Penny Wort (Hydrocotyle species)

[duanes]

Always on the lookout for ntrate consuming plants to add to the sump, one of the local guys showed a couple weeks ago up with Penny wort(Hydrocotyle), he had discovered growing in a temporary rain pool in the hills of Taboga, and pulled up a couple for me. He shows up regularly with interesting plants from the forest for the garden, and I give him $5.

That was about 2 weeks ago, and although the large floating leaves have melted, new leaves are starting to emerge.

 

[RyanScanner]

Looks great and healthy, surely with such a heavily planted sump you would be nitrogen deficient. Or do you supplement as well?

 

[duanes]

Since the plants grow like crazy
I have never felt there was a need to supplement anything, there 20 cichlids in the main tank (almost daily feeding), and with terrrestrial leaf litter that falls in the tank, nutrient load is no joke
Here is a shot from the side Ibefore the penny wort was added.




A shot from slight above the sump

 

[RyanScanner]

I guess being out doors and so well established it probably has the entire ecology at work. All the bacterial and micro invertebrates, reproducing and dying and consuming the leaf litter. Everything you’ve got just grows so perfectly with minimal maintenance. Or is there a survival bias? I’m just curious because I’m starting to think I’m doing it wrong trying to control everything.

 

[duanes]

Being outside, and at the mercy of the elements I figure there are few thing I actually have control of, other than water changes.
So if a plant works naturally, with my hard, high pH water and intense sunlight , there's no way to force it.
I also live less than 50 ft from the Pacific, so whatever plants (or fish) goes in the tank, must be able to handle the salty breezes.
Probably why the Vallisneria did well (seems to like a little satll) but the Amazon swords quickly melted.
Same with the mangrove trees, the seed pods were found floating in the sea, so they can obviously take it.
As you can see, leaf litter constantly falls in the tank I miss, and breaks down.

And the biggest problem with mangroves are caterpillers
that eat the leaves, until they get noticed, and re disposed of.

 

[duanes]

One of the emergent Hydrcotl leaves today

 

[jjohnwm]

Looks great and healthy, surely with such a heavily planted sump you would be nitrogen deficient. Or do you supplement as well?

I've noticed your comments on nitrogen-deficiency in several threads. Isn't this something which would only be a possible concern for aquarists whose primary goal is maximum plant growth? Most fishkeepers are concerned with nitrogen export from their tanks; we only experience part of the so-called "nitrogen cycle" since most of it needs to be removed from our tanks through water changes due to a lack of de-nitrifying ability. Supplementing a tank with nitrogen...actual nitrogen import...is anathema to most of us. We already do that simply by feeding our fish, who then digest that food...and the dang nitrogen ball starts rolling again, but not in any kind of "cycle"...rather, it's all downhill until we figure out a way to remove it as it accumulates at the bottom of the hill. duanes accelerates that process; rather than simply feeding his fish like most of us, he also has the added impact of leaves, twigs, dead birds, monkey poop and who-knows-what-else falling into his tanks 24/7.

Seems like a marketing opportunity here. An enterprising salesman might be able to figure out a way to take the nitrogen out of, for example, my tanks...and then market it to you to inject into your tanks. I, for one, will sell the stuff dirt cheap!

 

[RyanScanner]

I’ve gone from using plants to export nitrates to full on dabbling in EI dosing of macros. Turns out healthy plants will strip the tank of all nutrients. I had algae and Cyanobacteria issues due to an imbalance of potassium and phosphorus. Now that I’ve solved my problems my plants have exploded and are vibrant. To be honest plants have taken over as the focus of my tank.

 

[duanes]

I also find the plants, at least s interesting as the fish.
It's one of the reasons I don't hide the planted sump, but keep it in a prominent place.
That and its easier for an old scrape like me to maintaiin, at above waist level.

But not only to see the aquatic submerged types, but also the semi submerged aquatic ones (such as the lily pads above), but also emergent type such as mangrove trees below.

These mangroves are about 50" above the sumps water surface.
With my hard, high pH water, and influece of the sea 50 ft away, some aquatic plants just don't make it.
The Vallisneria does seem to thrive though, and all it takes, is exprting nutrients from the fish tank, to the sump.
The best of both world for me.
.