# Echinodorus tenellus in 10-gallon (photo)



## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

The echinodorus tenellus ground cover in this 10-gallon Walstad-style guppy tank seems like it stopped growing or spreading. The Indian fern on the left requires frequent trimming, and the rotala wallichii on the right occasional trimming, but the tenellus slowed down after originally spreading rapidly around the tank. From the _Ecology _book, the soil's carbon supply probably ran out so there's not enough CO2 for rapid growth (I think).








The plants still look like they're alive, so with any luck daily feeding will keep them alive and growing, albeit at a slow, slow rate.


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## Lawrence Lee (Jul 17, 2004)

How about temperature? Lower temperature = lower metabolism = slower growth. try upping the temp and getting a good current going to mix the warm water everywhere in the tank?


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## Teeleton (Jun 8, 2006)

I would just leave it at the slower growth rate. Judging from the # of snails in the photo, there's no shortage of food in the tank.

Teeleton


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## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

Temperature's fine (actually feels a bit warm) and even throughout the tank - I have no thermometer but I can feel it with my hand when I'm trimming - but Lawrence Lee pointed out one of the main reasons for slow plant growth, no moving water.
Still, I don't want to add a filter because I like the closed-box look of this tank. Here's a very early photo of the same 10-gallon:


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## schaadrak (Aug 18, 2006)

You don't need a filter to create water movement, you can just use a small powerhead.


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## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

Here's what it looks like when sunlight hits it in the morning. Squares are drawn next to the guppies in the tank.

Indian fern is a vigorous grower. It's also very buoyant; I had to put the rock (circle drawn over it) in the tank to keep it rooted. Whenever I scrub the algae off the inside glass, the roots look like they're about to break off. I wonder how large indian ferns stay rooted at all, with their growth rate.


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