# Planted Ripariums



## hydrophyte

Hi all,

This is my very first post here. Although I do not keep dart frogs I have looked around Dendro Board before and I have always been quite impressed at the levels of scientific knowledge and artistic ability of many DB members.

I have a concept that I have been working on for a few years, planted _ripariums_. I have heard my model systems compared to dart frog vivariums many times, but they are different in that they do not have dedicated terrestrial areas. The above-water areas are rendered instead with plant foliage: the plants being supported with hanging and floating planter devices. Ripariums would make poor habitats for most reptiles and amphibians, in fact, being more appropriate for keeping fish and other fully aquatic animals.

I include a picture here of a riparium composition that I recently put together in a 20G high aquarium.










Just tonight I stocked this tank with fish. I can provide a plant list if you might be interested. 

Anyway, I just wanted to share this. I would be interested in your thoughts about this idea.


----------



## Ziggi

Looks great thanks for sharing!
I have an idea for you 

Mossy Tree Frogs!
You could have just the edges of tank for dedicated land using turtle docks or w/e and maybe a large piece of driftwood in the center and that's it.
Mossies will spend most of the day submerged in water and come out at night


----------



## Julio

looks great, what kind of foliage do you have on the left side of the tank?


----------



## Dean

Looks very clean almost sterile in a good way.


----------



## hydrophyte

thanks everybody?



Ziggi said:


> Looks great thanks for sharing!
> I have an idea for you
> 
> Mossy Tree Frogs!
> You could have just the edges of tank for dedicated land using turtle docks or w/e and maybe a large piece of driftwood in the center and that's it.
> Mossies will spend most of the day submerged in water and come out at night


it would be neat to try out some terrestrial/amphibious animals, but i am afraid it would be difficult. i don't know how apparent it might be in my photograph, but this display includes a number of fine stem plants. any animal bigger than 1/2 gram would just knock these over.

i have built some somewhat larger displays with more sturdy plants. still, it looks as though that mossy tree frog gets pretty large. i would be concerned about the animal not having any land area.



Julio said:


> looks great, what kind of foliage do you have on the left side of the tank?


on the left side there is some _Spathiphyllum,_ _Lysimacchia_ and _Polygonum_.



Dean said:


> Looks very clean almost sterile in a good way.


that's because i just set it up. the rocks and gravel will develop an fine algae film with time. i wish that i could find good ways of maintaining this very clean appearance, but it does look more natural with some algae on the rock surfaces.


----------



## Otis

Ziggi said:


> Looks great thanks for sharing!
> I have an idea for you
> 
> Mossy Tree Frogs!
> You could have just the edges of tank for dedicated land using turtle docks or w/e and maybe a large piece of driftwood in the center and that's it.
> Mossies will spend most of the day submerged in water and come out at night


Mossies still need a terrestrial area, and in my experience they absolutely trash most plants. I would hate to see what a group of horny males could do to that enclosure.


----------



## Rick

I agree with Otis, stick to the fish if you want to keep it pretty. All of those plants look pretty fragile.


----------



## hydrophyte

i agree. the above-water area of these tanks is meant to be primarily for the enjoyment of the plants. i think that they are plenty engaging. i have tried to select plants that have nice flowers or foliage. here is a recent shot of a bloom on one of the selections that i have in there, chameleon plant (_Houttuynia cordata_ 'Chameleon'). 

there is quite a lot of underwater space for fish.


----------



## harrywitmore

OK, I'll bite, where does the word riparium come from? Looks like most every reference I see to the word is from post that you have made.

Nice tank.


----------



## Ziggi

Your right mossies still get quite large and would damage some weak plants for sure.
But you've got great knowledge on how to do a amphibious set up.
Whatever you decide to do with it will be great!
As well as anything else you decide to do, it's obvious you'd do a great job as you've already got expert knowledge on setting up things and plants


----------



## roxrgneiss

That is pretty cool and it looks like a fun way to grow. I think the raft idea is pretty slick too. http://www.ripariumsupply.com/imag/web/nano-trellis-raft-cat-I-s.jpg

Here's a page with a couple more tanks, click on the thumbnails - sin embargo, el texto es en Español: Cos’è un Riparium? Un paludario che simula una riva di fiume? 

I'm curious too, does the name have something to do with riprap or rivers' edge?

Mike


----------



## zBrinks

The area where a body of water and land come together is called a riparian zone; I'm guessing that's where the term 'riparium' originates.


