# Hydroponics - Growing Grass Underwater?



## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

I'm trying to create as natural of a habitat as possible for some native frogs. I've been to some ponds and lakes with these frogs and I've seen grass growing in the mud in the shallows. If I put some tiny pebbles or some mud in the bottom of the water in my vivarium, would grass grow in it? The water is about 1" deep so the blades will be sticking out of the water.

Thanks in advance


----------



## Epiphile (Nov 12, 2009)

Why not try to plant the stuff you've found growing near you? Otherwise, you could try some of the grasslike marginals popular in the aquarium hobby- Eleocharis parvula or something similar. I think it's pretty easy to grow emersed.


----------



## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

Epiphile said:


> Why not try to plant the stuff you've found growing near you? Otherwise, you could try some of the grasslike marginals popular in the aquarium hobby- Eleocharis parvula or something similar. I think it's pretty easy to grow emersed.


The stuff I saw was in two places. One was a protected watershed, the other was a national park. 

There's a creek running a few miles from my house. I might be able to go down there and get some of the grass that's growing in the water (which is also growing on the land).


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

There are a several plants that are sold for aquariums that normally grow as emersed plants. It just depends on how you want it to look.. There is a dwarf acorus (dwarf sweet flag) that is commonly sold as an aqurium plant or you can look at the dwarf sedges that are sometimes sold as shallow water pond plants. 

Ed


----------



## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

Ed said:


> There are a several plants that are sold for aquariums that normally grow as emersed plants. It just depends on how you want it to look.. There is a dwarf acorus (dwarf sweet flag) that is commonly sold as an aqurium plant or you can look at the dwarf sedges that are sometimes sold as shallow water pond plants.
> 
> Ed


Thanks. I'll take a look at those next time I go to petco/petsmart. I'm going to go down to a local creek tomorrow to see if it has the grass that is naturally in the species' habitat.


----------



## davecalk (Dec 17, 2008)

Ed said:


> There are a several plants that are sold for aquariums that normally grow as emersed plants. It just depends on how you want it to look.. There is a dwarf acorus (dwarf sweet flag) that is commonly sold as an aqurium plant or you can look at the dwarf sedges that are sometimes sold as shallow water pond plants.
> 
> Ed


That is a great idea. Shallow water plants are cool.

One thing to look out for whether you get plants from the pet store or plants from the wild, I have heard of horror stories of people loosing frogs due to dragon fly nymphs. The larvae like to hide in plant material and they aren't allows found. With wild plants you are much more likely to bring something home, and there is not nearly as big of a concern if you get the plants from the pet shop, but I have talked to a couple of folks who ended up bringing a nymph home from the store.

You can also bring home snail eggs on you plants as well. Just check out your plants and wash them down well before you transplant them.


----------



## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

davecalk said:


> That is a great idea. Shallow water plants are cool.
> 
> One thing to look out for whether you get plants from the pet store or plants from the wild, I have heard of horror stories of people loosing frogs due to dragon fly nymphs. The larvae like to hide in plant material and they aren't allows found. With wild plants you are much more likely to bring something home, and there is not nearly as big of a concern if you get the plants from the pet shop, but I have talked to a couple of folks who ended up bringing a nymph home from the store.
> 
> You can also bring home snail eggs on you plants as well. Just check out your plants and wash them down well before you transplant them.


Maybe I'll just leave the vivarium as it is for now. I have some parrot's feather in the back that is sort of similar to grass. It may even provide more cover than grass.


----------

