# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Ceratopteris thalictroides



## imported_Buck (Apr 23, 2003)

*Common Name :* Watersprite

*Family Name :* Pteridaceae

*Lighting :* 2 wpg +

*Hardness :* soft as well as hard, slightly alkaline water

*Temperature :* 22 - 28 deg C

*Growth Rate :* Fast

*Demands :* Very Easy but prefers CO2 for lush growth and color.

*Pruning :* The best way to control this plants size is to cut entire leaf off at base.Being a fern its new growth remains at the base.

*Experiences :* This plant grows very fast in higher light ranges with CO2 addition. The colors are a very vivid green and pearling is excuisite on these ferns. In lower lighting the plant is darker with only the newest leaves showing the brighter greens. I have grown this plant as a short foreground plant with dense plantings and lottsa trimming with success and I have also let them grow out as a background plants.They will grow as large as you let them. This is a great plant to use to smooth out the edges of an aquascape.


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## imported_Buck (Apr 23, 2003)

*Common Name :* Watersprite

*Family Name :* Pteridaceae

*Lighting :* 2 wpg +

*Hardness :* soft as well as hard, slightly alkaline water

*Temperature :* 22 - 28 deg C

*Growth Rate :* Fast

*Demands :* Very Easy but prefers CO2 for lush growth and color.

*Pruning :* The best way to control this plants size is to cut entire leaf off at base.Being a fern its new growth remains at the base.

*Experiences :* This plant grows very fast in higher light ranges with CO2 addition. The colors are a very vivid green and pearling is excuisite on these ferns. In lower lighting the plant is darker with only the newest leaves showing the brighter greens. I have grown this plant as a short foreground plant with dense plantings and lottsa trimming with success and I have also let them grow out as a background plants.They will grow as large as you let them. This is a great plant to use to smooth out the edges of an aquascape.


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

Watersprite is my very favorite algae buster, an invaluable plant for starting new tanks. In a high nutrient environment, the growth rate will eventually wear you slam out, and you'll probably wind up replacing it with something more manageable--but when you're starting a new tank, you absolutely cannot beat watersprite to keep ahead of algae. It is capable of growing a new plant from every node, and will put out long feathery roots from such a spot; in short order, you can simply break off the new plant, roots and all. If you've let it get big, the best way to keep ahead of it is to harvest those new plants, take out the entire plant mass and replant the new, smaller ones--which will very soon become big ones.

Given the chance, it will grow up and out of the water with vigor, as seen below.










http://www.wheelpost.com


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

WEll I am so glad someone else came along and said this plant needs C02! Often I see this plant recommended for low light tanks without C02, but this plant has always struggled for me under those conditions. With C02 however, it grows extremely fast! The stem variety as opposed to the floating variety will produce adventious plants at the elbows of the stems. you will see thick roots develop and the new plant will easily detach from the mother plant. I used to harvest armfulls of this stuff every two weeks and bring it in to my LFS. It grows extremly fast under good conditions.

Robert
King admin
www.aquabotanic.com


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

Funny how one plant will grow differently in different tanks. I have this plant in all my tanks and does very well regardless of light and CO2. Here's a picture from my 90 gallon tank, it has 3x32w T8 tubes (just over 1WPG), rich substrate, no fertilizers other than flourish tabs:










It doesn't grow as fast as in my high light tank, obviously, but color and density is just as good.

Giancarlo Podio


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## Vicki (Jan 31, 2003)

I keep my watersprite going until I need it in a tank with no CO2 added. It grows well and stays healthy, but MUCH more slowly than it does in high light and CO2--which works out perfectly! I always have some when I need it for a new setup, but it doesn't drive me nuts keeping up with it.

http://www.wheelpost.com


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## imported_Buck (Apr 23, 2003)

Absolutely beautiful when it pearled as well...


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## Hawkeye (Aug 20, 2004)

I like this plant allot. I find myself going back to it every time I take it out. I find it likes lots of CO2 along with lots of nutrients with high light. The plant in the photo is in a 55gal tank. It would grow two to three stems per/week . When I finally had to take it out the new stems where as thick as a pencil. This plant grows so fast and get so large that you can't keep it very long because it will out grow what ever size tank you put it in. What I would do so I could keep this plant is have smaller plants growing in another tank. I would just replant with a another plant trade the large plant at the LFS for credit. On older stems you will see a knot with roots growing out. At that spot you can cut it off. Then let the new plant float under bright light for a few weeks. When you have lots of long roots plant it in your substrate. This plant doesn't need any root tabs it gets most of its nutrients form the water column. I have really good luck with this plant. I can start with a small plant to one that out grows a 55gal tank in four to five months. I am not sure but I think this plant like high NO3 levels.

Hawk

Trust But Verify «*»®


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