"Banana" Plants

[lizard]

I've noticed by "Banana" Plant (what is the "real" name for those plants, anyway?) often sends leaves up to the surface and have also noticed that other people have their floating in their tanks, instead of being planted. Mine is planted. Are they "supposed" to be planted, or do they prefer to be floating?

Thanks!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[scarecrow]

nymphoides aquatica

Have not grown the myself but do a google on it and I am sure you can dig some stuff up.

 

[MXPX4318]

I have to in my tank (new so leaves aren't to big or anything) and I just dropped the down in there and they sit on top of the gravel quite nicely, it is suggested that if you do plant them only plant about 1/4 of the "bananas" into the substrate.

 

[konrad05]

I have about 4 of them, I rooted the "banana roots" and within weeks the leaves starting growing huge and others started making it to the surface where they'd float on the surface. Only problem is that loaches make a meal out of them

 

[fraservet]

if the rhizome is buried in the substrate, it will rot

 

[lizard]

Hmmm, interesting. Thanks for the responses. Now I have another question Should some of the "bananas" be buried? From the little bit of reading I've done, it sort of sounds like they should be, but I've never buried any of 'em and the plant has grown roots and sent shoots to the top and all that good stuff. Would it be "happier" if I buried some of it's little bananas (that are all brown now)?

Thanks again!

Pamela
aka married Lizard

 

[luxum]

The way this works in the wild from what i understand is that the bananas form on the floating leaves. Eventually these leaves rot and the banana bunch drops to the substrate, where it presumably lodges and roots. I have a very happy specimen of this plant in my tank, i pushed the banana bunch about halfway into the substrate, just enough to keep it in place. It then sent down fine white roots, followed by a beautiful flush of submerged leaves, and it's now working on it's 2nd floating leaf. I'm very impressed with what a swan it's become, it was certainly an ugly duckling when i picked it up earlier this year!

From what i understand, if you let it make the floating leaves, eventually it will make some that have an extra lump near the leaf which will become the banana bunches if you cut the petiole but leave the leaf floating. Since mine hasn't yet reached this point i can't confirm.