----------



## hydrophyte

thanks again everybody!



roxrgneiss said:


> That is pretty cool and it looks like a fun way to grow. I think the raft idea is pretty slick too. http://www.ripariumsupply.com/imag/web/nano-trellis-raft-cat-I-s.jpg
> 
> Here's a page with a couple more tanks, click on the thumbnails - sin embargo, el texto es en Español: Cos’è un Riparium? Un paludario che simula una riva di fiume?
> 
> I'm curious too, does the name have something to do with riprap or rivers' edge?
> 
> Mike


hey, that guy jacked two of my pictures without asking. at least he did link back to my pages. that page looks like it's in Italian, not Spanish.

_riparium_ is related to the word _riparian_, which refers to the shoreline zone along the edges of lakes and rivers. they are both from the Latin _ripa_, which means "border" or "edge".



harrywitmore said:


> OK, I'll bite, where does the word riparium come from? Looks like most every reference I see to the word is from post that you have made.
> 
> Nice tank.


i did locate some old Web material referring to planted ripariums, but most of these appeared similar to classical paludarium designs, with built up terrestrial areas forming the background and pools of water in the foreground. the additions of small waterfalls were cited as the distinguishing feature for these ripariums. this did not seem to me to be a very compelling distinction, and nobody was really using the word anymore in this sense, so i decided to operationalize, or re-operationalize it. it appeared as though the idea of making a whole planted composition with live plants and hanging & floating planters in an aquarium was a novel concept, and merited this distinction.

there is some further explanation of this on the following page:

http://ripariumsupply.com/about.html


----------



## tonying

I really like the way you've taken a serious approach to your concept! I love the fragile-looking aesthetics apparent in your pics. Now, about potential fauna, if you do want to "spice things up", I would consider insects or other forms of aquatic or semi-aquatic invertebrates, in addition to fish. 

The fascinating thing about insects is to watch their development cycle and also how they interact with their environment, being highly specialized and less flexible creatures than most vertebrates. 

Many species of dragonfly nymphs would be perfectly suited in developmental terms to your designs. Some may actually live for up to two years as nymphs. The problem would be that they are voracious predators who will, in some cases, attack small fish. 

Water striders are another fascinating kind of insects, better suited to co-exist with fish.


----------



## hydrophyte

tonying said:


> I really like the way you've taken a serious approach to your concept! I love the fragile-looking aesthetics apparent in your pics. Now, about potential fauna, if you do want to "spice things up", I would consider insects or other forms of aquatic or semi-aquatic invertebrates, in addition to fish.
> 
> The fascinating thing about insects is to watch their development cycle and also how they interact with their environment, being highly specialized and less flexible creatures than most vertebrates.
> 
> Many species of dragonfly nymphs would be perfectly suited in developmental terms to your designs. Some may actually live for up to two years as nymphs. The problem would be that they are voracious predators who will, in some cases, attack small fish.
> 
> Water striders are another fascinating kind of insects, better suited to co-exist with fish.


i agree. there are many aquatic insects that are fascinating to observe in aquariums. the problem with keeping most of these long-term in aquaria is that it is not possible to accommodate the free-flying adult forms of most, which need much more room. furthermore, they don't really circulate in the hobby (at least here in the US) so supply is limiting for most people. although with some effort most people could probably find these animals in areas near their homes. 

as you mention, some of the most engaging kinds of aquatic insects, such as dragonflies and water beetles, are not compatible with small aquarium fishes.

i have wondered about dwarf dragonflies for these displays. i remember seeing a while back a reference to a "greenhouse dragonfly"--a small patterned-wing tropical species that often spontaneously appears in greenhouses. i don't know if there are any commercial sources for these(?). in the US we have some restrictions on commerce of live insects, which is generally a good thing.


----------



## rpmurphey

Looks realy cool. Have you looked into Aqua Culturing. 

This is from a fish store next to my house.

AquaTouch
Freshwater Planted Aquaria


----------



## hydrophyte

if i can get to it i should post some specs for some more of these setups. i hope that this is not going to far afield for this forum(?). i have actually borrowed some methods and materials from vivarium construction and i have a lot of stuff of botanical interest, which seems to be appreciated here.

here is a shot form a while back of a riparium in a 65G.


----------



## doncoyote

Nicely done! I may have missed it - if so, apologies - but, what kind of fish are you stocking the tank with?

