Hey guys, im looking for some semi aquatic plants for my newt tank. The roots will be in a submerged gravel bed, but the rest of the tank is open air. any suggestions? Its only a small tank, so nothing that grows too big (or cant be cut down to size!)
Most aquatic stemplants can grow emersed, which means leaves in the open air and roots submerged. The growth, however, may be quite different from the growth below the water line.
Others, like Pennywort and Lysimachia (creeping jenny) can grow in bog conditions. I'd try a few hardy stemplants first, especially those with strong, firm stems like Pennywort, Bacopa caroliana, and Lysimachia.
Crypts, after an adjustment period will also grow emersed, but they will need rootabs to keep them healthy.
Anubias may work as well, but be sure not to submerge the rhizome. You can, however, anchor the roots alone or attach it to wood.
Floating plants are another option. Salvinia species would work well except you can bury the roots in the substrate, but they can provide the newts the cover they need.
Look for species of Sarginella (a type of moss). I also have a Borneo fern (Trichomanes javanicum) that was rescued from a submerged tank and now grows in very damp conditions except the leaves are in the open air. It might do well in gravel if it is a small grain and supplemented with rootabs like crypts. Another option is Water sprite, another type of fern that does well emersed. Pothos also grows well emersed, but I think it'll get too big for your purpose. It is a climber and may twine around your tank, which could look nice, but we don't want the newts getting out.
A great thing to do is to google "Bog plants" that might turn up some species that would suit your setup well. But the suggestions I gave should work pretty well.
Good luck, what kind of newts are you getting and what size is the tank?
llj
