feeding tropical Aldrovanda in winter?

[illustrator]

Dear all,

I would love to try Aldrovanda in an indoor setting (planted aquarium) and based on literature it looks to me like the tropical strains might be suitable to grow year-round indoor. However, I read that the nutrients from it's prey are very important for this plant. Is it possible to either supplement this in an alternative way (mineral supplement as with "normal" aquatic plants) or to grow it without invertebrates alltogether for some months?

In summer I can obtain unlimited numbers of Daphnia, either from a pond or from my rainwater barrel, but I live in an area where everything freezes solid in winter ...

Best regards to all
Paul

[hcarlton]

If you're growing Aldrovanda, you will have to provide invertebrates like daphnia in order to keep it healthy. The invertebrates, however, ought to end up growing on their own in a proper set up, like a planted tank. I think more of a concern, however, is providing the right water quality, depth, and light, especially in a tank indoors, as Aldrovanda needs relatively low oxygen, very algae-free water.

[illustrator]

Perhaps I should ask Michael Stiffler directly how he does it, because I would like to do something similar. Water parameters, algae-free, CO2 addition are, I think, all no problem because i have a softwater tank for growing plants. The "only" problem is that there are some fish, which will prevent any invertebrate community from becoming established ...

[hcarlton]

Fish may or may not also eat the Aldrovanda, and may increase nutrient levels in the water via their waste to levels Aldrovanda may not tolerate. I guess it depends on the fish species, but there are only a few that would likely do okay in the carbon dioxide levels Aldrovanda likes.

[illustrator]

There's quite a lot of experience in aquarium circles with adding CO2, in this respect I am only starting to learn. Basically it is possible to go to the point where fish start to have quickened breathing, then fish adjust and you can add even a bit more CO2. Of course species dependent. What I do myself has no visible effect on the fish, but has a visible effect on overall plant growth. In any case most fish in this particular aquarium would have no problem with elevated CO2 because they can supplentary breath air (as adaption to peat-swamp conditions in nature).

I am not worried about fish eating plants, I think that I have some idea which fish are likely to damage plants ... (30+ years of aquariumkeeping :-)

Nutrient level depends surely on fish, but equally on water changes and the presence of other, fast growing plants. I regularly measure nitrate (as part of keeping a healthy environment for the fish) and end up in either very low or non-detectable values. Water changes of course also lower tannin content, for which I add tree-leaves (mainly European beech because it grows right behind my home) and some peat. In this way I can keep the water slightly tea-coloured. Some fluctuations must also occur in nature because of rainfall ...

I am aware that there are so many factors involved that in the end there is always a matter of "just try", but I'd rather not try if it is completely hopeless to begin with ...

My guess would be that if it can grow with angelfish (as in Michael's photographs), rather many softwater fish species should be theoretically compatible or not?

[tanukimo]

I am growing it in a tank with ghost catfish, peacock gudgeons, Endler's guppies, rainbow gobies, a Java loach, and an Otocinclus and it is fine. There are also snails in the tank which sometimes get eaten by the Aldrovanda. The fish don't touch the Aldrovanda, or any other plants in the tank, so I would assume that they are compatible with many fish species. Algae and inadequate CO2 are more worrying.

[illustrator]

Thank you for your reply. This sounds like it is worth to try, when it gets warm enough to obtain them over mailorder.

[georgevance]

Aldrovanda is a genus of carnivorous plants encompassing one extant species (Aldrovanda vesiculosa, the waterwheel plant) and numerous extinct taxa. The genus is named in honor of the Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi, the founder of the Botanical Garden of Bologna. Aldrovanda vesiculosa has been reported from scattered locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.