When I saw 'riparium' I was expecting more current from one side to another - more of a stream cross section - I guess we'll have to fire up rheo?arium for that (someone help me w/ the connector consonant!). I think emergent plants are a great thing - especially for aquaria. They aren't CO2 limited in the way submerged plants are and even if you don't want them in your main tank, they can be very useful in a sump.


----------



## hydrophyte

thanks very much! the _riparium_ term is in direct reference to _riparian_ habitats; both terms deriving from Latin root _ripa_, which means "bank" or "margin".

this tank was originally intended to be a South America biotope display, although i have wavered from that idea with some of of the fish and plant introductions. the fish include a couple of different tetras, _Apistogramma_ cichlids and _Corydoras_ catfish.

people have used emergent aquatic plants in aquariums from a long time. however, it seems that the question of using them to build real _aquascape_, artistic aquarium garden compositions, hadn't been resolved before. 

i agree that a major advantage of this method over existing kinds of aquascaping or aquarium gardening is that it does not require injection of additional CO2. i try to use low-tech/low-light plants which are less demanding of extra CO2 for the underwater part of the aquascape.


----------



## hydrophyte

Here is a quick pre-trim shot from the *65-gallon South America Riparium* from tonight.










The plants have grown in well since the last rearrangement. I just need to snip a few stems before shooting a more serious picture. This shot post-processed a little bit with a montage to brighten underwater area.

The _Echinodous cordifolius_ is still growing like wild.


----------



## nathan

Maybe aquatic newts? Axolotls?


----------



## nathan

Just had another idea . . . I have freshwater stingrays and man would they look sweet in a set up like that !


----------



## hydrophyte

Yeah well any kind of herp might be difficult in these setups because they would tend to knock down those fine stems. There are, however, a number of fish that might be especially good for this kind of display, such as splashing tetras, _Copella arnoldi_, and others.

Here are a couple of plants from this display that are looking especially nice, _Echinodorus_ 'Tropica Marble Queen' and basket grass, _Oplismenus_;


----------



## andrew__

I may have missed it but what sort of light are you running on this? I'd love to try some of these plants out but may not have enough light for some (such as the Acorus in particular). I notice many of these plants are taller than the top of the tank - do you normally keep a lid on for humidity or just leave it open?


----------



## R1ch13

Spash tetras would be a great choice as you would be able to witness theie amazing breeding behaviours...

If you were wanting a slightly more uncommon fish id definately give a couple of archer fish a go, and you may be able to witness their unique "water jet" shows...

I know a few fish keepers near by me have had success by putting crickets onto over hanging branches in there tank, and in time they learn how to get them down, like in nature.

Richie


----------



## hydrophyte

andrew__ said:


> I may have missed it but what sort of light are you running on this? I'd love to try some of these plants out but may not have enough light for some (such as the Acorus in particular). I notice many of these plants are taller than the top of the tank - do you normally keep a lid on for humidity or just leave it open?


This tank has a fixture with two 39-watt HO T5 lamps. This is just a little more than 1 watt/gallon of total volume, but the T5s are quite efficient. I would call this moderate lighting.

Whether or not to cover or partially cover the riparium depends upon plant selection. The plants in this tank all do better with more air circulation and that's why I selected a rimless tank with an open top. Certain other plants, such as most _Cryptocoryne_ and _Anubias_ demand high humidity, so they are better kept in a tank covered with a glass canopy. 

The _Acorus_ is very nice for this--one of my favorite plants. Would you like some? I have some extra on hand.


----------



## andrew__

thanks for the info. I've actually got pretty easy access to some acorus so might have to give it a shot. If not in a tank at least somewhere in my yard


----------



## Groundhog

Harry, I assume the term "riparium" means river tank.

Now I have a recommendation--newts, man, newts. For me--how about Paramesotriton, or Tylototrition verrucosus.

These can both tolerate a wee bit of heat, upper 70s in the summer.

G


----------



## hydrophyte

I really don't think that those animals would work in there. Anything bigger than 1/2 gram would just knock the fine stems and make a mess. There is also not really any land area in there for livestock to se, so any non-fully aquatic animal would need to be fully arboreal. I am looking into reed frogs and small mantids as possibilities. I understand that some reed frogs are quite small.

The fish and the above water plant display really provide plenty of visual interest. I have gotten quite a few plants to bloom in these tanks.



