Hydrocotyle Tripartita

[rickycxiong]

I have just ordered Hydrocotyle Tripartita, and they will not be arriving until next month. They will be going in a 75Gallon tank and I do not dose ferts but my substrate should have plenty of nutrients for the time being. I just began dosing API's liquid CO2, and we'll see how that goes. My lighting is on the high end. The Substrate I am using is a type of montmorillonite clay that is used for ponds, it's light but has high CEC, and so far it's growing my plants well compared to my other set ups.

I was just wondering in tank like this with these parameters, will the Hydrocotyle Tripartita, thrive?
How fast will they grow? and if I stop supplying Liquid CO2 will they die off or not?

And I also plan to order some Staurogyne soon, when I get the chance, I was wondering the same thing about the Staurogyne?

 

[rickycxiong]

I will get phots up as soon as I get my order of the Hydrocotyle in. =D

 

[Yo-han]

Tripartita is quite an easy plant, doesn't even need high light although it does grow much faster. I'm never a fan of the combination of high light and no CO2 you need to find that out yourself (or from someone else). Staurogyne same story, doesn't need much light but grows way slower than tripartita.

 

[dutchy]

Hydrocotyles take their nutrition from the watercolumn, not from the substrate. So no ferts, is no growth

 

[rickycxiong]

Oh, hmm well time to buy more ferts, do you happen to know what ferts would be best for them?
And liquid co2 works fine for both plants?

 

[dutchy]

Like every plant, it needs NO3, PO4 and trace elements. Liquid C should be ok for this plant also.

 

[rickycxiong]

So the hydrocotyle doesn't take any nutrients from the substrate?
How about th staurogyne?

 

[Yo-han]

It does take from the substrate if the water column lacks it, but it feed mainly by it's leaves. Staurogyne is more of a bottomfeeder compared to tripartita, so would do better without water column dosing. But why not a rich substrate and water column dosing?

 

[rickycxiong]

I'd thought I'd be putting too much nutrients, but I guess I learned something new in this hobby. I never knew the plants took nutrients from the water collumn. Looks like I have to do both now. Thanks =D.

 

[jerrybforl]

You should dose both water column and substrate.

 

[rickycxiong]

Ok so I got my Hydrocotyle today, on some kind of wire mesh, should I just plant it down with the wire mesh since my fish tend to uproot plants, or should I take it out and plant them separetely?