# Need help growing Amania sp. bonsai



## R.Milano (Feb 4, 2007)

Hi all,

I put together a planted tank about 6 months ago and I can get all my plants to grow great and near perfect except for Amania sp. bonsai. The tops of the plant will grow VERY slowly, or not at all, and the bases will melt away. Once the tips of the plant are free floating, I have hopes that if I leave them near the surface and close to the light, they will recover, but they continue to melt away until I'm buying more to start again, but the same thing keeps happening.

My info:

40 gallons
Nitr*a*te ~30 ppm
Ammonia + Nitr*i*te 0 ppm
Seachem ferts, full line, dosed per label
Potassium ~10 ppm
Phosphorous ~1 ppm
KH 2 degrees
GH 3 degrees
CO2 ~30 ppm
Lights 150 watt metal halide, 6700K, 10 hours per day

Plants:
Amania sp. bonsai
Pogostemon stellatus
Nesaea pedicellata
Rotala macrandra
Bacopa australis
Blyxa japonica
Aponogeton madagascariensis
Kleiner Bar sword
Various Crypts
Various Anubias

Livestock:
Otos, adf frogs, hillstream loaches, rasporas

Every plant is growing great except Amania sp. bonsai. I don't have algae or cloudy water. The fastest grower I have is the rotala macrandra, which is super fast with brilliant color.

I don't understand why I can grow everything except Amania sp. bonsai.

When I get it it looks like it's emmersed growth. Is this plant even aquatic?

Is anyone growing the plant successfully? If so, the most helpful response will be to list the same specs I listed above for comparison.

Thanks for reading.


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

Where are you getting the plant? Are you sure it really is _Ammania sp. 'bonsai'_?


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## R.Milano (Feb 4, 2007)

I don't have a camera so I can't take a picture, but I buy the plant locally and they tell me they get it from oriental aquariums in singapore.


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

It's Oriental Aquarium, and as far as I know, they *do* distribute _Ammania sp. 'bonsai'_.

Not that it's revelent to your post, but there's some speculation that _A. bonsai_ is actually _Rotala indica_, but I remember reading a post from someone saying that _A. bonsai_ is a hybrid developed by Oriental Aquarium, and he knew the person who developed the hybrid.

Anyway, back to your post... does your plant look like this?


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## R.Milano (Feb 4, 2007)

Yes, that's exactly what it looks like when I get it..


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## aquarium boy (Nov 28, 2004)

maybe your MH light is melting it. how far away from the surface is it?


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

My experience with this plant; it is a slow grower and it likes lots of lights. If you let it get shaded at all it can start to melt in exactly the way you describe. I have never grown it in water so soft (Gh) so maybe you are lacking in Ca or Mg. I would make sure it is not shaded, then try a little more CO2. Are the tips very red when in the substrate? If the red is intense, you may be low in NO3 or traces. IF they are coming in green with a red tinge, then most likely nutrients are fine and your issue is hardness or light/CO2
.

Good luck and let us know if you solve the problem.


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## stepheus (Jun 13, 2006)

Somehow the question is, is your plant ammania sp. bonsai? my version of ammania sp bonsai is 









For me, i got it in the its submersed form, just like the picture, plant it in rich substrate e.g. ADA aquasoil, often with root tabs, CO2 and high light. I never had problem with them until i moved them to less fertile soil and lost the batch. I love the plant. Kinda miss it.

Maybe someone can confirm how it looks when it is grown emmersed? Does it look like the picture above?


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

I think I will throw a plant in my emersed setup.... Stepheus, that is the exact plant I have. I got it a while back from cS, ( a totally awesome hobbyist) under the name _Ammania sp_. Bonsai. Later, Claus from Tropica told me it was true _Rotala indica _but that was by description only, no photo so ID is certainly not positive


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