Groundhog said:


> Harry, I assume the term "riparium" means river tank.
> 
> Now I have a recommendation--newts, man, newts. For me--how about Paramesotriton, or Tylototrition verrucosus.
> 
> These can both tolerate a wee bit of heat, upper 70s in the summer.
> 
> G


----------



## hydrophyte

Here is another shot shot of the _Cryptocoryne_-themed tank, with black background.


----------



## hydrophyte

Last night I was over servicing the 120-gallon Mexico River riparium and I was so delighted to discover this:










These are spider lily (_Hymenocallis_) blooms. They will only last for a day or so.


----------



## Julio

sweet bloom!! congrats, what kind of lighting do you have over it?


----------



## tonying

Amazing flowers! The plants sure seem to appreciate your efforts.


----------



## hydrophyte

Thanks so much. I have a couple more pictures to post I am just waiting to get back into my images folder--the server isn't responding for some reason.

This is lit with the 6 X 54-watt, 48" Sunlight Supply Tek Light. I only use either two or four lamps at any time, not all six at once. The lamps are Gieseman "midday" 6000K HO T5's.


----------



## hydrophyte

I haven't been back to this thread for a long time. I have some fun updates with pictures from the 50-gallon setup that I had going.

I have discovered a really fantastic riparium plant. _Cyrtosperma johnstonii_ is a large aroid with really fantastic foliage. The arrowhead-shaped leaves have this wild pink, green and gold coloration.










The leaf petioles are also unique, with many curved thorns and a purple snakeskin patternation.










This plant does get to be large (<6'). This specimen is now about 30" tall, but it is growing four little suckering plantlets around the base. It should be easy enough to just snap these off and start new small plants as the main stalk gets to be too large.

The newest leaf is going to be larger and it looks as though it will have even more of the gold and pink coloration.


----------



## FrogsOtheReed

BEAUTIFUL! 

How many tanks do you have?

What the aquatic stocking on the tanks? What ferts do you use for your aquatics?


----------



## hydrophyte

Hey thanks very much.

I have two display tanks upstairs, and a basement fishroom full of growout tanks.

These ripariums are pretty easy to manage. The plants mainly get along with nutrients in the fish waste. I do casually add some ferts mainly for iron and also potassium.


----------



## hydrophyte

I was over there at the garden center servicing the 55-gallon tank today and I got a couple of shots. The plants have grown up quite a bit. Here is a view in through the top.


----------



## hydrophyte

Here's a full tank shot. The fish were all hiding in the shade--I should have thrown a food wafer in there to draw them up front.










The stem plants have grown up quite a bit.

This tank is pretty easy to maintain.


----------



## hydrophyte

I was reminded that there is a quick demo video on using those riparium magnet planters and trellis rafts over at plantedbox.com. Here is the link to the Vimeo video.

riparium planters on Vimeo





*


----------



## raimeiken

pretty cool video! really professional looking!


----------



## hydrophyte

Yeah he has a nice camera and he gets real nice video. The image quality is so sharp in Mark's videos.

Here's a quick shot of the 15-gallon riparium setup from a couple of nights ago. There's nothing much new in this tank. It has been real easy care: all I do is change the water, feed the fish and clean the glass. The plants have grown in a bit more.


----------



## Julio

very nice, looks a lot bigger than just 15 gallons.


----------



## Geckoguy

I love these! Do you only use the magnetic planters and rafts for the emergent plants, or are any mounted on wood something that is at the surface level?


----------



## hydrophyte

Thanks very much!

I just used the riparium planters and trellis rafts for this setup. They are a lot easier to manage than driftwood.


----------



## hydrophyte

I put together a new blog post with descriptions of stuff that I received in a new order from Asiatica Nursery. I got two _Schismatoglottis_ spp. plants and a couple of other fun and intriguing possibilities for riparium growing. 

Here's the link to the post.

http://hydrophytesblog.com 
*New Order from Asiatica Nursery, Part I: Schismatoglottis plants*

And here are shots of the two plants that I describe there.










_*Schismatoglottis picta*_










_*Schismatoglottis*_* 'Frosty Kiss'*


----------



## james67

want to let a cutting of the 'frosty kiss' go?? 

james


----------



## hydrophyte

If you think of it you ought to send me a note in a few months. I might have some rooted divisions of that plant to spare. 

I don't know if a leaf cutting would take(?). Do you have any experience with _Schismatoglottis_?


