Aquarium Plant Id - Please Enlighten Me

[THE HABITAT]

HI I have 2 of these plants one is in my 8.8 and one is in my 55. Can someone id it for me..I believe someone said it was a banana plant . Also from the color of the roots they have both been in sand and fed root tabs and flourish. I notice that some of the leaves and stems have melted so I removed what I could of them and reburied them but there always seems to have new small leaf growth...shout it be buried or tied to something like anubias...thanks neither tank has Co2 ..I've been using flourish and API Co2 booster

Opps forgot the pics ;-)

 

[Littlebudda]

It kind of looks like banana lily but not entirely. Usually the leaves don't open till they reach the surface and the roots are a light colour.

To grow if you take all the leaves off they won't float up and you can plant in the substrate with the roots half out. It will shoot new leaf stems in a couple of days.

Leave the leaves that you cut off floating on the service and they will grow new roots and you can plant them

 

[THE HABITAT]

It kind of looks like banana lily but not entirely. Usually the leaves don't open till they reach the surface and the roots are a light colour.

To grow if you take all the leaves off they won't float up and you can plant in the substrate with the roots half out. It will shoot new leaf stems in a couple of days.

Leave the leaves that you cut off floating on the service and they will grow new roots and you can plant them

but the one I cut off seemed like the stems and leaves were totally melted and mushy falling apart feeling

when I look up banana plants or lillys mine doesn't really totally look like that unless the brown roots are suppose to be above the sand and that's why their not green?

 

[Littlebudda]

when I look up banana plants or lillys mine doesn't really totally look like that unless the brown roots are suppose to be above the sand and that's why their not green?

I'll get a photo of mine when I get home it's been a while since I looked at the roots

 

[THE HABITAT]

would u possibly know the scientific name possibly to help me search it

would I be able to tie the black roots of this plant to a tiny piece of driftwood and keep it slightly in the sand or do those roots need to be completely under the sub.?

KinsKicks could u possibly help me out

 

[KinsKicks]

KinsKicks could u possibly help me out

Of course! Give me one sec to catch up and type things out

 

[Littlebudda]

Roots of planted banana lily




Leaves




Roots developing on leaf stems cut approx 5 days ago

 

[KinsKicks]

I believe that is a banana plant; what you're seeing isn't the roots turning brown, but the tubers (the "banana" part of these little plants). The store a lot of the nutrients of the plant and aren't meant to be buried (the roots can if they dig themselves into the substrate); this is most likely why it isn't doing well. It may bounce back if you keep those tubers above ground; it looks like it still has some life left in it yet

 

[THE HABITAT]

so would it have a better chance if I used a little thread and tied it to a tiny piece of driftwood and let the roots work their way into the sand? I have 2 of them in 2 different tanks and both do the same thing where a stem and leaf will melt but usually a new stem and leaf will be on its way out

 

[KinsKicks]

so would it have a better chance if I used a little thread and tied it to a tiny piece of driftwood and let the roots work their way into the sand? I have 2 of them in 2 different tanks and both do the same thing where a stem and leaf will melt but usually a new stem and leaf will be on its way out

That should work fine . Banana plants grow 2 types of leaves; 1 for sinking and 1 for floating. They grow the latter when they "feel like it" (more complicated than that, but its the short and funny version haha) and that leaf is the one that'll often snap off and grow into another plant. They grow the other type of leaf to help them sink/when they are submersed. Its probably why he's floating around haha; if you do sink it, the floating leaf should grow taller to reach the surface like it wants, and should regrow the sinking leaves when it bounces back.

