Using native plants from the lake

[lilmolly]

I want to use some plants from our lake in the aquarium. I don't know much about keeping live plants, as this will be my fourth attempt, both with lake plants and store plants. The other times they just died. I have flourscent lighting on my tank. Its a single bulb. The tank is a 20gal long with two fancy goldfish in it. I'll be leaving the lighting on for 8 hours a day. I'll be using the diy yeast idea. I don't have any aquarium plant fertilizer though. I know I have to wash the plants carefully before adding them in the tank. Any suggestions?

 

[konrad05]

Everything depends. The goldfish might eat it. Also, how many watts is the bulb, if the tank is long, it's probably 20 watts or so, which is not enough for most aquatic plants. It also depends on how deep in the water the plant you want to collect is, the closer to the surface the more light it needs and vice versa. You can do some searches on how to do a bleach/salt bath before you add the plants. HTH.

 

[Silly me]

do you know what plants it is? you might find that it a well know aquarium plant, its just the closer to home the less its used..

but think you need to look at your lights since its the biggest problem in aquariums..

 

[lilmolly]

I don't know what type they are, but most of them are tall and grow right my the surface of the water so I don't think they'll live. I've just been leaving the light on 24/7.

 

[konrad05]

That's the fastest way to kill the plant... apart from leaving it out of the water or putting in the dark...

No darkness=no calvin cycle=no glyceraldehyde3phosphate=no sugar=no food=dead plant

Only keep the lights on as long as you have daylight in your area, what the plant is used to.

 

[jams.alaskan]

10 or 12 hours of light is plenty, more then that and you do terrible damage to the plants. You will most probably need more lighting for most plants. Crypts, anubia, and java moss and fern can sometimes do well in that amount of light and are less likely to become snacks for the goldfish. The lake plants will probably not fair so well without lighting additions but you can always try it... Just make sure to remove and decaying growth fast as it will increase the bio load on your tank. When I added wild plants to my tank the advice was to let sit in treated tap water for a day and soak with allum ( a spice), I believe that the allum was to kill any hitch hikers and paricites that may be attached.
The plants that I harvested have done some strange things. One melted away and all new growth is lighter, less full and dif looking then the orriginal plant. The other plant was not phased at all by the move and it is actually greener and better looking after 2 months in the tank. Best of luch to you and let us know how it works out.

ALASKA

 

[lilmolly]

Here's a up date. Only two of the 6 types of plants I put into the tank dead. The types that didn't are either fasting fast or not growing at all. This one frill type plant is doing very well. It have already had to be pruned a bit. I also was given a cutting of a plant that my friend was in her tank. It's called a lilly bulb. I don't know the latin name. It has only been in there for 2 days at this point so I don't know how it will do. It is low lighing because my friend is growing it under incandencet lighting that isn't high wattage. Hopefully it will live.