How can I "breed" my aquatic plants?

Question

I am planning on getting two java ferns and one Anubias, plus a weird red aquatic plant that comes in a seed and the only thing I have to do is throw it on the fish tank and it does everything by itself. I am planning to do all this in a 10 gallon tank. Plus I will be mating bettas in this fish tank. Do you think it would all fit? And in order to multiply my fern and my Anubias what do I need to do?

Answer 1

The Java Fern will be the easiest to "breed". Soon, you will start to notice small fern "cysts" near the edges of the leaves. These are the beginnings of the next generation. These "baby Ferns" will eventually break off (when they are ready" and latch onto another spot in the tank: viola, baby Java Ferns. The Anubias will require a little work from you. The easiest way to propagate Anubias is to take the rhizome (the root-like thing where all the leaves begin) and cut it in half. After a while, you will have 2 Anubias. By continuing this process, your number of Anubias will multiply rapidly. The red bulb you have is a Tiger Lotus. They will eventually shoot a lily to the surface where a flower will appear. This flower is the next generation of Tiger Lotus (assuming it can get pollinated, which is extremely difficult). You may just end up with a single large Tiger Lotus that will need a lot of trimming as well as a lot of Anubias and Java Ferns. The Bettas will not bother the plants at all. They are carnivores and should be supplied with bloodworms and brineshrimp, they will completely disregard the plants as food. The extra protection of the plants will encourage spawning as well.

Soop Nazi

Soop Nazi

Answer 2

Aquatic plants will reproduce on their own if given the right conditions. These guys grow around river banks and lakes all over the world and in slightly different conditions. You are best to find out the name of your plants and google them to find out more of their individual preferences in their environment.

As far as planting a seed you can get it going in a 'soil pot' planted in the gravel or better still get a good soil layer going and try planting it in this soil. The Beta may tear any new shoots that emerge, so you may want to start them in their own tank.

You want to make sure you maintain constant conditions no matter what you add to your tank. Find out what Betas like and gets plants that like those conditions too. Usually conditions don't vary a lot as all are fresh water plants I assume. Keep pH level and temperature constant always! I always recommend ...to do a 1/3 water change weekly.

Answer 3

To multiply the plants in your tank you can use a multiple of items to do this some of these are:

Heating cables
Used singly these are claimed to improve plant growth, but when used with the right lighting and liquid fertilisers, superb results can be achieved.

The primary function of a heating cable is to slowly warm the gravel by emitting gentle convection currents from a long, low-wattage cable.

A separate thermostat is rarely used with the cable as the heat is not sufficient to overheat the aquarium, and the cable is plugged straight into the mains and left on for 24 hours a day.

A separate heater thermostat should be used alongside heating cables to keep tropical temperatures constant. Use a thermometer to make sure that the temperature in the tank is ok before adding fish.

Warm, convection currents can help water to flow slowly through the gravel, taking nutrients to the plant roots. Heating cables come in a variety of lengths to suit different sized tanks.

A small 68 l./15 gal. aquarium may only require a cable wattage of 15W, while a large tank of 500 l./110 gal. may require a cable with 50 or even 100W.

It’s best to fit the cable when the aquarium is empty. Drape the cable over the tank bottom, trying not to cross the cable over itself as you go. Use the rubber suckers and clips supplied, though you can always buy extra suckers and clips. Or use airline clips instead.

The RenaCor heating cable is marked as to where the warm part starts, and thus all the warm cable should be placed under the substrate. Usually the cable should cover the entire surface area of the base, but you can also place a smaller cable just under the area that you wish to plant.

If you are thinking of adding a heating cable but are unsure whether you will use it, fit one anyway. You can always switch the cable off if you decide to concentrate on fish and leave it in as opposed to stripping a mature tank at a later date.

[Ed's note: Recent thinking is disputing the need for heating cables and experts are instead suggesting investing in a decent substrate instead.]


CO2 systems
The principle behind adding carbon dioxide (CO2) to an aquarium may seem quite alien to some.

After all, CO2 is poisonous to fish, and copious aeration and filtration is designed to draw off CO2 and add oxygen to tanks containing fish. However, CO2 is of great benefit to growing plants as carbon is a building block of life.

By adding CO2, the gas is available in abundance and plant life flourishes. And through photosynthesis, plants absorb CO2 then release oxygen during the day.

CO2 systems can be split into two main types – those that use CO2 from pressurised bottles and those that produce CO2 as a by-product of mixing yeast, sugar and water.

Pressurised systems are on the whole more expensive but have the main advantage of allowing control of the amount of gas that you want to release into the aquarium.

Yeast-based systems are cheaper and safer to use, but are aimed at smaller aquaria.


Pressurised CO2 systems
These can be bought as a complete set or as individual components.

Enterprising fishkeepers and heavy users can adapt their kits by using industrial-sized CO2 bottles that are several feet high and several kilos in weight – a standard kit comes with a 500g bottle that is about 45cm/18” tall.

At the rate of one bubble released every few seconds and the unit turned off at night, a 500g bottle should last for several months on an average-sized aquarium.

Pressurised bottles can be dangerous if used incorrectly, so read the warnings on the bottle before use. Pressure gauges attach to the bottle along with a needle valve, enabling tiny amounts of CO2 to be released by twisting a valve.

The CO2 makes its way to the tank via CO2-proof tubing and into a diffuser or reactor. These consist of plastic columns containing a series of baffles, or a device similar to an airstone that releases tiny bubbles into the water.

The object of the diffuser or reactor is to gain the maximum contact time in the water.

Reactors hold onto the gas bubble for as long as possible before it reaches the surface of the water and then escapes into the atmosphere. A good diffuser or reactor, plus careful adjustment by you, will make most or all of the CO2 bubbles disappear into the water before it would otherwise reach the surface.

Extra equipment included with some kits can be of real benefit. Solenoid valves enabling night shut-off saves you money in the long term, and may be better for your fish (plants produce CO2 at night as they absorb oxygen.)

A permanent CO2 test kit should be attached inside the tank. This will change colour according to the CO2 levels and pH of the tank water.


Budget pressurised systems
These consist of aerosol-type gas bottles that can be disposed of once used up. All you need do with these is simply press a button on the top of the bottle.

This releases a short stream of gas into a diffuser, which slowly allows gas to escape into the water. You may need to top up the diffuser several times a day.


Yeast-based systems
These are going through a bit of a revival of late, but are essentially variations on a design that has been around for some time.

A diffuser and tubing are still used at the tank end, but CO2 is produced by mixing warm tank water with a yeast sachet and lots of sugar. The result is a mild alcoholic solution and CO2.

The amount of gas cannot be controlled like on a top-end pressurised system, but this is reflected in the low price of these systems.

Furthermore, yeast systems take a few days to work properly by producing a steady stream of gas, and may peter out towards the end of their production. This could potentially leave you with no CO2 for about a week, unless, that is, you start a second container full prior to the first one running out.

Remember that existing tanks with a full fish stocking density are not ideal situations for adding CO2. The bacteria in the tank will be finely balanced to the oxygen available in the water. Starting the tank again with low fish stocking is recommended instead.