----------



## harrywitmore

I doubt this species would work from a leaf cutting. The only Aroids I have heard of that work from leaf cuttings are Zamioculcas and I done it with Amorphophallus but I always had a piece of stem. Never know till you try.


----------



## hydrophyte

Hey Harry have you had any experience with _Schismatoglottis_? Suddenly I am very interested in these plants and I am looking for sources for more new species. A couple other IAS members and I have been snooping around for _Schismatoglottis_ and _Piptospatha_, but we haven't turned up much aside from those plants in the Asiatica catalog.

They are such botanically intriguing plants.

It seems that Ghanzafar Ghori was able to propagate a _Cryptocoryne_ from a leaf cutting.


----------



## harrywitmore

I've had this species that you mentioned as well as S calyptrata










Both always went dormant for me every year. I only have the small species now. I did have another species that was bigger but not as pretty a few years back. I have one friend that used to collect them but he no longer has any I believe.

It's funny. A few years back I could not give these away but they seem to be coming back as I have had a number of people contact me looking for them.


----------



## hydrophyte

Wow is that the _calyptrata_? That is a really attractive form. So you don't have any more of that one?

'Frosty Kiss' is apparently _S. pusillus_, which is from The Phillipines.

I think that those recent articles written by Peter Boyce and others really captured the imagination of plant collectors--it helps that several of those papers are available free online. It's too bad that the plants are nowhere to be found here in the US. The _Schismatoglottis_ and related genera are such intriguing plants. 

If you can think of any I'd be really interested to know of potential sources for these plants that might come to mind.


----------



## harrywitmore

I got Frosty Kiss a few years back from a friend that bought it at the Aroid convention but it had no name at all. It's the best I have seen of this genus. I have a few people I can ask about this genus. Let me see if I can come up with other species.


----------



## hydrophyte

Hey that would be awesome if you might have time to ask around. I have a few things that I could offer in trade.

By "best" do you mean the most attractive? Some of the _in situ_ shots that I have seen of other species showed really stunning plants, but I don't know how many of those might be in cultivation. I understand that it is illegal to export any wild plants from Indonesia, so it seems unlikely that many more will become available. 

Do you think that 'Frosty Kiss' is that same thing that blackjungle.com was offering a while back. I have a bit of that one too--the snails got to it and whittled it down to a tiny nub--and it looks just the same as my new 'Frosty Kiss'. But, I showed Peter Boyce a picture of my blackjungle.com plant and he said that it was a _S. calyptrata_(?)


----------



## harrywitmore

I'm not sure where 'Frosty Kiss' comes from but if the pictures I have seen are an indication I think it most likely is. I got that Schis about 6 years ago from the Aroid convention as just species. I really have no idea what it is. It has not flowered for me and the one I got as calyptrata flowered every year like clockwork. But, Peter knows his stuff and I would defer to him but I would make sure he know the diminutive size of the small species. The calyptrata I had could be about 2 feet tall. Since there are very few in cultivation I think the small one is the most attractive.


----------



## hydrophyte

Thanks again for all of that information Harry. I would be _really_ grateful if you might be able to think of anybody who might have any other _Schismatoglottis_.

I got a bloom from another pretty cool aroid last week, _Cryptocoryne usteriana_. As crypts go, this one is pretty hefty and robust. That riparium planter cup is about 3" across at the top.


----------



## harrywitmore

Nobody I have contacted so far has any species anymore. I'll keep looking. That's a cool Cryptocoryne!


----------



## hydrophyte

Thanks for looking into that Harry. A couple of other folks who I have been in touch with and I might also consider ordering from an overseas nursery that has a couple of selections.

Here are a couple more shots of that crypt spathe.


----------



## Julio

that is a pretty sweet flower!!


----------



## hydrophyte

Thanks Julio.

I am planning a new riparium setup for my crypts and I might start a journal for it here, because it will have some pretty cool plants.


----------



## hydrophyte

I am going to re-do the layout in my 15-gallon with new stones and some new plants so I wanted to get a couple quick shots before moving stuff around. The plants have grown in real nice. This was a great selection of plants for a nano/smallish riparium setup.

Here's a view of the emersed foliage.










I like the fish in this tank, but they don't photograph very well. I tried to get a shot with the tetras but it doesn't look like much. I mean to introduce some lighter-colored rocks and maybe also some bright green plants so that the underwater area won't be so dark.


