# Riparium Plant: Pilea sp.



## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

Nice! I've always liked _Pileas_. I have another one called _Pilea "Moon Valley" _that's been growing really well for me.


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## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

legomaniac89 said:


> Nice! I've always liked _Pileas_. I have another one called _Pilea "Moon Valley" _that's been growing really well for me.


I like I like. :flick:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

The familiar and pretty-easy-to-find "aluminum plant" (_Pilea cardierei_) is another good choice. Here is a group of stems fresly-planted on a nano trellis raft.










And the raft just snaps into place next to the other features in the tank. It will take about a week for that _P. cardierei_ to start to develop new roots there around the leaf axils that are underwater.

I gotta try to get some of that "Moon Valley". It looks like it would be great for a little midground accent.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

legomaniac89 said:


> Nice! I've always liked _Pileas_. I have another one called _Pilea "Moon Valley" _that's been growing really well for me.


That is a very nice one, and I think I have seen it in stores selections of house plants. I will start looking for it again. I really like how it looks.

My Pilea plants have not been as successful as Hydrophytes. They grew very well for awhile, but then they started dying. I have only a couple left now. I'm not at all sure why the problem started. The biggest failures were in one of my "grow out" tanks, where the water quality wasn't maintained nearly as well as in my show ripariums. I suspect that could be the problem.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hoppy said:


> My Pilea plants have not been as successful as Hydrophytes. They grew very well for awhile, but then they started dying. I have only a couple left now. I'm not at all sure why the problem started. The biggest failures were in one of my "grow out" tanks, where the water quality wasn't maintained nearly as well as in my show ripariums. I suspect that could be the problem.


I lose a lot of stuff in my "growout" tanks too--they just don't get the same attention as my display setups and suffer from inconsistent conditions. At some point I really need to set up a proper fishroom with better air flow, semi-atomated water change, better temp control, and a more efficient work area. I am certain that it will save money and time in the long in comparison with the piecemeal system that I have now.


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## dewalltheway (Jan 19, 2005)

I can see that these ripariums could very easily become an addiction and want more tanks! It is going to be hard to have just one tank. :bounce:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

The GlassHouseWorks.com _Pilea_ selections (19 of 'em!) are right at the top of this page.

http://www.glasshouseworks.com/trop-p3.html


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Awesome write-ups on these as well as all other riparium related articles. So many things to try so little tank room. 
I have also experienced some less than stellar results in my grow out tank. Some things do well enough, others suffer badly. 

Without taking this too off topic something about composition clicked in my head as I read through the replies. Hydrophyte definitely has the knack for it, Hoppy as well and even if its without much thought its there. Maybe its a innate artistic sense, much study of habitats, or just trial and error/ knowing growth patterns but regardless your layouts look awesome and very natural. Much like planted tanks I feel like there can be many different types (moods, feelings, whatever its being called today) of layouts with ripariums even when confined to the base model of planter cups and rafts. 
I think I may be rambling now as I've lost the thought on composition... oh yea its going to be a while before I get there. I'm still in the experimental stage learning what I can/can't grow and wanting to try more things... I feel the 29G is only the beginning but man its pretty fun trying to catch up.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

This one, at http://www.glasshouseworks.com/trop-p3.html looks like a great candidate for very low growth on a raft. I may tweak my budget a bit and try it. It isn't too expensive either.

Or, this one: 









That's a great website to visit for riparium lovers. You could make a whole riparium with all of those varieties.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That one shows up pretty reliably among houseplants too so you might spot it when out shopping. 

If you inquire about ordering at glasshouseworks let me know what they say about shipping now in the wintertime.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

I tried out the website and the first think I noticed is that they require a minimum order of $15, as I recall. I'm not ready for that much yet, and I would be getting more plants than I have a place for. Looking at local stores is actually more fun anyway. Only the rare ones are worth paying extra for shipping. (Maybe I'm just experiencing post-holiday bills hangover now though.)


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