AquaZilla

Nice!

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The Planted Aquarium Blog

hydrophyte

Check out the amazing leaf petioles on the Cyrtosperma johnstonii plant.



There is another new leaf opening up. The plant is now getting to be about 30" tall and I had to raise up the light again. Here is another shot of the previous new leaf from a couple of months ago.



It looks as though the newest leaf will have even more of the gold and pink coloration.

It needs some extra room, but Cyrtosperma johnstonii really is a fantastic plant for growing in a riparium. I just can't stop looking at it. This plant can grow to >6' tall eventually, but it should be a simple matter to just keep taking those divisions from the base and starting them as the main stalk gets to be too large.

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Hydrophyte

hydrophyte

Good old Cyrtosperma johnstonii is looking as handsome as ever. I took it outside for this shot in the sunlight. This new leaf has more of the gold and pink.



What an awesome plant.

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Hydrophyte

hydrophyte

I got back to work on this tank last night too. I tidied up the underwater area some, cleaned the glass and yanked almost all of the emersed plants. Now I am pondering a new scape and starting out with selection of centerpiece plants. Here are two options that I have in mind.



The specimen on the right is a plant that I have been growing for some time, an emersed Anubias hastifolia. It has such as attractive way of holding its leaves.



I am unsure as to how this plant will do long-term in an open-top setup. I have been growing it in a tank with a closed canopy and higher humidity. If it is anything like the Anubias barteri that I have tried growing in lower humidities then it won't do so well longer term. I have found that hardened A. barteri leaves hold up well enough in drier air, but new leaves whither and fail to develop.

The plant on the left is an intriguing possibility. Leather fern (Acrostichum danaeifolium) is a gigantic plant (to 12' tall) that grows in freshwater swamps and brackish magrove swamps in the tropical Americas and West Africa. Luckily my plant has only grown slowly under lights and after six months it is only about 12" tall.



I have had this one in an open-top tank all along, so it should do well here. I intend for this rescape to be more subdued than others that I have tried so I am going to try use only green plants and avoid variegated foliage and warmer colors.

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Hydrophyte

hydrophyte

The underwater area still needs work, but I think that I have the emersed layout pretty well figured out.



There are some pretty nice plants in there. I should come back with a list of what I planted.

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Hydrophyte

hydrophyte

I have some pretty nice plants going in here. I put together this numbered image to more easily point them out.

1. Hygrophila sp.--I am unsure of the species for this one, but it grows really well as a ripairum plant.
2. Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'--This grass-like (not a true grass) plant fills most of the layout background with its tidy foliage.
3. Pilea grandifolia--This Pilea is my favorite for use in the riparium midground. It has a size and growth habit similar to aluminum plant (Pilea cardierei), but I find the monotone lime green color to be more attractive.
4. Acrostichum danaeifolium, giant leather fern--The coarse foliage of this unusual plant makes an interesting contrast against the fine and organized Acorus leaf blades.
5. Oplismenus hirtellus, basket grass--These stem cuttings are planted onto Nano Trellis Rafts.
6. Syngonium wenlandii--I like this plant too very much. It is acting like a centerpiece in this layout, but its not too gawdy. I only recently added this new plant to the riparium, so I don't yet know well it will grow in a hanging planter. Darrel might like this plant--it is botanically unusual.
7. Gibasis geniculata, Tahitian bridal veil--I only started using this plant recently, but so far it is doing well. The little cuttings that I planted onto Nano Trellis Rafts are rooting and beginning to sprout new leaves.
8. Acorus gramineus 'Dwarf'--A really nice mini Acorus. It is good for the end of this triangle-shaped layout because it has the same form as the larger 'Ogon'.
9. Bacopa monnieri--This is a great carpeting riparium stem. I have this little clump of stems planted in a hanging planter, then sprawling forward to cover a Nano Trellis Raft.

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Hydrophyte

hydrophyte

I haven't been back to this thread in a while. Here is another angle with a close up view.



The grassy yellow-green stuff right in the middle is Oplismenus. That makes a real nice riparium midground plant.

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Hydrophyte