Spider Plant in the Aquarium

[Mrs.JP]

I know that the spider plant is on the blacklist for Aquariums but are there any benafits to useing it? Would it still use up some of the waste? Has anyone tryed just letting the roots go in the water?

Jackie

[Melody]

I think any plant that will tolerate it is fine as long as the roots aren't poisonous. Most plants don't like their root system to be saturated/submersed indefinitly, so its also up to the plant. Plants that work well are the Dracaena species, for example, Lucky Bamboo.

[emperor]

Mrs JP, i think i have these so called "spider plants". is it likes a thin thread with a small dot every 1 cm (lite green in color ) spread all over jova moss, plants or leafs etc ?? i recently discover them in my heavy planted/discus 75 g tank n 10g tank. should we get rid of them?

wing

[Melody]

Spider plants are a terrestrial plant. I think you're describing an algae. There's a good article about algae here (http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/algae.htm).

[Mrs.JP]

Hi Emperor I think Melody is right. It sounds like you are discribing an algea. I was talking about the houseplant. In some stores it is being sold as an aquarium plant but I quess it ends up dying. I was just wondering if it would be worthwhile to plant the babies I have coming of my houseplant into the aquarium,even if I had to replant every few months.

Jackie

[Soggybottom]

Hmm, I think emperor is describing a plant I had once.
Not sure how it got into my tanks, but it looked invasive and I pulled out every piece I could find. Like a thread with super tiny little leaves on it, it just sorta entangled its way into my hairgrass and whatnot. Would be interesting to know what it is but I've no clue. It's definitely not just hair algae though...

Chlorophytum is the latin name for spider plants if that helps you find info...

[Melody]

Sounds cool... not necessarily in a good way, just different. I've never heard of it. Now I'm curious. :GEEK:

[Mrs.JP]

Now I'm interested in finding out what it is. Soggybottom or Emperor did you get any pics. Some of the plant sites can give me a headach or I get lost in them unless I have an idea what I'm looking for, even then it is easy to get side tracked:nah: lol

Jackie

[Soggybottom]

I don't have any unfortunately....emperor?

[Osprey]

I know someone who has the roots of spider plants dangling down into some betta vases (not my favorite setup, but they're not my fish). The plants have been fine for over a year. Just make sure to keep the leaves out of the water...I can't remember whether she submersed the crown or not.:Think:

[AquaScaper]

I had one of my spider plants growing quite well in a vase full of water for well over 2 yrs. I stuck it in there when it was just a small cutting and the roots kept growing and growing, eventually it produced its own off shoots and when I removed those I ended up planting it in soil finally. I think the key with those plants is to not let the leaves sit in the water as they will rot fairly quickly. I'm not sure if it would grow as well in an aquarium or not, but the water didn't seem to bother so I don't see why it wouldn't.

[Melody]

That's good to know & I'm sure you're right about the leaves. I would definitly check to see if the roots are poisonous first though, or if they'll leach anything into the water if they break, etc.

We'll have to come up with a DIY invention for keeping the leaves out of the water. :Think:

[gadgetgirl]

Hmm, I think emperor is describing a plant I had once.
Not sure how it got into my tanks, but it looked invasive and I pulled out every piece I could find. Like a thread with super tiny little leaves on it, it just sorta entangled its way into my hairgrass and whatnot. Would be interesting to know what it is but I've no clue. It's definitely not just hair algae though...


I had something like that too, it was always tangled up in my Ambulia and I just assumed it was some sort of flower thing. Hmm. . . I haven't seen any in a while, not since I massacred my Ambulia. If it happens again I'll take pixs.

[Melody]

Certainly is intriguing! Almost SciFi :laugh: .

[Pamelajo]

Not sure if this helps, but my cat eats spider plants all the time and has since a kitten. She is now 10 and healthy, just a bit more miserable. But that's probably not from the spider plant.;)

[Melody]

LOL They must be fine then. I'm pretty sure there are online databases for such things, some specifically for pet protection.

[emperor]

:err: hello everyone , do u think that's the right name ? it's everywhere, netted the java moss, attached on top of the plants/leaf. i'm trying to hand-clean it. but it's keep coming tho. but this thing maybe good for riccia-it's give them a natural net.
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[Melody]

Wow - that's thick stuff! I could use that in my tanks actually - looks like good fry saver plants....lol.

Certainly is similar to what you've named, but I know little about aquatic plants. Have you tried searching the invasive plant sites? If it grows like that and chokes out other plants, I'm willing to bet its invasive.:yes:

[Soggybottom]

That's the same stuff I had for sure!
Thanks for finding the name, I did a search on it and found some good info. its quite a plant. Carnivorous apparently! Who knew there were carnivorous underwater plants? Maybe not such a great fry saver after all...

Utricularia gibba , the humped bladderwort
http://carnivorousplantsoftexas.org/thumbnails/Species/uGibbaClose2.jpg (http://carnivorousplantsoftexas.org/Photos/Species/uGibbaClose2.jpg)
This bladderwort lives in shallow water and does not go dormant in the winter. Imagine a floating tangle of thin green thread, with tiny bladders growing from it. It traps and eats mosquito larvae, miniature worms and other little animals it sucks into its underwater bladder-traps. It has bright yellow 1/4-inch long flowers with very thin red lines in the middle. When they flower in June, one can see the edges of lakes and ponds be covered with a gorgeous sea of yellow.http://carnivorousplantsoftexas.org/bladderWorts.html

All the bladderworts look pretty cool...

[emperor]

but mine looks smaller than this, n i never see any flower at all??:GEEK:

[Melody]

That's the same stuff I had for sure!
Thanks for finding the name, I did a search on it and found some good info. its quite a plant. Carnivorous apparently! Who knew there were carnivorous underwater plants? Maybe not such a great fry saver after all...

:wideeyed: Good point!