KraKen

I just got back from vacation at Woodloch Pines resort in Pennsylvania. It's on Lake Teetywskung so while I was there I collected some aquatic plants. It seems that I've got 4 different kinds, a moss, 2 stem plants and a rosette.

I think the rosette might be a spiral vallis, it has straight spiral leaves, propagates through runners and formed dense lawns on the bottom of the lake.

I found one of the stem plants growing amongst the vallis type plant, it's red in color and has long thin underwater leaves with 2 at each node, it also had wider leaves which floated on the surface like lily pads. It's flower consisted of a oval cluster of small purple flowers.

The moss grew in large dense clumps on sticks and other things submerged in the water, it's about five times as big as java moss and was black except for the growing tips.

I found very little of the other stem plant and what I found was floating just under the surface. It too was redish and had short thin leaves with many on each node.

Does anyone know the identities of these plants and whether or not they can grow in a tropical npt?

pictures will be coming once photobucket cooperates.

hooha

yes, pics would be helpful

I think I've seen that moss before on submerge and emersed rocks here locally. I haven't had any success growing it submersed in the aquarium, but that's no reason for you not to try it

KraKen

Here are some pics.













The moss is rather strange, I've never seen moss that's both black and appears healthy.

miremonster

I'm sure that the moss is a Fontinalis species. Probably Fontinalis antipyretica, the most frequent species in the northern hemisphere. The dark color may be due to diatoms growing on the moss.

The other plants look to me like a Vallisneria and a Potamogeton species. It would be better visible if the plants were separated from each other.

armedbiggiet

That moss looks huge, can it grow like a regular moss in the fish tank?

miremonster

Yes, it may be suitable and is worth a try, but it seems that not all populations grow equally good. Under the name "willow moss" Fontinalis antipyretica (perhaps a particular form from Asia) is available as aquarium moss. I'm growing in my tank 2 different F. antipyretica forms from lakes near Berlin and a 2nd species, F. hypnoides. Temperature about 22-25°C, they are apparently sensitive to CO2 deficiency. Another F. antipyretica form from a fast flowing cold stream didn't well in the tank.
Fontinalis pics from another hobbyist in Germany:
http://www.flowgrow.de/pflanzen/Font...antea-290.html
http://www.flowgrow.de/pflanzen/Font...oides-287.html

SueNH

Try looking up long leafed pond weed, I think you have a Potemogeton of some sort. Some are very common in the northeast. Some are native, some are invasives from elsewhere.