Aldrovanda in Indonesia

[kim]

Hi just want to share some pic of my pond

introducing the plant in the pond was on may 2008:


on june 2008 :




on july 2008:





and the last pic on august 2008:

[rsivertsen]

Well done! Good to see these plants finally growing so well in Indonesia and Malaysia! - Rich

[bactrus]

Rich, Looks like you're leaving quite a legacy in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Kim, Your pond is doing so much better than mine. Indoors or covered? Well mind has been too exposed to the elements. They're not doing too well. So, instead I have shifted them into my apartment's balcony. From three 1half strands, now my betta pot is swamped.

I noticed growth is irregular as there isn't enuf sunshine and when they grow under lotus leaf. Got a bit of algae problem. You're okay with algae?

[Khoas]

Nice, very nice. I would think there are wild colonies in Indonesia. It is found in Japan and Northern Australia, yet I cannot find locations for the waterwheel in between the two above locations.

[rsivertsen]

Originally Posted by bactrus

Rich, Looks like you're leaving quite a legacy in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Ban, I could live with that!

@ Khoas, I've always wondered about that too, that Aldrovanda is found north and south of Malaysia and Indonesia, including Africa, Japan, and many European countries, but hasn't been found (at least recently) in your countries. It should do well in rice paddies, where the shallow dystrophic water and the roots of the rice should provide fine companion plants. Any shallow pond, or swampy grassy meadows should provide suitable habitats.

Those tall monocot companion plants provide the required amounts of CO2 on a constant basis. Kims last pic shows a good presence of these companion plants, whose roots spread out, and get under the Aldrovanda; they also absorb the excess nitrogenous mater that Aldrovanda releases from their captured prey. Without this reciprocal, symbiotic (mutualism) relationship, algae becomes a problem.

A healthy population of copedpods, small snails, and other zooplankton also feed on the algae that may attack the Aldrovanda, and get caught in their traps, keep them growing and dividing, in fact, during a mosquito outbreak, they feed so heavily on the mosquito larvea that they branch constantly, almost every few axils.

It's a pretty complicated relationship for such a simple looking rootless plant.

They also seem to do better in shallow water, only a few inches (about 10 cm) deep so that they are closer to those roots of their companion plants. Otherwise the CO2 become too diluted. They can even survive being dried out without any standing water at all for several days, even weeks.

Again, good to see these plants finally making a presence in this part of the world! - Rich

[bactrus]

Maybe that is my problem. Took out lots of companion plants to provide space for the Aldro.

Rich, you might think I am sick. I have betta in the pond too (Think they're contributing to algae growth, these B. spendens are breeding and I never see any fries. Think they are consumed by the Aldrovanda. Yup, checked yesterday, there are multiple branching. Sick ah?

[David]

Kim,
Your pond looks so healthy. Can't seem to find any algae growth. Very ehalthy indeed.

Anybody has experience growing them indoors under growlights? Tried once with some plants from Ban Aik but I killed them. I sure would like to try again.

[rsivertsen]

Dave, Aldrovanda grows incredibly fast, much faster than terrestrial CPs. Some people have managed to get the tropical forms growing indoors, but it's extremely labor intensive and expensive, with CO2 pumps and all, and the plants still don't get the same red color and robust stature as they should.

The best way is to grow them outdoors, in a shallow pool with large grass-like plants that have massive root systems, and have the Aldrovanda strands growing in just a few inches of water directly above those roots. - Rich

[kim]

Thanks to Richard, he's sure leaving legacy in (if I can say) south east asia
I do have some problem with algae when the colour of the water become clear and bright I noticed that algae are attacking some of the plant's axis.
Then I put more leaf litter, after a week the water become dark and the algae has gone.

Bactrus: I grow aldro outdoor, the pond receive about 3 hours of sunlight.


David: I do have tried to grow them in small aquarium with a co2 reactor, but I've kill them too. never give up I'll try it again.

Sorry for my poor english hope you can understand what I'm writing....
[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Windows/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG]

[David]

Thanks Rich and Kim.

A few more questions... Would there be a difference in cultivation for the non-tropical aldrovanda, ie. the green ones from Australia? Do you think it might work if I grow them in a large tank? Perhaps I shall try and see.

Is growing other massive root semi water plants / water plants and placing dried leaves in the water the only way to get rid of algae? I tried putting one cherry shrimp in my aldro tank together with dried leaves and other water plants the last time but it did not work.

Also can I know what media mix all of you use for the bottom of your tank? I read that we should use peat, but is this "peat" or sphagnum peat? I understand that some growers use normal soil.