These houseplant roots grow in water?

[RiVerfishgirl]

ok another question. My light is a dual 48" t5. Right now it sits " about" 6" above the plants. Is this to low? How high should I raise it? I assume its plenty of light? I forget what the timer is set at but I beleive its between 8-9.5hrs on.

Heck, mine is 2 1/2 feet above the tank without a reflector (also dual 48" t5) and mine are growing consistently.

If you have it lower you might get a little faster growth, but really with plants that are not aquatic you don't NEED the light that close. You don't have it close enough to hurt anything, but as the plants get taller you will probably have to raise it.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Be carful with being wasteful with too many and too bright and too close a light to Pothos which is an extremely low-light capable plant. Now that winter is here my indirect window light has dropped off quite a bit for my Pothos which depend upon far indirect window light. Im augmenting now with 18" florescent plant bulbs which are 18-23 Watts, and positioned 2 feet away to hit the entire 4-8 foot plant. Too close and the leaves closest will burn.

ITHURTZ, a powerhead as a delivery system in an open aquarium where nutrients are diluted to very low PPM can work, just be careful the that powerhead isn't thrashing the roots like streamers out a car window and if possible you have a way of funneling or displacing water (coffer box) from most of the tank rather then the same water from a small area. Basically refers back to the same theory of where a filter cartridge will capture more dirt nutrients, sitting in a filter having water flow through and past it, or floating in the tank with a powerhead pointed in the filter cartridge general direction? Which cartridge turns black first.

 

[ITHURTZ]

gunner no the roots are not thrashing. So your kinda saying, maybe have a containment box for the roots? So bascially water goes in 1 end and out another after passing through all the roots? I have some 4" pvc I could cut it almost in half and possibly have it like that?

 

[JakeJ]

The first, second, fourth and fith plants pictured will all grow in riparian conditions. The first is what I believe to be either a parlor or prayer palm. The second is a Syngonium spp.. The "purple plant" is Pilea 'Silver Tree' and would love for you to get its roots wet.

Have you thought of creating a riparium display?

 

[ITHURTZ]

The palm appears to be chamaedora elegans, or neathe bella. Sites say:
DO NOT let the plant sit in water!!!


The Pilea 'Silver Tree, I would LOVE to have this in water, I like this plant. Im doing more research on it right now to verify it, I would hate to do this and have it die.

As for a riparium, I cant afford to lower the water down. I have I think 15 fish in the 330gallon so I need all the water I can get. I have 3" of space from water to top of the tank, so in that bet I have that area to work with. I have about 4' from the top of the tank to the ceiling so thats my growth area

 

[JakeJ]

As for a riparium, I cant afford to lower the water down. I have I think 15 fish in the 330gallon so I need all the water I can get. I have 3" of space from water to top of the tank, so in that bet I have that area to work with. I have about 4' from the top of the tank to the ceiling so thats my growth area

You don't have to lower the water level! Just put the planters up by the rim!
:thumbsup:

 

[ITHURTZ]

anyone have ideas for a plant rim? The only thing that really sticks to my mind is the egg crate. Glue it together, fusion color it black and then go from there.

Oh and as for the silver tree, after looking more into it, it will be a go once i get more room.

 

[ITHURTZ]

well i decided to go with a planting box and got some lava rock to somewhat put the roots in. Its a dark green box, maybe ill paint it with fusion black to match the liner. I will mount the powerhead outlet into the side of the box and make some kind of pvc tubing to where the water can reach all area with flow.


Im sure tmw ill try it out.

 

[ITHURTZ]

Got lazy and didnt want to paint it. So I screwed it to the tank. I should have bought 2 of these containers:silly: Also I wish I knew of this plant method before I built the tank so I could have made a dang shelf! But hey it just fits the ghettoness of my unfinished tank.

Here it is until it/or if it gets crowded, sitting in red lava rock fed by a powerhead which drains back into the tank. :yuck:



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[ITHURTZ]

Probably a dumb question, but does micron ratings affect the roots of the plants? Eventually I wouldnt mind having a filter 8' long on the back of the tank, and would really like to run a 50 micron sock.