Banana Plants Love 'em! Updated 3/27/12

I missed this!!!!!! Now I know u have an"aqua green thumb"!!!!!!!!! They look great!!!!!
 

Advertisement
Very nice looking plants this makes me want to try a few... I have a new marineland 55gal tank with LED lights does this sound sufficient for plants?
 

Advertisement
  • Thread Starter
  • #54
Good morning,

A few updated photos of the Banana Plant below. It's growing and growing and I'm still waiting on it to bloom. I have no idea how long it will take for the plant to bloom.

Too, you can see my juvenile Bristle Nose Pleco (BNP) feasting on zucchinI stuffed with a veggie wafer in 2 of the photos. Awwwww I got the BNP from Harpua2002 back in Novemeber 2011 and was soooo tiny. It's growing very well but no bristles currently showing. I have a feeling I have a female but not certain.

Photos were taken with tank lights off and a flash.

Thanks for looking and for any responses.

Ken (breathless with anticipation!)
 

Attachments

  • BananaPlant11.jpg
    BananaPlant11.jpg
    212.5 KB · Views: 232
  • BananaPlant12.jpg
    BananaPlant12.jpg
    215.8 KB · Views: 214
  • BananaPlant13.jpg
    BananaPlant13.jpg
    210.3 KB · Views: 279
Looks like you do have a female BN She's so cute!!!

Wow, I dunno how much longer that silly thing can get! Sure is taking its time blooming, huh? LOL

Your tank looks great, btw! 'Cause I'm sure you haven't heard enough of that
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #56
Thanks Akari,

I'm going to pick a bloom from the yard and tape it on there if it doesn't bloom soon.

Appreciate the kind words.

Ken
 

Advertisement
Thanks Akari,

I'm going to pick a bloom from the yard and tape it on there if it doesn't bloom soon.

Appreciate the kind words.

Ken

XD Maybe if you talk tough to it, you'll find a bloom in the morning XD
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #58
If it blooms at night and I miss it....Grrrr

Ken
 
If they bloom at 2am you'll be in luck. LOL
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #61
Whew! Thanks Carol. I'm glad to know that it isn't a type of plant that blooms for 12 hours or so and closes.

lol Lucy, you're right!

Ken
 

Advertisement



  • Thread Starter
  • #62
Good morning,

Well, surprise surprise! What I thought was going to be a bloom is actually a new leaf! (photo #3 & 4) The stalk has almost reached from center to the right glass panel. It's a little shy of 2' long. The leaf is going to be green just like the other ones.

The leaves are getting so close to the top of the water too! You can see how the stalk stretches in photos 1,2,3.

Ken
 

Attachments

  • BananaPlant17.jpg
    BananaPlant17.jpg
    145.3 KB · Views: 217
  • BananaPlant16.jpg
    BananaPlant16.jpg
    172.2 KB · Views: 231
  • BananaPlant15.jpg
    BananaPlant15.jpg
    207.3 KB · Views: 233
  • BananaPlant14.jpg
    BananaPlant14.jpg
    214.8 KB · Views: 230
My Banana Plants did the same thing. Those surface leaves will look like lilypads.

Sent from my Motorola Electrify using Tapatalk
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #66
Hello,

Jipped...nah. I'm happy that the plant is alive. LOL

Hopefully it will bloom in time.

Ken
 
I had to buy one of these plants. Its all your fault XD Its really cute though, in an awkward, lumpy sort of way =3

Hopefully it won't pull any more hijinks and bloom for you soon
 
Thanks, Ken! Its kinda sad right now, but with an overdoes of Flourish last night, it should perk up soon LOL I can't wait to see yours flower (or mine, for that matter!)!
 
Looks good.I might have to go out and buy a couple also.I definitely love the tetras in there.
 

Advertisement



They look great Ken!!!!! Here u go again....I got a small one tooooooo....lol.....in my 5 gal planted with my gold tetras....(I had to get it!!!!! Lol!!!!) I hope mine does half as well as yourds are doing!!!!!
 
I have a leaf stalk on mine, I expect it will reach the surface by the time I get home! It's awesome how quickly these things grow.
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #74
Good morning,

Thanks everyone. I agree Echostatic, the growth rate for the stalk w/lily pad is amazing!

Yeah Lori! I'm sure your plant will do well.

Have a nice weekend!

Ken
 
Very nice and relaxing! Wow, I like those blue and white fish, the KerrI Tetras. I've never seen them here locally. Are they hard to find? Expensive? Are they considered a peaceful community fish? Hardy? LOL guess I should go find a profile
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #76
Good morning and thanks for the comments!

Here is some information on KerrI Tetras. I haven't found them in my area. I ordered mine from our member Harpua2002. Great little fish, very hardy. I have 22 of them and 4 neons, 1 BN Pleco in the tank and that is all. Trying to keep it more a less a species only tank.

