[rsivertsen]

They also have a need for CO2, and an aquarium set up, with moving water, would cause any CO2 to be quickly dispersed, and released into the atmosphere. They use CO2 for photosynthesis, and will quickly go into decline if they don't get enough. That's why companion plants are so important to them, especially those plants that have massive root systems, that emit a constant source of CO2 by the respiration of their roots. They also quickly absorb and assimilate the excess nitrogenous matter given off by the Aldrovanda, a reciprocal beneficial symbiotic relationship. Without these plants, algae will quickly take advantage of the available nitrogenous matter, and overwhelm them. Small snails, copepods, and the entire zooplankon community also help groom the algae from attacking the Aldrovanda, and even pull out the spent carcasses out from the older traps before the algae gets to them as well, as becoming part of the menu.

A fish tank is also too small for Aldrovanda, although some people have grown them with a lot of work, and expense to artificially pump in CO2, provide high intensity mecuric halide lamps, and change the water at least once or twice a week with fresh pond water to replenish the zooplankton. In a pond, when they're in peak growth, they will double their apical growth points every week, (exponential reproduction) and in a few weeks become thousands of plants that need CO2 and food. - Rich