# ultricularia vulgaris (bladderwort)



## walksintowalls (Jan 31, 2013)

Hi I ran a search for this plant but nothing came up, so I'm creating this thread.. 

I got a generous bunch a few days ago and I really would't mind trading or giving some away.

However I'm in Singapore so that's an issue...

Anyway, I'd like to ask some questions as I'm very new to aquatic plant growing.

Would a substrate be necessary in the tank?

Should I just let the plant float freely on the water surface?

Should I put daphnia into the water periodically as the plant is carnivorous?

Would I require a pump for oxygen?

is there any glaring mistakes a beginner would make? Heh. Have I missed out anything important?


----------



## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

You might need a different search engine. My Google search for "ultricularia vulgaris" returned about 64,600 references. The first 10 or 20 of them will surely help to answer your questions.

Bill


----------



## walksintowalls (Jan 31, 2013)

Surely google does that.

However I searched this forum.

Even in the google searches, very few talk about GROWING the plant. Many are talking about the plant from a scientific POV.

Therefore I'm asking here.

For example, a search about feeding Daphnia does not tell me whether I should feed it or not (in cultivation). It only tells me that it eats Daphnia.

And searches on substrate mention that in general utricularia (aquatic) are partially buried in substrate but I know some growers who do not do that. Therefore I'd like to get some opinions.

Once again, on pumping air into the water, there tend to be controversies. I simply want to GET OPINIONS and not textbook answers.

....
I'm aware you're used to newbies asking easily answered questions and may tend to exude exasperation at times, but I did do a search.


----------



## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

yeah use google.
you probably don't need to. A common hitchiker (ultricularia gibba) which is also part of the bladderwart family grows rampantly in an established aquarium. It does not need to be supplemented with live foods as I suspect the bladders are too small to catch any live food we can provide any how. 
Another cousin, utricularia graminifolia also has bladders but they grow beneath the substrate and yet it grows very nicely with grass like blades. 
so in short, no you don't need to. just put it into an established aquarium and it'll do fine. though I'm not too sure why you'd want to grow it, most people find this kind of plant a pest as it gets stuck in plants and grows very fast.


----------



## K Randall (Nov 23, 2004)

Actually, Utricularia gibba is the sole "bad actor" in the genus as far as planted tanks are concerned. As far as I'm concerned, U. Gibba is worse than algae... You can manage a tank out of an algae problem, but once U. Gibba is in the tank, it's there forever. As much as you manually remove, one TINY piece breaks off and gets away, and it will grow back. I hate the stuff!!!

The others are, at worst, "touchy" and hard to keep going in the aquarium, at best, quite attractive aquarium plants. The bladders of many ARE large enough to catch daphnia and even tine newly hatched fish of some species. 

Most Utricularia species inhabit very nutrient poor water, which is why they have evolved to feed themselves in another way. In the aquarium, with adequate nutrients fed to all the plants, there is no need to feed Utricularia live food. Just don't keep it in a tank where you want to raise tiny fry. (newly hatched Rainbow fry come to mind as something I bet would get caught) Anything the size of cichlid fry are too big at hatching for Utricularia to be a problem.


----------



## walksintowalls (Jan 31, 2013)

Thank you neilshieh and K randall for your replies!

Ok I've decided that I'm not going to use any substrate.

I've also decided to add a few guppies for the AVA inspectors..

Also shall put daphnia time to time.. Hope the guppies don't eat too much!

As to why I want to grow this "pond weed", I simply enjoy immensely the fact that they are carnivorous, and besides I heard they provide very pretty flowers


----------



## K Randall (Nov 23, 2004)

They do have pretty flowers! Attached is U. aurea flowering in northern Thailand.


----------



## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

You should try some emersed, that's a sure way to have them bloom. The only other way I would think of is to let the whole mass float near the surface.


----------



## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

EDIT: - I've posted stuff in the wrong thread, please delete this post! -


----------



## Lakeplants (Feb 21, 2011)

walksintowalls said:


> Would a substrate be necessary in the tank?
> 
> Should I just let the plant float freely on the water surface?
> 
> ...


You don't need a substrate for Utricularia vulgaris. They are occasionally buried partially in the sediment, but they are not rooted. They simply form rhizoids in the sediment which can make them stand fairly erect from the sediment, but they do not require this. Most often, U. vulgaris and most other bladderworts are found naturally free-floating.

If you have a source of Daphnia or other small invertebrates, it wouldn't hurt anything, but may not be necessary.

Bladderworts often grow in mucky, low-oxygen shallows in nature. You do not need to aerate the water for bladderworts.


----------

