Help with plant Id

nmullens

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Feb 20, 2009
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I got this stuff from a friend a while back he said it was rare, I have a guess at what it is but am not positive. Anyways I had it in my old setup and it almost all died, as I upgraded my setup it started to grow and now it is doing great. It is a cool looking grass like plant. When it was just starting to grow and was still small its leaves looked like Blyxa but more sparse. Now it grows very tall (about 20+ inches) and looks very thin and delicate. It seems to grow in small bunches and propagates by runners, that have a plant every couple inches. Some of the shorter leaves have a red tint the taller ones get greener.

Hear are some pics (sorry about all the black just hiding similar plants that might through you off)
P1010532.jpg

P1010531.jpg

P1010536.jpg

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Biollante

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Jun 21, 2009
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Rare?

Hi,

It looks like noxious nasty old every day, cannot kill it if you try Echinodorus tenellus so called micro variant, but I think the look varies by light and water conditions, but I tend to be wrong about these kinds of things. :eek:

If it is not Echinodorus tenellus then:

I thought it might be a dwarf eel grass, the asin version such as Zostera japonica or maybe a hair grass as Eleocharis parvula.

Then I pulled out some Cyperus helferi out of a tank and convinced myself this is the plant.

Biollante
 

nmullens

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Feb 20, 2009
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I don't think it is Echinodorus tenellus that seems to have wider blades and is thicker, I also have mocro sword in the tank and I am sure it is not that. I am also positive that it is not hair grass as I also have that in my tank. The pictures of eel grass looks similar but doesn't that just grow in salt water.

Cyperus helferi: This was one of my guess's, I wasn't sure if this plant propagated by shoots, and from some of the pictures the blades of grass still seem wider and thinker not as delicate?

My other guess is Eriocaulon sp. Aquaticum: I found this profile hear. The picture for this plant is the closest picture I can seem to find, but I can't find any picture of this plant tall and healthy.
 

JDowns

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Jul 27, 2007
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Looks to be the same plant that has infested my larger tank and was shipped in with my Eleocharis Belem and labeled as a Val 'Tiger'
 

JDowns

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Jul 27, 2007
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This is a photo after about a week of hacking it back. If I let it it will grow to the top of the tank and drape in no time. The spots seem to become more pronounced with heavier micro dosing. But I haven't done anything close to testing to back that up.

jdowns-albums-aquatic-plants-picture1634-bumble-bee-goby-hiding-grass.jpg
 

nmullens

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Feb 20, 2009
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That Val 'Tiger' sure does look the similar. Does anyone know another name for it. I can't seem to fond any more info it doing a goggle search anyways.
 

nmullens

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Feb 20, 2009
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Just an update, for future reference. I talk to the guy that gave it to me and he said it was val nana.