# Cat Tails in an aquarium?



## jmanofthesouth (Feb 8, 2011)

Anybody ever seen or used Cat Tails in an aquarium. I know you can use them in ponds, but I think it would look real cool to have a back corner of a tank planted with cat tails popping out the top. 

I live close to the everglades and I'm sure I could get my hands on some.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

other then how LARGE they grow, I can't see why they would not grow in a tank.


FYI you can actually eat them.


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## mindnova (Jan 22, 2008)

Yep they not bad either. I used to get Euell Gibbons' first book on foraged foods, Stalking the Wild Asparagus from the local library and try out his advice. Great book.

Back to subject there is a dwarf cattail sold in the pond trade that could work for what you want. The cattail where I live can reach 10 ft. or more so you would end up with a tank full of roots.

By the way if you want to try eating them, make sure you know whats flowing into the wetland. Sadly most wetlands are being turned into open sewers.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

Seems like cattails would be awefully agressive growers for the average home aquarium. Unless you plan on having a really large tank it may be too large a plant, even the dwarf variety.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Plus the fact that cattails require *full sun*, not a condition that one easily achieves indoors.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

I had a cattail come up in a 29 gallon tank from a seed. It started out as a submersed plant with pretty light green leaves with a prominent network of venation. It grew rapidly with the light from two 55 watt compact fluorescents. When it reached the surface it produced a few floating leaves and then pushed out the aerial leaves. At that time I had to pull it out because it was getting too big for the tank. I think it might be possible to keep it submersed by cutting back the larger leaves the way you do with _Nympahea_. A group of them kept trimmed to 6 to 8 inches high would be quite decorative.


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