----------



## hydrophyte

The other night I got a bloom from my Traub's spider lily (_Hymenocallis traubii_). I was so happy to see it open. This one is not currently growing in a riparium, but I did have it in the 120-gallon Mexico semi-biotope last year. I kept the bulbs dormant this winter and they began to grow right away when I potted them up in a terra cotta pot with clay gravel for growing in a container pond.

The foliage is only about 12" tall--many other spider lilies are bigger--so this plant has the right size and shape for growing in a riparium. The flower stalk grew somewhat taller, to about 15".


----------



## hydrophyte

I am starting work on another new setup for my emersed crypts. I have some real nice plants, but they are all in dingy culture tanks right now. I am going to shoot for something like the 55-gallon setup where I had them before. Here is a shot of that tank from last year.










I am going to use a different tank configuration. I haven't thought much more about fish selection yet(???).

I have a fun piece of of hardware to use for this new project, a new riparium trellis raft design that is designed for medium-small varieties of emersed aquatics that grow on hard substrates, such as Java fern 'Windeløv' and _Anubias barteri_ var. _nana_. Here is a shot of the raft, which is about 5.5" long.










This picture shows a _nana_ growing on the old prototype raft similar to this new one, but the prototype had more pieces of foam sticking out, and was thus more difficult to hide in the riparium layout.










The new design should be easier to cover up and it has a few other handy features too. Here are some shots showing various different configurations that one might use for attaching the raft with hanging planters. The first one shows it in combination with the other smaller raft design, which could be used to get some smaller stem plants out into the midground.



















There are some other plants that might also be supported well by this thing. Certain stems, such as this NOID _Pilea_, could for example be planted into those larger round holes in the raft.










It might also be good for growing emersed moss in a high-humidity setup.


----------



## harrywitmore

I think your Pilea is grandifolia.


----------



## hydrophyte

Thanks Harry. I once saw a catalog listing for a plant sold as _grandifolia_, so I wondered if that might be my plant.


----------



## frogface

hydrophyte, I am so in love with your tanks and your plants and I look forward to your updates. Thanks for posting!


----------



## stevenhman

This forum continues to provide ideas that my wife will want to kill me for! Thankfully she likes fish!!


----------



## hydrophyte

Hey thanks you guys I hope to have some more updates maybe tonight or tomorrow. I really need to move around some tanks and fish and my fishroom is a mess.


----------



## hydrophyte

Well here I have an update. I got back to replanting my 15-gallon tonight. I think that I have a pretty good result. It still looks a bit disheveled, but it should perk up as stuff grows in.










The _Cyperus_ umbrella sedge over there on the left is _C. albostriatus/I] and it is shorter (~8") than the other one (C. alternifolius) that it replaced. There are several new plants. I also yanked out all of the stonre hardscape and I am going to start over for something more cheerful. I should explain more with another post._


----------



## hydrophyte

I've made a little more headway with the 15-gallon. I added a hardscape. It is not so special, but it adds some dimension. Here are a couple of pictures.



















I really like the textures in these emersed plants.


----------



## stevenhman

Looks great! I like the new rocks.


----------



## hydrophyte

Thanks very much. I am putting together another update for my 50-gallon here too.


----------



## hydrophyte

I have some pretty nice plants going in my 50. I put together this numbered image to more easily point them out.











_Hygrophila_ sp.--I am unsure of the species for this one, but it grows really well as a ripairum plant.
_Acorus gramineus_ 'Ogon'--This grass-like (not a true grass) plant fills most of the layout background with its tidy foliage.
_Pilea grandifolia_--This _Pilea_ is my favorite for use in the riparium midground. It has a size and growth habit similar to aluminum plant (_Pilea cardierei_), but I find the monotone lime green color to be more attractive.
_Acrostichum danaeifolium_, giant leather fern--The coarse foliage of this unusual plant makes an interesting contrast against the fine and organized _Acorus_ leaf blades.
_Oplismenus hirtellus_, basket grass--These stem cuttings are planted onto Nano Trellis Rafts.
_Syngonium wenlandii_--I like this plant too very much. It is acting like a centerpiece in this layout, but its not too gawdy. I only recently added this new plant to the riparium, so I don't yet know well it will grow in a hanging planter. Darrel might like this plant--it is botanically unusual.
_Gibasis geniculata_, Tahitian bridal veil--I only started using this plant recently, but so far it is doing well. The little cuttings that I planted onto Nano Trellis Rafts are rooting and beginning to sprout new leaves.
_Acorus gramineus_ 'Dwarf'--A really nice mini _Acorus_. It is good for the end of this triangle-shaped layout because it has the same form as the larger 'Ogon'.
_Bacopa monnieri_--This is a great carpeting riparium stem. I have this little clump of stems planted in a hanging planter, then sprawling forward to cover a Nano Trellis Raft.


