# favorite way to grow anacharis



## allaboutfish (Oct 14, 2011)

IME anachris really doesnt float at the top, or atleast mine doesnt, it just floats weirdly all of the tank.


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

How about weighting down a stem horizontally and see what happens?


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## james0816 (Jun 26, 2008)

I can't grow it at all. So my favorite would be anyway it wants to grow. 

I can grow everything else though.....which is weird.


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## Studman0143 (Mar 20, 2011)

I have wrapped it around pieces of driftwood when it's long enough, or more commonly, I bunch them all together with string, and then tie that string to a rock, wood, or some sort of weight and let them grow all bunched up.

And you may know this, but coming from personal experience, it doesn't seem to grow well in warmer water.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

allaboutfish and Rainer- some of the stems float and some of them seem have one end that grew thick enough to weigh it down on it's own, I think it's kind of odd 

Studman0143- It seems to grow fine in my betta tank, that usually stays about 74 degrees


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

I no longer keep it but it rooted in gravel well enough. Sounds like the stem is rotting on yours; weighting one down in several places horizontally might cause enough true roots to form that you'd get a nice stand.

I'd remove all leaves on the underside first, of course.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

Okay, but why horizontally?


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

To both maximize the potential rooted area and number of shoots. My anacharis never developed extensive root systems when planted vertically but developed aerial roots well enough.

I haven't tried this myself so I'm not positive but think it's worth a try.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

That's interesting, thank you for your advice.


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## Mannie Bothans (Oct 8, 2011)

Two questions from a newbie. 

1.) Is this Anachris?

2.) Is this what you mean-- horizontally weighting it down?

My "weights" are little glass circles, just enough to hold portions of the plant down. This is a top-down shot, looking straight down into the holding tank (10-gallon tote bucket).


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

My phone won't display your photo for some reason. I'll check it tonight from the laptop.


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## Studman0143 (Mar 20, 2011)

It looks like anacharis. Not the best quality, but it looks pretty close.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

Anacharis is also called Elodia, especially by Bio professors. From what I can make out from your picture, yes it is. 
I'm not quite sure how to horizontally weigh it down either, I guess you could weigh both ends down. Or have string attached along intervals of the stem to weights.


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

Yes, that's what I had in mind - weighting at the ends and maybe the middle if needed. That technique works with HG (although it's usually weighted with substrate) and I suspect it would work on larger plants like ludwigia, which has large numbers of "aerial" roots.

The question is whether the "aerial" roots will act as regular roots when they contact the sand.

I'm glad you're trying this experiment. Please keep us updated.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

I can't try this at the moment, I injured my finger in a car door and cannot get it wet. It bled a lot and is not broken. I will try this when It heals and I can put both hands in the water again. 
If anyone else tries it, tell us how it works for you!


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## Mannie Bothans (Oct 8, 2011)

Sorry about the low-res huge-size phone shots. Just shoved some root tabs under these, so we'll see what happens.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

Okay, I have 3 stems that have just lain on the sand(by themselves) for about 2 weeks. 1 has 2 branches, 1 has 1 branch and a developing root, and 1 has a branch and a bud. 
For the floating stems, I have a couple stems with a single bud. But the floating ones are developing a lot more roots. 

What do you think?


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

I've done some trimming of the sunken stems. The branches are growing longer, but the roots haven't done much. The roots on the floating stems are longer, but the branch buds are still very small.


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

Do they seem to be rooting well?


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

Nothing is rooted yet. The growth is kind of slow. I think it's because I changed my tank matinence schedule and they haven't adapted yet.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

The root growth on one of my floating stems has grown pretty long. I used a rock to anchor one end and another to anchor the middle, since the root is at the end of new growth. The sunken stems have grown a lot, but the roots remain short. We'll see how well it does.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

I took the rock off the end and used it to anchor the middle of a second floating stem. This one was starting to get long root growth too.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

I hope everyone's vacation was great! 

During the time I was away I brought the fish with me, but didn't do a water change. Everything seems the same, except the first anacharis plant that I weighed down rooted into the sand. I unfortunately pulled it up when taking the anchor and excess dead plant off it, but was able to stick the root back into the sand. There are 3 extra roots growing off this plant, but no branches. 
The second anchored plant is still growing it's root out and there are no extra roots or branches.


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

Interesting, thanks for the update. I'm surprised there's no branching as mine did it occasionally (they were planted vertically). 

I wonder if snipping them mid-stalk while they're still anchored would do it.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

I guess my plants are just weird. Branching at the water's surface and rooting at the substrate. 

(by the way, can anyone direct me to a thread on how to dose magnesium and nitrates in a 4 gallon tank? I know my tank is 5 gallons, but I fill it up to 4.)


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

I took the rock off the second stem and used sand to weigh it down, the root is growing but it's not long enough to reach the sand yet. I looked closely and it has about 4 teeny shoots.  The first stem has 3 smaller roots in addition to the 1 large root, but no shoots. 

A couple floating stems are starting to grow long roots, and 1 or 2 have at least 1 teeny shoot.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

Well, the the second stem broke off when I was cleaning, so I stuck the root into the sand. I also took a floating stem with a long root and simply pushed the root into the sand. Stem #1 just stayed there. We'll find out if the fish does not uproot any of them. 

Note: If anyone was curious, the roots are an inch or just over an inch when they have been put into the sand.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

He uprooted two of them last night. I had to get my hands wet this morning to replant them.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

Well, there seems to be no change. I still have to keep sticking stem #3 in the sand. I also got some Seachem's Flourish. So when I calculate dosage, we'll see how things go.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

All that's changed so far is, all plants seem greener and some roots grew a bit longer. Which is good. I keep sticking stem #3 in the sand, it keeps coming out. Today it has stayed in the sand for over 3 hours, which is a record. There is a fourth stem which is growing a long root and a bud, which is quite large now.


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## ValMM (Feb 22, 2011)

Okay, this is what i've learned. You can: 

A) let anacharis float 
B) group it together and hold it in place with something, the stems will rot on you 
C) weigh it down until it roots, the stem will rot on you but it does not take long 
D) wait until the roots are long enough and stick the root in the substrate until it holds, the roots won't rot but it will keep coming out of the substrate 
E) when floating, it will grow roots 
F) When sunk or rooted, it will grow stem buds 

Anyone want to add anything else?


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

Thanks for experimenting with this and posting your results.


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