And nothing wrong with a but of melting as long as new growth comes back; its sort of a plant mechanism to kill the growth that doesn't want to participate in the growing machine and they can focus investing energy into new growth that is more adapted to the tank

 

[THE HABITAT]

Great thanks for the info...I'm gonna try my luck and leave one of them as is and put one on a little piece of driftwood and see how it works out

 

[Jocelyn Adelman]

Not sure that's a banana plant... and little buddas isn't what I would call a typical banana plant either.... roots look more like root then unhealthy tubers, and the stalk is very thick, as well as the leaf stems...
Unfortunately can't ID it properly...
Maybe Mcasella DoubleDutch or aniroc can give a better ID

 

[Littlebudda]

Not sure that's a banana plant... and little buddas isn't what I would call a typical banana plant either.... roots look more like root then unhealthy tubers, and the stalk is very thick, as well as the leaf stems...
Unfortunately can't ID it properly...
Maybe Mcasella DoubleDutch or aniroc can give a better ID

I beg to differ on mine not being a banana lily a simple google search will bring up mature plants with floating lilies identical to mine

 

[Mcasella]

It is a lily, though I wouldn't say banana from the shape of the leaf at the surface but something from the nymphaea rubra area but a green version (I just have the red and spotted versions but the plant when detached from the bulb look like that with the weird brown but which is normally then bulbing in the case of my lilies).
I would bury the roots into the substrate with root tabs or a rich base. The leaves may be melting from a lack of nutrients, if mine come off the plant they stay together for a little while then melt from broken stem up to the whole leaf. It should put out an extensive root system as soon as it gets comfortable in the substrate, I have pulled one and had six inch roots from every direction on it.

 

[THE HABITAT]

It is a lily, though I wouldn't say banana from the shape of the leaf at the surface but something from the nymphaea rubra area but a green version (I just have the red and spotted versions but the plant when detached from the bulb look like that with the weird brown but which is normally then bulbing in the case of my lilies).
I would bury the roots into the substrate with root tabs or a rich base. The leaves may be melting from a lack of nutrients, if mine come off the plant they stay together for a little while then melt from broken stem up to the whole leaf. It should put out an extensive root system as soon as it gets comfortable in the substrate, I have pulled one and had six inch roots from every direction on it.

Great thanks! I currently have one of the plants roots buried and the other one is tied to driftwood slightly buried...I should be getting some Thrive in this week hopefully that works a little better than the Flourish I have been using...I also put API root tabs but been considering ordering flourish brand instead...it just seems like a more popular and better product ..do u think that will suffice for that plant...I really like its style ...thanks!..PS what brand riot tabs do u folks use? And where do u usually order them from?

 

[Littlebudda]

Great thanks! I currently have one of the plants roots buried and the other one is tied to driftwood slightly buried...I should be getting some Thrive in this week hopefully that works a little better than the Flourish I have been using...I also put API root tabs but been considering ordering flourish brand instead...it just seems like a more popular and better product ..do u think that will suffice for that plant...I really like its style ...thanks!..PS what brand riot tabs do u folks use? And where do u usually order them from?

I use flourish root tabs usually get them on eBay and I use fluval plant micro nutrients liquid fertiliser and my plants go crazy.

 

[THE HABITAT]

I use flourish root tabs usually get them on eBay and I use fluval plant micro nutrients liquid fertiliser and my plants go crazy.

Great thanks um gonna give the thrive a try just cuz I already ordered it I'll keep the global in mind...what lighting do u use...My 55 has a finnex 24/7 planted plus...my 10/20 has 2 depot shop lights with Philips 6500K daylight bulbs and my 8.8 has the led hood it came with with a corner room lamp with a 6500K daylight bulb shining in from the side

 

[Littlebudda]

On the 55 I run a 4ft twin t8 fluorescent one globe is the floramax and the other is a 6500k daylight this is one month plant growth



28th June at setup



5th august

Root tabs and weekly dose of liquid.

I will get a pic of the current jungle in the morning

 

[THE HABITAT]

On the 55 I run a 4ft twin t8 fluorescent one globe is the floramax and the other is a 6500k daylight this is one month plant growth



28th June at setup



5th august

Root tabs and weekly dose of liquid.

I will get a pic of the current jungle in the morning

Very nice! Do you run Co2 also?

 

[Littlebudda]

Very nice! Do you run Co2 also?

