If you are struggling with algae in your tank or have an algae bloom, then think about adding these plants to your aquarium. Start with 2 or 3 inches of substrate (gravel or sand). Ceratopteris thalictroides exhibits a degree of seasonality, reaching maturity and shedding spores during the dry season. The fine leaves also trap bits of food giving Amano Shrimp and Red Cherry Shrimp a place to feast. The fronds of this species are horn-like, as the name “cornuta” implies. Sprites take names that are mixes of elven and human. As with all other plant and fish species you may be keeping in your freshwater tank, water sprite plants benefit from regular tank cleanings. In a grounded form people use it to treat skin diseases. After trimming, remove the stems from the tank for disposal or planting in a new tank. Water sprite can also reproduce is a portion of the stem is cut off and has enough leaves. Finally, while Water Sprite can survive planted in either substrate or gravel, its better to keep live aquarium plants in nutrient rich plant substrate as opposed to aquarium gravel. The plant requires medium-high lighting to grow optimally, and it enhances the beauty and aesthetical look of any tank setup. The plant is easy to care for and will endure most freshwater tank conditions if healthy. Both are vascular plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water and nutrients. What Should I Look For When Buying A Water Sprite Plant? & Denton, O.A. You should also check that the roots of the plant are long and numerous.
This plant can be cultivated as a floating or planted species, making it adaptable for any kind of freshwater community. Cover the roots completely, and slightly cover the base of the stem; it should just barely be visible.
For example, growing the water sprite plant with the anacharis plant is easy, as the roots of the water sprite will wrap around the anacharis to create a gorgeous aesthetic – and to produce a myriad of benefits to both. Water Sprite and Water Wisteria are versatile plants. [3], Treatises on the Apparitions of Spirits and on Vampires or Revenants, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sprite_(folklore)&oldid=988951503#Water_sprite, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 November 2020, at 05:29. How Copper Affects Dwarf Shrimp
They can either be planted deep into the substrate or floated on the water column for growth. You don’t actually have to do anything to help them along, either! The belief in diminutive beings such as sprites, elves, fairies, etc. Fishkeeping world was created by a school of fish fanatics. This indicates health and will make it easier to transplant your water sprite plant. Clade: Tracheophytes This simply means that they do not produce flowers or seeds rather they reproduce by vegetative means and through the production of spores. Reduces nitrates: Water Sprite takes up a lot of nutrients from the tank water through its leaves. If you’re interested in propagating your water sprite plant, just remember how much space you actually have. If planting Water Sprite as a midground plant, be sure to allow the plant enough room to grow. These very thin floating roots can trap little bits of edible matter, and can provide a great place for Amano Shrimp and Red Cherry Shrimp to spend hours feeding as they float around the tank. Water Sprites can be planted or left to float. Plants Quarantine.
What’s not to love? This means you will need to cut and prune them more often. Also, if you have snails in your tank that are under fed, they may start eating the Water Sprite.
These waters will have minimal movement, instead staying almost stagnant. Water Sprite is a versatile plant and can adapt to a wide range of tank conditions and tank setups with ease. Dig a small hole in the gravel and place your plant into it. To tackle this, cycle the tank water regularly, tone down on the light intensity and trim stems bearing algae for outright disposal. These plants that break off will be ready to plant themselves without help in the substrate or water column and grow quickly. Nothing is worse than going home with a sick or injured plant for it to then die a few days later.
In addition, the root system of a Water Sprite floating in aquarium water seems to grow more extensively than when planted as well.
Presence of sporangia that houses the spores. An Irish link would be great but not necessary.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When you’re buying Water Sprite, another thing to look at is their color. The recommended tank size for this species is a minimum of 10 gallons.
If part of the stem is severed with enough leaves, then it can start to grow roots and become a functional plant. They can tolerate a pH between 6.0 and 7.5, as well as both medium to high amounts of light. Water and ground dwelling sprites bathe in the river or pond they inhabit. Along these lines, longer hours of light will encourage faster growth compared to less hours of light. Read more about it in my article “Top 5 Substrates For Planted Aquariums”. Fronds are cooked and eaten as a vegetable in Madagascar,[5] New Guinea[citation needed], and Vietnam,[6] and raw as a salad in Micronesia.
Caring for a water sprite plant is extremely easy, which is why so many people choose to adopt one in their freshwater tanks. However, if you don’t want your plant to reproduce because your tank is becoming overcrowded, you can prevent this by simply removing the platelets.
Under the right conditions, a planted Water Sprite can grow tall and bushy. The plant can majorly be found in swampy areas, swamp forests, irrigation ponds, irrigation ditches, taro patches, rice paddies, marshes, still and slow moving water bodies in tropical regions. Unlike other ferns (for example, Java Fern – read more here), Water sprite can thrive in sunny to partially shady parts of water. The fronds of this species are horn-like, as the name “cornuta” implies. You can place them in a new tank if you’d like, but keep in mind that cut stems will begin to form new roots and will grow into a new plant.