Water Sprite

[duanes]

I am always amazed at the invasive plant species that turn up on the fairly remote island where I live.
One of the local guys (Jaime) that lives up near the forest, scouts for, and brings me tropical plants for the garden, but occasionally plants that he calls "aquatica."
Some have worked well in my tanks, some not, Hydrocotyl (penny wort )is one that has not thrived,
Today he brought what appears to be Ceratopterus thalictroides (water sprite) he collected in a pozo (pool) up the hill, but its native to Asia.

Its been spread throughout 3 tanks, to see where it grows best (if at all)
The main tank, that gets partial sun, and just as a floater below.

In the sump, full sun, rooted in sand.

And a sprig in my separate rain catchment tank, that gets partial sun but the opposite side of the yard.

Below some of Jaime's terrestrials brought from the forest for the garden.

 

[FJB]

Your Jaime is a gem! Keep him happy. Nice plants and setup.

 

[duanes]

Your Jaime is a gem! Keep him happy. Nice plants and setup.

I give him $5 a day, for whatever he brings, and (I think) buys meat of some ilk with it.
A few other gringos and I are his steadiest form of income.
But because he lives on the edge (almost in) the forest, has access to all the seasonal fruits, and leaves.
Sometimes he's got a glut of avocados, sometimes starfruit, sometimes traditional medicinal plants.
A few days ago he brought the giant root pod below, he says it cures everything from indigestion, to cancer.
Its about the size of a soccer/futball ball

 

[bathawk]

looks like a great place to live.

 

[duanes]

Its now about 2 weeks since the feral water sprite arrived, no real dramatic difference, and patience is often the key with water plants.
At times they need to melt away, to come back, sometimes they never do.
The one I tried to root in the sump, has all but disappeared, don't know if conditions were not right, or if it was too tasty for the sumps population of resident shrimp to find it irresistible.
But the swath floating in the main tanks survived pretty well, and putting out new shoots.

And the swath thrown in the rain catchment tank, is also surviving, and maybe even growing a little.

 

[jjohnwm]

It sure does look like Water Sprite; you're just letting it float freely? That's the only way I could ever get that to grow.

Not sure if you have snails in your tanks, but assuming you must have some. For my Water Sprite, snails were the kiss of death. They literally ate it down to the roots and beyond, even while not touching other species in the same tanks.

 

[duanes]

The one I tried planting in the substrate totally melted away, one of the floaters also disappeared, just the one in my rain catchment tank survived.
No snails, I think the cichlids ate any that got in.
Jaime brought a new swathe of WS this morning, so I'm trying a new spot, in indirect sun, and less current.

The root system was full of leaf parts and other detritus, which I didn't bother shaking off.
Within second the tanks resident shrimp went to work clearing it away.

 

[FJB]

Nice healthy plant!

 

[fishdance]

Like 90% of supposid aquarium plants, it does best out of water if environment is kept humid. They are good to eat as well.