# I can't get anacharis to grow :(



## jschall (Apr 13, 2009)

Yes, that's right. I can't get a water weed to grow.

Here's the story:
I'm trying to grow anacharis to feed my turtles. I went out, got 2 bunches of it, put them in a container (~1 gallon) with an open top, filled the container with water from the aquarium, floated the container in my pond and added 0.5ml (recommended amount per bottle directions) hagen plant gro iron enriched fertilizer to it. They get full sun.

It's been there for almost two weeks, without a millimeter of growth. Now, according to http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Plant,%20Anacharis.htm:
"In a shallow pond in the sun, anacharis will usually double in size in two to three weeks"

What am I doing wrong?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Probably the problem is no soil in the container. Put about 2 inches of topsoil in there, weight down the plants with pebbles and you will get lots of growth. 

Why do you wnat to feed your turtles Anacharis?


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## jschall (Apr 13, 2009)

HeyPK said:


> Probably the problem is no soil in the container. Put about 2 inches of topsoil in there, weight down the plants with pebbles and you will get lots of growth.
> 
> Why do you wnat to feed your turtles Anacharis?


I'll give that a try... Why weight them down?
They love anacharis.

Edit: Another question... Does temperature really matter? Will they grow faster in a container on the ground in the sun (~80-90F water) or in a container floating in cool (~60-70F) pond water in the sun?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Weigh them down so that they can get their roots into the soil right away without having to grow them a long distance. 

Anacharis can withstand fairly high temperatures, but I think that the 90's may be getting a little too high. I would opt for the cooler pond water.


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## Nexed (Aug 7, 2008)

OR.. you can make a makeshift mesh box (1/4 in holes) and place it floating in the pond, that way it can get nutrients from the pond water. Super easy to grow plants die when you actually "try" to grow it lol! (it seems)

2nd option: 
You can put it in a white/clear bucket of aquarium water and let it sit in the full sun.


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## jschall (Apr 13, 2009)

Added CO2.
1L bottle, 1 cup sugar, little over 1/4tsp yeast.

Once they outgrow their container, I'll get a 10 gallon aquarium for them.


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