# Frill Plant Question



## Zaxol (Oct 14, 2007)

I recently got some frill plants from PetSmart (a few weeks ago) and all the leaves that it came with died and now it's growing new ones. Is this normal? Should I pull all the dead ones off? For pictures look at my nano tank thread in the nano section. Thanks.


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## Digsy (Mar 4, 2006)

What kind of plants did you purchase? I looked at your other thread but wasn't sure which plants you are referring to. But, if you have leaves that are dying, you can trim them off. Many plants will lose existing leaves when transplanted until the acclimate to your tank and begin growing new ones.


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## Kayakbabe (Sep 4, 2005)

a lot of the plants you buy at the lfs are grown aeroponically... (leaves out of the water) so that there won't be insect/snail/algea on them... and when you take them home and submerge them, they'll drop those 'air' leaves and grow out new ones. Often the submerged form of the plant can look totally different from the 'air' grown form. Wisteria is one that comes to mind.

This doesn't address my gripe that I've been seeing plants that shouldn't be submerged being sold as 'aquarium' plants by a couple of major pet store chains. If you got one of those plants.. they'll live for a little while but never really flourish.. not until you put them in a pot of dirt outside of your aquarium. -- they do like aquarium water a couple times a week though.
I've been seeing plants like dumb cane and dracanea being sold for use in aquariums. It can only discourage novice planted tanks newbies. I really wish they wouldn't do it.


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## Zaxol (Oct 14, 2007)

No it was grown in at tank at the store. It was a called a frill plant at PetSmart. I think it may just be getting used to it's new tank.


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## Digsy (Mar 4, 2006)

Any pictures of this frill plant? I've never heard of it...


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

I've never heard of it as well. 

Like already mentioned, alot of plants will lose their leaves until acclimated. If its growing new ones I wouldnt be too concerned.

As Kayakbabe said, theres alot of non aquatic plants being passed off in the LFS's. I've seen the ones she mentioned as well as Mondo Grass, Maidenhair Fern & Schefflera.

btw...Just because they had the plant in their tank when you bought it doesnt mean it was grown submerged.


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## Kayakbabe (Sep 4, 2005)

Yep I 've seen schefflera too. It's a plant that doesn't even like a lot of water on it's roots when grown in a pot. I have them in my home. They do best when neglected... I let them dry out... then put them in sink full of water till the pots sink.. drain them out.. and do it again in a month or so.
The ones I treat the 'worst' (as in let them dry out the most) seem to thrive the most. 

There are many types of 'frill' plants... what was the specific name? Do they know the scientific name? Or can you post a picture? That might help us identify it and figure out what kind of care it needs.. low/high light... low/high pH... hard/soft water...etc.


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## Zaxol (Oct 14, 2007)

I'm pretty sure it's aquatic since I I planted it in a pot it would not even com close to standing up. I could be wrong thouigh.

Plant inbetween thetwo rocks.


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## Madfish (Sep 9, 2007)

It looks like green parrots fether (wow I cant spell tonight and Im to lazy to fix it lol).


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

Parrot feathers is basically a pond plant and will grow better once the tops go out of the water. I was using it in my growout tank for my killies and it got to the point that it was wrapping itself around the bulbs in the light fixture. 

Here is a pic of how it looked.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

The Petsmart "frill plant" is actually some species of Myriophyllum. I can't think of the exact species right now, buy you could probably google it if you really cared that much. I have some in my tanks too, and it looks totally different now than it did in the store. I have much shorter and fewer leaves, and the plant did undergo a partial melt to get that way. It really likes high light and CO2, but even then is a medium grower for me.

p.s. You can also check the tag at petsmart that gives the scientific nomenclature right under where it said "frill plant". That'll give you the definite answer.


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## Kayakbabe (Sep 4, 2005)

Yep I go with a Millfoil.. probably common milfoil. Common milfoil is called frill foxtail in austrailia, so that kinda goes with the name they told you. But it's not called that in the U.S. It could maybe be cutleaf milfoil a.k.a green foxtail.

If it either one of those then the genus is Myriophyllum. It needs medium high to high light to do well and to look thick and bushy. Otherwise like other stem plants it will get kinda long inbetween where the 'leaves' come out and look thin and skraggly. I think it spread thorugh the substrate but I might be wrong about that.


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