# Playing Favorites



## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

_What is your favorite plant and why_?

Mine is Rotala rotundifolia... I have found that this plant grows well in any type of conditions, weather it be low/high light or soft/hard water or gravel/sand substrate. It is also a fast grower which makes it a great plant for new setups as well as established tanks. It stands up to numerous prunings and has a nice reddish hue to the upper half of the leaves.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

My favorite plant changes regularly.  Right now it is C.Parva because it stays small. I only wish it spread a little faster. I tend to prefer smaller plants to large ones. You know what they say: The best things come in small packages


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I'm partial to _Polygonum hydropiperoides_ , _Hygrophila balsamica_ , and _Cryptocoryne parva_ myself.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Limnophila aromatica is probably my all time favorite.


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Cryptocoryne crispatula v. balansae is my all time favorite, although any Crypt and Anubias is almost as highly regarded. My favorite stemplant is Rotala indica as well, for the same reasons Trenac mentioned.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Crinums and Anubias for me. I love the way the Crinums flow across the tank, and Anubias are so versitile that you can use them in almost endless different ways.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Please guys. Let's stop calling it _Rotala indica_. The plant most of us grow is really _Rotala rotundifolia_ .


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## Urkevitz (Oct 26, 2004)

My top three,

Crypt spiralis: Not the best looking crypt, but it grows like crazy for me. Makes a great grassy background plant, it doesn't grow too long like Vals.

R. rotundifola: I keep coming back to this plant, it seems to compliment just about any other plant.

Tawain Moss: This stuff is amazing, attaches easily to rock and driftwood, easy to grow.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Piscesgirl said:


> The best things come in small packages


_Are you referring to yourself here, PG?_ 

I see that we do have a lot of Crypt nuts here along with some other very nice plant choices.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

> Are you referring to yourself here, PG?


LOL, maybe in a tongue-in-cheek way


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Rotala indica is one of my favorites, and I will always call it INDICA!  although I get kinda bored with it after a while. I like plants that grow fairly easily. I do not need to be challenged, or like a plant just because it is the current challenge fad. It all comes down to looks. I appreciate how a plant looks by its shape, color, contrast and how it fits in with other plants for the over all appearance. It would be hard to really pinpoint it to only one plant.

I love the thin leaf Crinums like calamistratum for the reasons Jan said, I love Sri Lanka cryps for their dark earthy colors, Hygrophila difformis, (or should I call it Synnena triflorium? Which is the proper name?) for its light color and fern like shape, I am partial to Alternanthera and Nesaea, and this Hygrophila costata I am falling in love with... too many plants to choose from


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I agree, there is a lot of plants to choose from, it is very hard to choose a favorite at times and then at other times it is easy; at this point in time I have found it easy to pick Rotala.  However it may change in the future.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

> Rotala indica is one of my favorites, and I will always call it INDICA!


Why? Is there really any good reason to call things by outdated and innacurate names? I still see that sold in a few LFS here as indica and for the life of me can't figure out why.



> Hygrophila difformis, (or should I call it Synnena triflorium? Which is the proper name?)


_Hygrophila difformis_ is the proper name. The other is an old synonym.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Because that is the name I have always known it by, the name that is most used, and the name people recognize. I know proper names have always been real important to you, but they are not that important to me. I do not worry about it in casual conversation. I don't think it matters unless the discussion or the article is technical in nature. But I was also just poking fun! I don't really care one way or the other, however it would concern me that all the lurkers reading this would be searching the internet wanting to buy Rotala rotundifolia and wondering why nobody has it. Same thing with Eusteralis. Any one that has heard anything about this plant would not recognize the "new" name. I wondered why Eusteralis was not in your Plant Finder...it took me a little while to figure it out and remember what I had read in APD. Maybe Plant Finder should search by syn. also.


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

My favorite is vesicularia montagnei (x-mass) and other mosses species in may tanks: vesicularia dubyana (java), Taxiphyllum barbieri (singapore), Taxiphyllum sp. (Taiwan), Fontinalis antipyretica (willow), Vesicularia reticulata (Erect), Leptodictyon riparium (Stringi moss). With this plant you can do almost everything....for me there can't be planted tank without moss


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Aw, we have a moss man here  ... I agree got to have moss in a tank, I know I do.... *Got Moss!*


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Robert Hudson said:


> Because that is the name I have always known it by, the name that is most used, and the name people recognize. I know proper names have always been real important to you, but they are not that important to me.


It's not so much that it's important to me as that it's important to the hobby. If it weren't, we wouldn't have a Plant Finder or Plant ID forum at all. Please see this thread for more: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=7573

Why should people still call it indica? They don't still call a certain fish Apistogramma ramirezi. Rotundifolia was imported as indica over 40 years ago. That's probably enough time to correct things. Most of the reason any confusion still exists is because it is still often sold by the wrong name. For that reason, I believe that it would be very beneficial for sellers to help out.



> I do not worry about it in casual conversation. I don't think it matters unless the discussion or the article is technical in nature.


I don't really either, and it certainly isn't life or death. When I talk to my plant buddies, I don't say "Hey Bob, do you have any more of that _Cryptocoryne beckettii petchii_?" I'll just refer to it as petchii. But I don't think using outdated or incorrect names as common names can possibly be good.



> But I was also just poking fun!


I know you were. I just wanted to make what I think is an important point without being overly pedantic. My apologies if I was.



> however it would concern me that all the lurkers reading this would be searching the internet wanting to buy Rotala rotundifolia and wondering why nobody has it.


That's my point in a nut shell.