----------



## hydrophyte

I just got a shot of the lone _C. wendtii_ 'Green Gecko' that I have going in my 50-gallon. I like this plant a lot.










I don't have many bottom-rooted plants in this setup, so I eleceted to get them all going in tank planters. I yanked the 'Green Gecko' quick to get this specimen shot.


----------



## hydrophyte

Here is another shot with a close up view of the plants in the 50-gallon. I have some good plants going in there right now.










The grassy yellow-green stuff right in the middle is _Oplismenus_. That makes a real nice midground plant.


----------



## hydrophyte

I haven't been back to this thread in a while. I have torn down my 15-gallon tank. I was never especially satisfied with the hedge-like planted layout that I had in here--although it did include several pretty cool plants--and I needed a tank for the Riparium Supply and Tank Planters vendor table at the American Cichlid Association 2010 Convention last weekend in Oconomowoc, WI. Here is a quick shot of the setup that I had there.










I was mainly sitting there at the table all three days of the convention, but I did get up a few times to go shoot some pictures. I got a few nice shots of the show fish. I need to format those and load them up. 

I also purchased a coupe of pretty cool new fish.


----------



## frogface

Really beautiful.

I have a 12 year old niece who loves plants and frogs. She's not allowed frogs, but, I was thinking maybe she would like to try this. Would you recommend it for a kid?


----------



## hydrophyte

Hi frogface thanks so much for your comment. Yes I think that a riparium could be a good project for a 12-year old. As you might have noticed already ripariums are not really suitable habitats for frogs or other herps--there is no real land area--but they are great for fish and plants. In some ways they are easier to manage than regular planted aquariums.

I have a quick update for my 50-gallon setup. the plants are looking happy enough.


----------



## housevibe7

wow! beautiful riparium.


----------



## Groundhog

Forgive me if this has been addressed:

What is the ambient humidity for the open tanks?

I ask because I am curious if there are any Anubias, Cryptocoryne or Echinodorus than can be grown emersed and open (I am not aware of any). 

P. S. Have you tried _Anubias hastifolia_?


----------



## hydrophyte

Groundhog said:


> Forgive me if this has been addressed:
> 
> What is the ambient humidity for the open tanks?
> 
> I ask because I am curious if there are any Anubias, Cryptocoryne or Echinodorus than can be grown emersed and open (I am not aware of any).
> 
> P. S. Have you tried _Anubias hastifolia_?


My open-top ripariums share the room air and just have regular household humidity levels. 

Most _Cryptocoryne_ are best grown in a closed-top, high-humidity riparium, except for _C. ciliata_ which has tough, leathery leaves and does fine in drier air.

Most _Anubias _require moist air too. I have some _A. hastifolia_ going now and they are nice plants.

To grow _Echinodorus_ swords in a riparium it is better to have an open top and drier air. If grown in a high-humidity setup they will develop their underwater-form leaves (even though they are up and out of the water) and not look right.


----------



## hydrophyte

Hey folks I stared up a new riparium-related page on Facebook. Please stop by and write on the wall. Here is the link...

Riparium Supply | Facebook

Here is another shot of that 50. I think that this angle shows the plants real well.


----------



## JimO

Although I am primarily an animal person, dart frogs have begun to really give me an appreciation for plants, especially when I'm dedicating 20 to 40 gallon vivaria to a pair of small frogs. I doubt I would be able to resist the temptation to put some fish or a turtle or some other critter in a tank like yours, but it has a peaceful beauty as it is. I love the way the plants emerge from the tank and with the tank being all glass (no plastic rim on the top, the plants don't appear to be "contained". 

Very impressive.


----------



## hydrophyte

Thanks so much JimO. You can probably see that these riparium setups aren't really so suitable for keeping herps like turtles and frogs--there is no real land area--but they are great for displaying plants and fish.

Fish really like to have that overhead cover and the plants can keep the water real nice and clean.


----------

