# Plants for low humidity emersed setup



## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I bought this aquarium for a retail price:










I want some plants to grow in the emersed part that flow over in the submersed part. I had some bad luck with burning Anubias and succes with Glossostigma, Lobelia and hairgrass in a potter in the windowsill. What i'm looking for are plants that look a like emersed and submersed (so Lobelia doesn't work) and don't require high humidity. Glosso would be perfect, but I'm not yet sure whether I'll use CO2 on this tank (knowing me I'll probably will ) so easy plants are preferred.

Any suggestions?


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

purple bamboo, and water sprite would work


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

Depending on the size of the setup, Hygrophila corymbosa (the regular one or 'Kompakt') might work. Also Rotala indica (the real stuff, not R. rotundifolia, which looks different in submersed culture), Lindernia rotundifolia (emersed growth creeps more, but that's true of many plants), Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, Bacopa caroliniana, and Gratiola aurea. Echinodorus species aren't usually substantially different (emersed leaves are shorter and rounder in most, but the underlying structure is more or less the same) and have the benefit of throwing out long flower stalks with pretty white blooms.

Aroids in general are poor choices for a low-humidity environment, so shy away from the crypts and (as you've learned) Anubias. 

If you're willing to tolerate some differences in coloration, but with an overall similar structure, some additional plants become available.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Thanks for all the input, except for purple bamboo and Rotala indica all of these plants are available to me so I'll see what I like and what works. When I setup the aquarium, I'll post some pictures



asukawashere said:


> If you're willing to tolerate some differences in coloration, but with an overall similar structure, some additional plants become available.


It depends on how big the difference is... Lobelia for example differs too much for my liking. So what where you thinking about?

Any thoughts on Staurogyne repens, Pogostemon helferi, Eleocharis vivapara, Juncus repens or Utricularia graminifolia?

More input is still welcome!


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

any kind of eleocharis will be fine. Pogostemon helferi requires high humidity so it won't survive with your setup. staurogyne repens.... not too sure. UG will do fine.
you're going to need to keep your setup warm!
If you like big plants... polygonums would actually work and they'll produce nice flowers.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

It's a very small tank 27L, after hardscape about 5G remains so plants should not be too big, but my Persicaria 'Sao Paulo' is going to be in there guess. Going to try Staurogyne in the windowsill first


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

Yo-han said:


> It depends on how big the difference is... Lobelia for example differs too much for my liking. So what where you thinking about?
> 
> Any thoughts on Staurogyne repens, Pogostemon helferi, Eleocharis vivapara, Juncus repens or Utricularia graminifolia?
> 
> More input is still welcome!


I admittedly was considering the Persicaria spp., especially 'Sao Paolo' and 'Kawagoeanum', which are similar in either form excepting their coloration.Another consideration might be Limnophila aromatica (which is denser and pinker submersed, but otherwise fairly uniform). Those all might be too big for a tiny tank, though. P. sp. 'Sao Paolo' is particularly robust if it's allowed to escape the water.

P. helferi and UG both require higher humidity than your open-air setup will provide, IME. Staurogyne repens would be a good choice. And no matter what you do to them, Eleocharis spp. and Juncus repens sorta just always look like grass, so I don't foresee any issues there.

Like with Lindernia rotundifolia, Bacopa monnieri is physically similar in either form, but is far more prone to creeping growth in emersed conditions. Bacopa australis or Bacopa sp. 'Japan' are both worth considering in a smaller tank like yours.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Thank you very much for your input. I really love Bacopa sp. 'Japan' (Rotala sp. 'Green' is one of my most used plants and it looks quite similar), unfortunate I'm afraid it won't do well submersed without CO2 (but this can be fixed) and I've never seen it in the Netherlands (or even Western Euope), not even in trade. But I think I got quite a list of plants now. More than I can plant in this tank so I will do a brainstorm on how to go forward from this and collect and test the plants for low humidity. Again, thank you very much everybody!


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

The tank is standing for over 2 weeks now. Humidity between 40-50%. I went for HC, DHG, Lindernia rotundifolia, Staurogyne repens and Hydrocotyle tripartita in the emersed part. Staurogyne struggled and lost a few leaves the first few days but is doing fine now. HC and DHG and H. Atripartita are doing fine, but Lindernia withers away slowly. Humidity too low maybe? Any idea whether a bacopa would do better?


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Yohan I grow bacopa 'japan' without any co2 without any problems. I also had it growing outside last summer and it grew out of the tub.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I wish I could get that plant, but this plant is very rare in Europe, even on forums, no one has it...


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