> Same thing with Eusteralis.[ Any one that has heard anything about this plant would not recognize the "new" name. I wondered why Eusteralis was not in your Plant Finder...it took me a little while to figure it out and remember what I had read in APD. Maybe Plant Finder should search by syn. also.


That's not a bad idea. At least the synonyms should be a part of the information for each species.


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## TWood (Dec 9, 2004)

_Hygrophila difformis_ because it's easy, has a moderate growth rate, and looks good.

TW


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Good old Water wisteria, I myself have never had much luck with this easy to grow plant. :-s


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## TWood (Dec 9, 2004)

Don't feel bad, I can't grow java fern to save my life.

TW


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Isn't funny how some of us have trouble growing these plants labled as easy to grow, go fiqure


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

No kidding! I've got _Rotala rotundifolia_ [That's for your Cavan! ], green and normal in a super high tech tank with super high light and it's not growing for a hill of beans! My wild collected _Ludwigia palustris_ is doing better than this stuff is and it's not normally as fast a grower. As Goldmember says...it's Veird.


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

I remember Claus of Tropica telling me that they couldn't grow R. macranda like it was growing in a grow out pool at Florida Aquatic Nursery. It was a pool full of deep blood red rotala growing in full sun and well water. Amazing!


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## James.......... (Feb 8, 2004)

*Mixing species*



Phil Edwards said:


> Cryptocoryne crispatula v. balansae is my all time favorite, although any Crypt and Anubias is almost as highly regarded. My favorite stemplant is Rotala indica as well, for the same reasons Trenac mentioned.


Be careful about mixing Cryptocoryne crispatula v. balansae and Vallisneria (any species). I used to have a magnificient stand of those Crypts which would sway in the current in my big tank (I'm a firm believer in lots of circulation).

But them I planted a small stand of Vallisneria into the tank. I was ill for a few months and the maintenance of the big tank slipped. The Vallisneria were so invasive that they got into the middle of the stand of Crypts and out-competed them all. Out of a stand of around 50 Crypts, I was left with maybe 3 or 4. I am STILL trying to dig out Vallisneria from that tank (130 gallon).

James Purchase
Toronto


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I'm another one who has trouble with Java fern although I'm getting a little better at it because I'm adding a little bit of minerals to my very soft water. When I accidentally put gypsom in my tank, the java fern flourished and 'came to life!'


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## fishmaster#1 (Apr 10, 2005)

So you are saying java ferns need hard water. No wonder I can't grow them for $%$* I can grow most plants but not the "EASY" ones.  
Submersed
My favorite plant of all time is my huge red crypts,tho pella and glosso are catching up fast. I am just starting to like HC as it is growing like crazy. I wonder why HC don't ship very well? I had to try 5 different shippers to great some that lived. I like and hate HC for that reason.
Emersed 
my all time favorite is a plant I can't id to save my life. It's red and about 24" high. It also glows red in blacklight. Pella is SOOO cool emersed. So is baby tears. 
Those are my favorites


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

OMG - reading this thread made me feel so much better! I thought I was the only one who couldn't grow R. rotundifolia and Java fern worth a darn!

I also like small plants because until a month ago, all of my tanks were 10 gallons or smaller. I just set up a 20-long and I find myself still avoiding the bigger plants. Besides, I guess I could be considered a "small package" :lol: . Maybe a little "wider" than I care to be, but small just the same  . 

So there was a time when Lobelia cardinalis 'small form' was my favorite plant. I still love this plant, but a few years ago, it suddenly melted on me (I thought it was a disease, but I now think potassium was somehow involved). Then M. umbrosum became my favorite. I still love this plant, too, but it seems to be a weak competitor for nutrients, and therefore, you have to maintain a somewhat high level of nitrates. Bacopa monnieri (thanks, Paul!) was nice because it was easy to keep and grew at moderate speed. For the past couple of years, Lysimachia nummularia 'aurea' has remained within the top three of my favorites. 

-Naomi

Hey - notice that my favorites are all "small and round"... Like me! :lol:


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I don't know that java fern likes "hard" water per se, just harder than mine  Mine is zero to 1dkh out of the tap.


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## fishmaster#1 (Apr 10, 2005)

Oh I don't use tap. I buy spring water. The tap here is deadly for fish and plants. The only thing that lives in it is algae. I was almost wiped out before I know what hit me. Chicagoland water is basically just sewage. All the polution is impossable to get out. Thats why the tap smells like a swimming pool that has just been dosed with bleach. Then throw in a few tires, some oil, and countless 40 once beer bottles for good measure.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

If your water were really deadly for fish and plants, it would likely harm you as well. But let's keep our focus on the topic at hand.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

I think my favorite plant is Pogostemon stellatus. It was one of the first plants I ever grew successfully and probably the only one I haven't gotten rid of over the years. It grew best in my 75g with 126watts of NO flourescent lighting and CO2 even though most said it wouldn't grow in those light levels.

It looks good most of the time but I still have problems with it. Since upping the light to 206 watts over a year ago, the plant has been hit or miss. It can be one of the most beautiful plants when in good shape. I'll probably put this in a lower light tank (2wpg) in the future so I can enjoy it all of the time, not just when it isn't stunted


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

PG...I have also found that Java fern grows better in hard water. The tank that had a KH of 9-16 in, grew a humongous Java fern. My other tanks with a KH of 3 seem to grow much smaller Java ferns.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

My fav is the plant I have never had before.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Mine too.....


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

I'm partial to petite nanas myself. I think they look so nice when they thicken up, and best of all, I only have to prune once every 6-9 months!


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## shalu (Oct 1, 2004)

My favorite plant is always the one I can't grow well at that moment.


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