# Any suggestions on plants liking swampy conditions?



## martin creek (Jan 16, 2011)

Hi , i would like to ask you guys about plants that will grow well in very wet substrate. Specifically plants that form a 'carpet' on the ground. I would like to have a green carpet on the bottom of my viv but cant find anything that would grow well in mud. I know that bottoms of all vivariums are very wet but mine looks swampy! Its a fallse bottom setup but the layer of peet moss is overlaping the water so its submerged. The roots of the plant will need to be sumberged also in this case. I've tried soleirolia for example , but it didnt look very happy about the conditions. Currently im testing eleocharis wich would look great ... if it grew, unfortunatelly it doesnt. Do you know any plants that could do better?


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## Arpeggio (Jan 15, 2011)

Try some Hemianthus callitrichoides. They grow the best when they're soggy. That's why higher end planted aquarium-ists grow it emersed before they fill the tank up with water. Great carpet plant.

This is what it looks like in an aquarium.







(from http://www.oscarfish.com/oscar-forum/)


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

Do you have frogs in there now?
The reason I`m asking is it sounds like your substrate is way too wet.
The water and substrate should never come in contact with each other.

John


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## Qfrogs (Feb 2, 2011)

Try any of the utricularia species.


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## insularexotics (May 3, 2005)

Crystalwort (_Riccia fluitans_) or Java moss (_Taxiphyllum barbieri_) will work if they get enough light. But, as others said, too swampy is not good.
Good luck!


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Charles Brooks is currently selling a bog plant package if you're interested.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants-supplies-classifieds/66681-temperate-bog-package-deal.html


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## martin creek (Jan 16, 2011)

OK so i went to a aqua store and bought some hemianthus (the aquarists in poland call it 'little henry' by the way . I have planted it allready and we'll see how it goes. If it goes well, i will post some photos. Thanks for your quick reply!

@fleshfrombone - i would love to buy plants from Charles Brooks but im afraid that its a bit to far away for transpotation of live plants. 
@insularexotics - i have tried riccia allready - didnt like it though, I have plenty of java moss in my tank but im looking for something different for the carpet.
@Enlightened Rogue - there are no frogs in the tank yet. Is it really a bad thing if substrate contacts water? Why? If its realy incorrect then i'll just lower the level of water.


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## bshmerlie (Jun 2, 2010)

You should have the Leca, the netting, and then the soil. The water level should not go above the Leca. The Leca is the drainage layer. That should also help your plants and keep your tank from being swampy. I just think you need to lower the water level just a bit and that will open up more plant options. Your plants are a good indicator of the health of your mini environment.


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

fleshfrombone said:


> Charles Brooks is currently selling a bog plant package if you're interested.
> 
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants-supplies-classifieds/66681-temperate-bog-package-deal.html


If I remember the list correctly, most, if not all, those plants need a cool winter


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## martin creek (Jan 16, 2011)

Oh theres also one other issue that im thinking about - light. I have read on the internet that amphibians cant have strong uv light because they get burnt. Most people recomended to use week fluorescent light, so i've bought two exo terra reptiglo 2.0. In my setup the lighting system is behind a layer of milky (white, not fully translucent) plexiglass. Im wondering maybe the plexi filters a lot of the uv so the plants dont get inough of it? I dont have any way to measure the light but as i can see the plants tend to look like they lack uv light (long stems with few leaves - for example soleirolia). Do you think that i could try using reptiglo 5.0 instead?


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

why try and bandage a bad situation rather than fix it. substrate that remains too wet is NOT good for the plants, as it seems you found out, but for the animals either. the water should not touch the substrate in a false bottom, and pure peat is an awful substrate since it stays too wet regardless.

james


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## martin creek (Jan 16, 2011)

Yes i've read what has been writen about the water level, and im thinking of a solution to that. The soil isn actually pure peet but i will consider changing the bottom layer. About the light, its a "by the way" question.


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## freaky_tah (Jan 21, 2009)

martin creek said:


> Oh theres also one other issue that im thinking about - light. I have read on the internet that amphibians cant have strong uv light because they get burnt. Most people recomended to use week fluorescent light, so i've bought two exo terra reptiglo 2.0. In my setup the lighting system is behind a layer of milky (white, not fully translucent) plexiglass. Im wondering maybe the plexi filters a lot of the uv so the plants dont get inough of it? I dont have any way to measure the light but as i can see the plants tend to look like they lack uv light (long stems with few leaves - for example soleirolia). Do you think that i could try using reptiglo 5.0 instead?


Why don't you just use a 6500k daylight CFL from your local hardware store? They're probably cheaper than any reptiglo light and will be more suited to what you'd want to use it for. UVB isn't necessary. Is there a way to remove the thick milky white plexiglass and just use a piece of real glass? I'd think that would help as well.


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## martin creek (Jan 16, 2011)

Actually the plexi is there for purpose. I built my viv from scratch and i've put it there to mask bulbs and all the electric parts in the cover. I like it that way, and im just wondering if the plexi is filltering a lot of the light thats good for plants. If none of you have any experience with it, i think ill just ask someone else.

Here's a video of my viv, made a year ago, before i started planting it. The ceiling is visible for a moment at the end.


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## fishr (Dec 20, 2010)

Yes plexi filters light but so does glass. That's why I prefer T5's or Compact Flos in the coil bulb form. Personally, plexi is ugly and scratches so easily. A glass pane should look nicer and easier to clean off the water spots.

Your viv is awesome! I love what you've done with it. Bog plants would adore an environment like yours. Check out "purple krinkle." It's supposed to be a bog plant and does not like be submersed. Java fern would like that environment as well.


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

If you looking for tropicals, Java Moss, Java Fern, Crypts, or Anubias might be a good choice for you. 
Checkout; Breaking down tank-massive plant list


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Brotherly Monkey said:


> If I remember the list correctly, most, if not all, those plants need a cool winter


I didn't realize this was for a dart viv.

Martin can I ask where you are located?


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

fleshfrombone said:


> I didn't realize this was for a dart viv.
> 
> Martin can I ask where you are located?


people actually grow a bunch of those plants in terrariums (in fact, there's a guy from Siberia on orchid Board who does exactly that), who just rotates the stock to and from the fridge. So it can be done, but just takes planning and some extra work


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## martin creek (Jan 16, 2011)

I am located in Warsaw, Poland, why?


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Yeah... that's a ways to be shipping live plants lol!


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