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Please identify this plant....

2K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  fish_4_all 
#1 ·
The pictures aren't great but can someone tell me what this plant is?
It grows in the private lake I visit and was wondering if it would be okay fro home aquarium use? It grows rooted firmly in the sand bottom, in the shallow end of the lake. This was the tallest plant of its kind. Perhaps it grows much larger? Thanks- kymmie



 
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#2 ·
Sorry but the pictures simply don't give much detail to really help. If you can get a clearer one then we should bebale to come close. My only guess is some kind of pearlweed or something similar.

It is a cool looing plant though. I hope we can figure out what it is.

As for using it in your tank, if you do it right you can use it. The best way I have heard of is using Potassium Permangenate. This is a purple powder that you mix in water and dip the plant in it to kill off parasites and other nasties. I would still put some in a clean container and supply it with tank water growing it for a couple weeks to make sure that any nasty bug isn't still hanging in there. The smaller the piece you start with in your tnak the less the chance of transfering anything nasty.
 
#3 ·
I will take a better camera next trip to the lake and get some better photos. There are actually three kinds of plants growing along the shore line and they all look interesting. I'd love to have some of these little plants in my tank.

I'll wait until we can get a positive id before I think about adding it to my tank. Will my luck it's probably some type of noxious weed.

The owners of the lake hate anything growing in it and hope that I take all the plants :lol:
 
#4 ·
Wow, that's really pretty- I don't know what it is either though :(.

Whereabouts do you live? I'm just wondering if it's a temperate or tropical plant. If it's temperate it probably won't survive in your tropical fish tank as the water will be too warm for it. On the other hand, if it's an invasive plant it's probably adapted to a lot of different climates and will do well. Either way, I like it, and you should send me some!

Also, another way to sterilize plants is to use 1 part bleach and 20 parts water. You can let the plant sit in it for about 2 minutes and then rinse WELL with dechlorinated water. I agree that it's a good idea to leave it in a QT for a while, just to give it a chance to release any chemicals or anything that it may have absorbed while growing outside (I'd worry if pesticides and such were used near the pond, if so, it's probably not worth the risk). If you really want to be safe, housing it with a couple ghost shrimp as guinea pigs would work well. Shrimp are far more sensitive to toxins than most fish and the ghost shrimp are dirt cheap.
 
#5 ·
Good tips. I live in Southern California.
The lake is located in high desert outside of Barstow.
During the summer the lake water can reach 90 degrees,
in the winter it can drop to 40. Quite the swing.
Apparently the lake carp handle it no problem.
(see prior post by me on lake carp)

Mavis, I will be happy to send you some.
I have a Fed Ex account so it would be no problem for me to do that. Before I do I'll wait until we find out what it is.
I'd hate to go to jail for exporting an invasive plant! :cry:
 
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