On Wed, 01 Mar 2006 16:56:53 -0500, Larry wrote:

Have read several posts about value of floating plants re water
quality and making fish real more comfortable.

I think I'd like to try but wouldn't that have an effect on all the
plants at the bottom(stunted growth and all other sorts of problems)??

Larry

Yes and no. Some fish are very uncomfortable under bright lights, so
with some shade coming from above, they are more likely to be out
swimming in open water rather than hiding in a cave to avoid the
light. Many of our pet fish come from (before the fish farms!) shaded
streams, murky rivers, black water lagoons, etc. In the aquarium, any
bottom plant directly below the floating plant is going to get
diffused light . . . there are many plants that grow well with less
than high beams shining down on them. And yes, many plants require a
certain number of hours each day with direct exposure to very bright
sunlight. The surface area of the tank is a consideration - floating
plants in a long tank will be more likey to drift about some, rather
than remain stationary over a specific area. Floating plants often
need to be thinned frequently, to prevent them from taking over the
entire water surface. 2 or 3 small clumps may be all that is needed to
provide some of the benefits of sucking up nitrates and purifying
water. I think I used the phrase "fast growing/floating" plants like
hornwort or water sprite - instead of the slash I could have put a
"or", which is what I intended. Both water sprite and hornwort grow
quickly wheather anchored in the substrate or left to float freely.
The person I was replying to just now said that his tank is a tall
hex, which wouldn't leave a lot of room for light to get to the bottom
if the top were covered with floating plants, but something like
hornwort, "planted" in the gravel would shoot to the top very quickly
and make a nice display. And provide the water quality benefits. A
final point: When I, or someone else, suggests a handful of floating
plants to help an aquarist deal with a water quality issue, we do not
intend to imply that floating plants need to become a permanent
fixture in the aquascape. It is seldom the final and definitive
solution. It's quick and temporary, like medicine. It buys us a little
more time to discover and correct the real problem, which may be over
feeding, inadequate gravel hoovering, (I'm not English but I love that
verb!), or whatever is at the source of the problem.

I think I'm nearing the end of my knowledge and experience here, (gee,
that was a short ride), so perhaps one of our plant specialists will
take this thread a little farther. I'm as interested in learning more
as you are. My name refers to my terra firma abilities, not so much
the aquatic. Yet. I'm much more comfortable writing about carrots and
cucumbers than ceratopteris and cabomba.

-- Mr Gardener