Thanks very much. I have had a lot of fun with that 55-gallon and I have some of my favorite plants in there. I'd say that there are three different classes of plants that you can use in a riparium setup:
In general, the emersed aquarium plants demand somewhat higher humidity, although there are some (e.g., swords) that can grow well in open-top tanks. Pond marginals do best with more air circulation and more light. The houseplants (e.g., Spathiphyllum) are generally real easy to grow so long as they can handle having their roots in the water. There are all kinds of ways to combine these different kinds of plants.
I like to use rimless tanks for open-top ripariums when I can just for looks, but it works alright too to just a tank with the plastic rim. For riparium plants that need higher humidity (e.g., crypts, Anubias, ferns) it is important to have a partial canopy covering, and thus, a tank with a rim.
Anyway, there are many different possibilities for planting and growing these things.
- Emersed aquarium aquatics
- Houseplants/tropicals that can grow well in wet soil
- Pond marginals
In general, the emersed aquarium plants demand somewhat higher humidity, although there are some (e.g., swords) that can grow well in open-top tanks. Pond marginals do best with more air circulation and more light. The houseplants (e.g., Spathiphyllum) are generally real easy to grow so long as they can handle having their roots in the water. There are all kinds of ways to combine these different kinds of plants.
I like to use rimless tanks for open-top ripariums when I can just for looks, but it works alright too to just a tank with the plastic rim. For riparium plants that need higher humidity (e.g., crypts, Anubias, ferns) it is important to have a partial canopy covering, and thus, a tank with a rim.
Anyway, there are many different possibilities for planting and growing these things.
