# Uticularia graminifolia?



## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Utricularia graminifolia

I’ve been trying to grow this plant without much success and now I am confused. Does the leaf ever bifurcate or do I have some riccia mixed in? Or, does riccia ever produce roots or is that then the uticularia? 

Maybe I need to find some more of this plant and start over.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I've never seen it fork, neither does Riccia really produce roots. 

IME UG is one of the hardest plants to get started. It always dies for 80-90% on me. It melts, the rest gets brown for over a month. But just when you want to throw it away, the remaining bits start getting greener and produce runners. Happens to me everytime, no matter whether it is in sand with water column dosing or ADA soil.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I've replanted it in some peat watered it with rain water and put it in a covered container outside in the shade for now. Clearly there are other plants mixed in at this point. I'm going to give it a month or so and see what happens. I have read that the problem really is one of providing a soft acidic environment which is not what I have on tap. If that fails I will try and find some more and start over. T^hanks for the imput.


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

I seem to recall there is a variety or similar specie that does this, for the life of me I can recall what it is. If I think of it Ill report back.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

BruceF said:


> I've replanted it in some peat watered it with rain water and put it in a covered container outside in the shade for now. Clearly there are other plants mixed in at this point. I'm going to give it a month or so and see what happens. I have read that the problem really is one of providing a soft acidic environment which is not what I have on tap. If that fails I will try and find some more and start over. T^hanks for the imput.


I don't buy the acidic part. It failed in a newly set up tank with aqua soil which has a KH of 1.

I once placed it in a nanocube which died 99% and I redid with hairgrass. This tank has fairly hard water now (KH 9) and the 1 leaf of Utricularia I didn't removed is taking over the entire tank right now.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

That's interesting. I was following some information I found on ukaps. I have had no luck in over a year with this. Never grew at all.. I just assumed it must be the hardness in my tap water.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I think it needs plenty of CO2 and don't be greedy on the other nutrients and light. Tropica did write an article about it, but I can't find it on the new website.


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## 4f1hmi (Mar 29, 2008)

You have to remember UG is a carnivorous plant and they will thrive on small microorganisms. It doesn't matter whether its tap or ro. You have to seed your tank with microorganisms. I used to add frozen daphnia to my tanks if you don't have access to live one's. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Have you ever seen a catching bladder when the plant is in his submersed state? I don't. In nature, it uses these to catch small insects to get nutrients. In our tanks nutrients are plentyfull compared to his natural habitat. I don't think it needs to make them and even doubt the fact that it can make them submersed even in pure rainwater. The way most of these organs work is something that doesn't work when submersed, but off course, this could be the exception to the rule...


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## Jalopy (Sep 22, 2013)

I've actually grown ug with Mr Aqua substrate in a low tech and high tech tank and it grows without problem, never melts. My water is about neutral pH and on the soft side. I really think low hardness is the key. 

I've got some tied up on a driftwood right at the top of the water to get it to flower and its growing really well despite the change in water level due to evaporation.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Well I set it outside and the heat and the sun fried it yesterday. Should have been more careful! So I guess I will be starting over soon.
I really don't know what it can be except the hardness of the tap water.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Soft water and lots of co2, as others have said. Give it that and it can be unstoppable. I once had a hard time getting rid of it!


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## Acro (Jul 20, 2012)

This is the best source of info I've ever seen on growing UG. It is a very adaptive plant! 
RSS (the thread starter) is the person I got my UG from.
http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php/115965-Utricularia-graminifolia-My-Experiences


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