[SnakeheadsUK]

hello all
i'm looking for a plant that will grow around wooden oak branches in my channa aurantimaculata tank, like ivy around a tree
i know java moss be the best option but it would also be very expensive
so far i spend a fortune on planting 8 snakehead tanks with amazons and several species of crypts and i'm afraight my budget is all gone now i bought the aurantis and other channa some weeks back
the aurantis are housed in a different tanks fore now and can stay there for some time to come.

so i'm hoping you can give me some good suggstions
ideally something that grows fast
channa tanks need dense cover and since aurantis dig like mad bushy branches are the ideal way to go
snakeheads should only be sen in a tank if they wish to be seen

thanx for reading all this

 

[cs_gardener]

Both Cardamine lyrata and Hydrocotyle leucocephala make me think of ivy. They both grow very easily with the Cardamine being more compact and a bit slower growing than the Hydrocotyle. They will grow around and through branches and it's easy to encourage them to get tangled around just about anything in the tank. While it's normal to have the base of the plant planted in the substrate, it's not necessary. I've had them grow just fine when a piece breaks off and gets tangled in something else.

You can also try the various ferns (java ferns and Bolbitis) and anubias that can be attached directly to the wood. They do grow rather slowly though.