# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Tonina fluviatilis



## tsunami06 (Feb 6, 2003)

Lighting: 3 w/g + (very light demanding)

Growth: slow to moderate

Demands: Difficult

Pruning: Top and replant or pinch off sideshoots
to propagate

Water hardness: preferably soft

Experiences: Tonina fluviatilis is a plant I've
meant to try for a long time (actually, before
I went into the planted tank hobby I was 
attracted to the photo of this plant on the old
Tropica web site more than any of the others!).
Growth seems to be mostly light dependent, and it grows
faster and larger according to how much light it receives.
If it is shaded in any way, it tends to grow much more slowly
or stop growing. If the plant is shocked (such as transplanting 
recently shipped plants), it will shoot out a multitude of 
sideshoots. It does not seem to be too picky about nutrient levels
or substrate (it has a very small, shallow root system). I grow it 
with a KH of 4, GH of 5, and pH of 6.6 here in Miami, Fl.

This plant is one of the few Amazonian blackwater plants, growing in dense
stands. Although the plant grows in very soft water in nature,
it does not seem to be necessary in captivity.

-------------------------
"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." -- Van Gogh


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## tsunami06 (Feb 6, 2003)

Lighting: 3 w/g + (very light demanding)

Growth: slow to moderate

Demands: Difficult

Pruning: Top and replant or pinch off sideshoots
to propagate

Water hardness: preferably soft

Experiences: Tonina fluviatilis is a plant I've
meant to try for a long time (actually, before
I went into the planted tank hobby I was 
attracted to the photo of this plant on the old
Tropica web site more than any of the others!).
Growth seems to be mostly light dependent, and it grows
faster and larger according to how much light it receives.
If it is shaded in any way, it tends to grow much more slowly
or stop growing. If the plant is shocked (such as transplanting 
recently shipped plants), it will shoot out a multitude of 
sideshoots. It does not seem to be too picky about nutrient levels
or substrate (it has a very small, shallow root system). I grow it 
with a KH of 4, GH of 5, and pH of 6.6 here in Miami, Fl.

This plant is one of the few Amazonian blackwater plants, growing in dense
stands. Although the plant grows in very soft water in nature,
it does not seem to be necessary in captivity.

-------------------------
"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." -- Van Gogh


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

Ghori's great photo, 
I hope you don't mind!










*My Digital Gallery*


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## imported_Svennovitch (Feb 1, 2003)

My pictures of this plant:


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## MOR B. (Oct 9, 2003)

i want one ...


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## eriocaulon (Apr 27, 2004)

Hello everyone. Here in Japan there are available about 16 species or local variations of Tonina fluviatilis sold as different, but I doubt any of these are unique.

However, most of them are very difficult to grow, requiring low kH, GH, and pH. When the plants get bad they start to melt instantly, by some kind of virus infection.

I guess the one you have is 'Tropica'??

The characteristic shapes of these plants can only be seen in a very good condition, so it is very difficult to distinguish among several of them if any one of them is indeed unique, unless they flower.


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## imported_bellisb925 (Jul 2, 2004)

Does anybody have a whole tank shot with this plant in it. Just got some a couple weeks ago can't seem to find the best place to put it in the aquascape.


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## imported_Svennovitch (Feb 1, 2003)

This was my tank at the moment of the pictures of the Tonina:


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## imported_bellisb925 (Jul 2, 2004)

Very nice and thank you for the reply. I have some of that bronze-ish grass(don't know the name) in my tank too and then maybe a little R. macranda or E. stellata to the side of it and some stargrass in front of it. Thanks for getting the ball rolling on that.


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