# Aqvainnova Plants From The Aquatic Experience in Chicago



## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

I was fortunate to get my hands on some of the new plants being produced by Aqvainnova at The Aquatic Experience in Chicago this past weekend. These are from their new Linea Zero line where they offer emergent grown snail free, algae free, and disease free plants either individually or as themed sets. They are also grown without any soil or rockwool which means once they find some distributors in the US they will be available for sale here! 

The concept is to have a special refrigerated display that keeps the plants fresh for 3-4 weeks. Next to the display will be a tank with all of the plants grown to their full potential with labels so customers can see what they will look like in their tanks.

The set I have is the Africa Cichlids set which contains 4 pots of Anubias barteri, 4 pots of Anubias barteri var. nana, 4 pots of Lagenandra meeboldii 'Pink', 2 pots of Cryptocoryne parva, and 2 pots of Cryptocoryne becketii. One box is easily enough to fill a 20-30 gallon tank. For example, I was able to split the 2 pots of Crypt parva into 30-40 individual plants.

Here's a shot of what the full set will look like in the store. It looks like a salad, but don't eat those aroids!









Just look at all of those healthy plants. 









Here's a side shot so you can see the little glass plugs the plants are grown in. 









Here's just one pot of the Lagenandra. This could be divided into 4-5 plants.


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## saddletramp (Sep 16, 2012)

Glad you had a great weekend. Did you win anything?
It has "cooled off" a bit here now. 24F this morning.
I am about 15 minutes from Schaumburg.
Bill


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

saddletramp said:


> Glad you had a great weekend. Did you win anything?
> It has "cooled off" a bit here now. 24F this morning.
> I am about 15 minutes from Schaumburg.
> Bill


Were you there? It's definitely worth checking out next year if you missed it.

I competed in the team aquascaping contest and our team got 2nd place. I also won one of the raffles.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

It would be nice to be able to get plants like that locally but I don't see that happening any time soon. 

Did you bring your own plants for the contest?


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

BruceF said:


> It would be nice to be able to get plants like that locally but I don't see that happening any time soon.
> 
> Did you bring your own plants for the contest?


Supposedly they've found at least one distributor in the USA and the first shipment should be here in January. I'm not sure who the distributor is though.

Yes, we brought our own plants and stone for the contest. We drove 12 hours to make it happen.  I'll post a pic of that once my buddy sends me his photos.


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## junglefowl (Nov 16, 2012)

Thanks for sharing! Those are fresh looking plants! The market just got so much better with a choice of plants packages. What do they put in those little glass pots? The box doesn't look very sealed like those plant bags we have in Petsmart/Petco. I suppose it need humidity environment to keep it fresh longer.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

junglefowl said:


> Thanks for sharing! Those are fresh looking plants! The market just got so much better with a choice of plants packages. What do they put in those little glass pots? The box doesn't look very sealed like those plant bags we have in Petsmart/Petco. I suppose it need humidity environment to keep it fresh longer.


Yeah, these aren't tissue cultured, at least not at this stage they aren't. There's a little bit of liquid at the bottom of each plant and four holes in the top of the box. Yes, the idea is to keep them humid, not sealed.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Please jeep us updated. It will be interesting to see how well they adapt to submerged growth.


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## Adam C (Feb 7, 2013)

You guys set up a nice looking tank, Aaron. I liked the use of the Bolbitis.

I think these are interesting little plants, but I'm curious about actual price point.

I grabbed 6 individual packages and only one (Alt. reineckii 'Variegated') was in the glass with water. The rest (including mosses) were packaged in agar of some sort that cleans off pretty easily. I'll be throwing these into several aquariums and emersed set ups to see how they do under different conditions.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

*Drooling* I'm loving that Lagenandra! Which one is it, L. keralensis maybe?


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

asukawashere said:


> *Drooling* I'm loving that Lagenandra! Which one is it, L. keralensis maybe?


It's meeboldii 'Pink'.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

AaronT said:


> It's meeboldii 'Pink'.


Huh. It's kind of... roundish and stubbyish compared to my meeboldii 'Pink'-though admittedly, I've never seen one that small. Still a neat plant!

Any idea what those kits will retail for if they get U.S. distribution going?


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

asukawashere said:


> Huh. It's kind of... roundish and stubbyish compared to my meeboldii 'Pink'-though admittedly, I've never seen one that small. Still a neat plant!
> 
> Any idea what those kits will retail for if they get U.S. distribution going?


Remember it's grown emergent so it will look a little different at first.

The kits were selling for $50 each, but retail supposedly will be a little bit more. Still, consider that most pet shops charge $6-$7 for potted plants and they aren't this nice and you get 16 of them.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

AaronT said:


> Remember it's grown emergent so it will look a little different at first.


I know-my specimen is growing emersed, too.


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## ch3fb0yrdee (Jul 26, 2008)

That's awesome Aaron. Do you know if the Legendra meeboldii pink?


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## AquaBarren (Nov 6, 2009)

Looks like a nice concept. Hope they're available soon...I have a rescape coming up in Feb.


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

The Lagenandra: Ah, finally. That's the plant I wrote here about: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...5-lagenandra-meeboldii-pink-2.html#post667236

I think that this alleged 'Pink' from European nurseries isn't the same as the U.S. 'Pink'. But in the meanwhile I'm sure it's identical to the L. meeboldii 'Red' from Tropica, and to the meeboldii B992 here: http://crypts.home.xs4all.nl/Lagenandra/Gallery/lme/lme_x_B992-RH_6231.jpg

I suspect that the true Lagenandra meeboldii 'Pink', that huge one with the apparently more elongate leaves, isn't yet cultivated here in Europe, at least not available in the trade. But now that the 'Red' (false 'Pink') is available in the U.S., you have the possibility to compare it with the true 'Pink' by cultivating them together - and to prove that they are actually different!


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

miremonster said:


> I suspect that the true Lagenandra meeboldii 'Pink', that huge one with the apparently more elongate leaves, isn't yet cultivated here in Europe, at least not available in the trade. But now that the 'Red' (false 'Pink') is available in the U.S., you have the possibility to compare it with the true 'Pink' by cultivating them together - and to prove that they are actually different!


You read my mind.


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## h4n (Dec 23, 2005)

very neat!

I cant wait to see these hit the stores, but im sure it will be a while...

Wonder who the first distributor is 

These look great!

Adam, what mosses did you get?


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## Adam C (Feb 7, 2013)

Han, I grabbed Weeping and Spikey. At least that's what it appears. Because they weren't labelled, the best I have to go on is the W and S on the lids lol.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Adam C said:


> Han, I grabbed Weeping and Spikey. At least that's what it appears. Because they weren't labelled, the best I have to go on is the W and S on the lids lol.


Yup, the rep said they were weeping and spikey moss.


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## h4n (Dec 23, 2005)

Nice!

How much were the moss ones?


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## Adam C (Feb 7, 2013)

I only paid $20 for the 6 packages I bought 

@Aaron, thanks for the confirmation


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## h4n (Dec 23, 2005)

Cool!


Wonder how much they will be once they hit retail


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## will5 (Oct 26, 2005)

I was there all day Friday and Saturday. Our tank one third place the the large tank aquascaping contest. Would have been nice to meet you.


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