chain sword?

F

fishorama

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Jun 28, 2006
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SF Bay area, CA
So I've had NZ lilaeopsis for ~1.5+ years now in my 2ft deep 110g. My friend brought 2 pots of hyrdoponic NZ from a shop back then. It grows in long runners with new "swords" every inch or so. Nice but not a real ground cover. A couple days ago I saw a tiny little patch of fine leaved short plants...like a very short dwarf hair grass (1 inch?). I have added nothing like that, only a couple crypts nowhere near them 1.5 weeks ago...It doesn't look like an algae...

The only thing I've done to the tank lately is remove some wandering "jungle-ish val" small plantlet runners that uprooted some NZ. I did add some root ferts by the new crypts, but again not near this new patch. I've never seen "jungle val" grow like this so I don't think it's that...Oh, & I switched from PC to T-5 lights several weeks ago, same wattage, newer bulbs.

So is this how lilaeopsis NZ eventually grows sometimes? I'm just going to let it grow & see what happens.

I'm just curious, any ideas? No co2, not much ferts (you all know me, lame, lol) Spontaneous ET plant? Cute whatever it is :)
 
My friend brought it because it grows ok in lower light if not a carpet. The swords were planted individually & the happier 1s sent out runners. Some of the newer plantlets are shorter than others but not very thin like hairgrass. It's away from the original sword region so not likely a contaminant. I tried studying google pics but I couldn't tell, most are dense mats.
 
For what it is worth. Tropica offers 3 species of Lilaeopsis. Mauritiana which they say "Thrives at low light" and brasiliensis which they say "Thrives also at low light." However, for the novae-zelandiae they do not say this.
 
Well, tta, there's grows & thrives...I usually just hope for growth :) It is growing...It's also hard to add root ferts to so many plantlets over a large area. I think I've been pretending if they're still joined by runners they get some...I had made an Osmacote mess when they were newer...part of my green water issues I'll bet...Those little balls on the dark substrate surface are not pretty either:( That was the first time I uprooted some accidentally...

I'm now seeing a tiny bit of hair? algae, too small to say yet. I will need to snip some of the NZ runners up & replant. Some are over a foot long. It's always something...but the only time I tried dwarf hairgrass in low tech it got hair algae soonish...the lilaeopsis is much happier than DH ever was.

Hmm, I just remembered there was a stem plant (gymnocoronis?) near where the fine leaves are but that was more than 1.5 years ago. Might have come with "extras" but it should have shown up before now I'd think...I'll let it grow for now, it's only a maybe 3/4 inch patch or so.

Thanks for your ideas, they help
 
I doubt it is something that has been living under the gravel dormant for some time. So I would avoid it being something hidden in there just waiting to surprise you.

So either something recently introduced with another plant or possibly substrate, but most likely a plant.

And even though the wattage of your new light is the same, it does not necessarily equate to the same amount of light. A new light will likely mean newer bulbs, better reflectors, cleaner reflectors all of which will likely mean your plants are now getting more light than they used to.

If you lowered the photoperiod for the lights, like cut them back to 7 hours from 10 because of the algae, the shorter period can make plants revert to a winter type growth where leaf shape is normally different to preserve nutrient stores,the change in light will often trigger this change rather than a change in temperature.

having the light in a different position may mean that once shaded plants now are not? So it might be coming back.

As for ID, I don't think I can guess.. I would look past just Tropica unless you want to specifically confirm it is a plant that they sell, which it does not seem like it could be .

It likely isn't a full grown plant either which will make ID difficult.

I would say to take a few good photographs to see if they can be verified. If you are really feeling curious and you have plantlets to spare, try converting some to emerged growth and seeing if they flower.

My personal favorite of identifying would be comparing full grown plants to Kasselman's book. I'm not sure of anything online that is really comparable, unfortunately.

Or just see how it grows and enjoy it.
 
Thanks, dougall. Yep, I hear you on different lighting. They may be HOs or NOs, I didn't look or really have other options. The lamp height is similar...& that's as far as I can go. I did not change the timer but I have high windows & seasonal change is possible.

An interesting idea on the "winter" growth. I haven't thought along those lines before, a new concept for me :)

The gymno was near the "new" plant until several weeks ago when I moved it shortly before the light change. It could have been there hidden/shaded by the stems & now gets better light & less competition...I dunno...

I'm going with wait & see for now. I may try a bit of palm & fern fert stick near it to see what happens...or I may accidentally disrupt it when I replant the NZ. You know photography is not my hobby...
 
If the wattage is about the same, and the number of bulbs is about the same then it is likely T5HO, not T5NO ;)

Like a 22" PC bulb is 55/65W I think a 46" T5HO is 54W

The big difference normally comes with the reflector, with a PC bulb, there is a lot of restrike, where the light bulb itself stops the light being reflected from actually making it to the aquarium, where you get more of a shadow.

Anyways, just wait and see.. try taking photographs if you get bored.. even if you don't share you will have a good record of how it changes.
 
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