No but I have a theory about fluidised bed filters. Here it is they have a massive surface area and can hold huge amounts of BB and thus should produce large amounts of co2 so I currently run a fluval 304 which has the fluidised bed filter connected to the out flow. I feel that this is part of the reason I get good plant growth.

 

[THE HABITAT]

I may eventually upgrade to a canister just for better circulation..currently only have an Aqueon 75 on my 55 the filter the tank kit came with...does a pretty good job but I'm sure I'm under filtration needs...I hear good stuff about the sun sun...but when the time comes I'll do my research...

 

[Littlebudda]

I may eventually upgrade to a canister just for better circulation..currently only have an Aqueon 75 on my 55 the filter the tank kit came with...does a pretty good job but I'm sure I'm under filtration needs...I hear good stuff about the sun sun...but when the time comes I'll do my research...

I know a lot of people here like the sun sun I have had one on my 330gal and it leaked when I had a power outage and put 1/4 of the tank into my lounge room. I currently use the resun 2800 filters. I will run 3 of these on my 300gal but I love to over filter my tanks

 

[THE HABITAT]

The fluidised bed filter is an interesting contraption.is it basically a power head that connects to your outtake and stores media more or less...I just looked it up briefly

 

[Littlebudda]

The fluidised bed filter is an interesting contraption.is it basically a pothead that connects to your outtake and stores media more or less...I just looked it up briefly

I run mine with pool filter glass (same as pool filter sand) I run mine after my canister as that removes the large particles and they are self cleaning as far as algae etc. so there is no maintenance for them the only issue is you need to make sure that you don't get any back flow or it will block your pipe between the two filters and it's a pain to clear.

This is a smaller version of the one I have

 

[THE HABITAT]

OK cool maybe I seen something different or maybe I didn't so that sits in the corner or wherever u choose your outtake to b on the bottom inside the tank? Seems bulky but your tanks ate a lot bigger unless u have one in a 55... unless they ate in your large tanks..I believe u said u had a 300

 

[Littlebudda]

OK cool maybe I seen something different or maybe I didn't so that sits in the corner or wherever u choose your outtake to b on the bottom inside the tank? Seems bulky but your tanks ate a lot bigger unless u have one in a 55... unless they ate in your large tanks..I believe u said u had a 300

Currently running it on a 55gal. The filter has a flat base so it can stand up so I have it on my stand next to my canister so it is out of view.

I hate seeing equipment in my tanks I am currently getting a new 300gal built as my 330gal exploded back in June (almost finished the house repairs) I am building backgrounds so all inflow and out flows will be hidden and am building inline heaters also I will have the 3 resun filters running with a fluidised bed on each. All plumbing will be pvc so it can be neat and tidy and solid with double shut off valves at top of tank and before the filters to avoid priming issues and back flow with the fluid beds also

 

[THE HABITAT]

Wow sounds like quite the intricate setup u got goin on...sorry to hear about your 300 that's everyone's worst nightmare no matter what the size

 

[Littlebudda]

Wow sounds like quite the intricate setup u got goin on...sorry to hear about your 300 that's everyone's worst nightmare no matter what the size

I know some how I managed to convince my wife to let me rebuild

 

[THE HABITAT]

Glad y were able to.you sounds like you know your stuff, it's a pleasure talking with u and getting your insight..and I'm sure the tank will look amazing!!!

 

[Jocelyn Adelman]

Littlebudda new tank looks great!

 

[Littlebudda]

Littlebudda new tank looks great!

Thanks it has turned into a really great little tank which is all but self maintaining I do my weekly water change but levels stay perfect and the live stock has breed and grown like crazy. Started with 5 RCS and 4 guppies 1m 3f and now we have over 150 RCS and about 60 guppies with a female about to drop Any day, and well you can see the plant growth.

 

[THE HABITAT]

hahahah yes I know how the guppy population can grow all too well...and i'de eventually like a nice colony of rsc myself eventually