Ken
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #78
You are more than welcome DonnerJay!

Thanks again!

Ken
 
Ken,How did you get your plants to anchor?Mine keep floating up.
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #81
Good morning,

My substrate is river rock so most of them stay where they are put. However, some of them are floating a bit with longer roots holding them in place.

I still get a floater every now and then and I just put it back into place. Once the longer roots start developing, it's much easier.

Ken
 

Advertisement



Well I guess my problem is I have sand and tree crazy ADF's LOL Do you think I buried the tips of the bananas just enough to help hold it in place while it develops roots, it'll be ok?
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #83
Akari,

The banana plant roots should be partially pushed into the substrate. Not all the way though.

Ken
 
Cool, I'll try that! I'd have hated to do it and then killed it Just a little, then! Its got a few roots, one that's really long, but its not smart enough to grow its roots *down* and into the sand. Rather, they grow up LOL

Have you gotten a bloom, yet? Or just a that really long stem that made a surface leaf?
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #85
Hello,

The long roots that grow may very well grow all over the place and not just down. It's recommend to have a group of them and watch how they entwine with each other. So if the roots grow up, the plants should still thrive. I have quiet a few exposed roots.

I got a lily pad type leaf, no bloom to date. The stalk has reached from the center to the right glass panel, almost.

Ken
 
Oh, really? That'd be cool to watch! I didn't even really have the room for this plant, though, so I don't think I could manage to squeeze in another into my tiny tank LOL

Some day it'll bloom LOL I know we're both looking forward to it =3
 
Thanks Ken.I will gently push the bananas partially in the sand and gravel.Hopefully it makes it,I never did have much luck with plants.
 
Those roots can get pretty wacky sometimes. I have one growing through an arch in my driftwood, then up, and down in a huge arc. It looks so... inefficient. But neat, so it's okay.
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #89
Good morning,

The same Banana Plant has grown another stalk that will more than likely be another Lily Pad. These stalks grow so quickly it's amazing. Photos below.

Too, you can see my juvenile Bristle Nose Pleco about to jump onto her slice of zucchinI in the first photo. I got her from Harpua2002 November 2011. She is going to be tiny, and no signs of bristles to date. She is so cute! The slice of zucchinI is almost bigger than she is.

Room lights were dim, tanks lights off and I used a flash.

The really long stalk that you see that kind of leads to nowhere is about 22" long and doing well with the pad floating on top of the water.

Thanks!

Ken
 

Attachments

  • lilypad0.jpg
    lilypad0.jpg
    163.3 KB · Views: 228
  • LilyPad1.jpg
    LilyPad1.jpg
    196.8 KB · Views: 244
  • LilyPad2.jpg
    LilyPad2.jpg
    202.8 KB · Views: 256
You've got some happy plants, Ken! Mines not to happy LOL It has finally made another leaf, but the leaves are all melty and sad :/ I should move it over to the other side of the tank, where there's more light, I guess.
 
I've noticed some of your leaves have dark green patches on them. Mine has those too on a couple leaves... That normal?
 

Advertisement



  • Thread Starter
  • #92
Good morning,

As long as the leaves are not brown, or starting to turn brown/yellowish, then I do not worry about it too much. However, the leaves in question do not appear as healthy as the ones without the darker green patches. I was thinking that my Pleco may have been nibbling on them. I know it isn't algae.

We'll see.

Ken
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #93
Good morning,

The new stalk mentioned in post #89 has already reached the top of the tank and then some. It's heading in the same direction as the very first stalk, which is toward the natural light and too it's going in the same direction as the current in the tank.

Ken
 
Ken I found that mine didn't bloom unless it had several pads on the surface. Then it will shoot a stalk up to the surface and bloom
carol
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #96
Thanks for the info Carol!

HI Harpua! So nice to see you on line! Yes, my sweet little female BN Pleco. So much fun to watch.

Ken
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #97
Good morning,

More of the Banana Plants are shooting up lily pads now! Yeah!

Ken
 
HI Ken,
So, my fluorescent tube is only 15 watts! According to the lighting articles, I should have at least 40 (min 2 watts/gal of water). This seems high, no? Also, I need to change to a full spectrum or tri-phosphor tube, right? I'll be heading to my LFS tomorrow afternoon! Hopefully this will keep my banana plant happier;-)
 
  • Thread Starter
  • #100
Good morning,

I'm using T5 HO 28w 6700k output for a 33g tank. This tank is 4' long and only 13" deep. So I have less than 2 watts per gallon.

See if this chart helps you to determine which type of lighting you should have:



One more:



Ken
 

Random Great Topic!

Advertisement



Advertisement








Advertisement




Back
Top Bottom