]

ya the stuff is an unsightly pain to deal with, had it in one of my 30 gallon re-incarnations. couldn't really get it out till i took that tank down to move to college then replanting ever thing and i made sure that each stem was free of it. the funny thing is right now i'm specify growing Utricularia Graminifolia which is related to it.

BTW you probably don't have to worry about it eating fish or shrimp fry the mouths are just too small most of the time. when i had it i had shrimp and baby shrimp all the time and no losses really. i was more concerned that my fish would eat the shrimp then the bladderwort.