[davemonkey]

I just started working in Chambers County (Texas) and the water canals are FULL of this stuff (and a few others I don't have ID'd yet). I'm just curious if anyone has used alligatorweed in an aquarium and if it's worth putting it in my tank.

-Dave

 

[Nelumbo74]

It's a federal noxious weed for starters, so that's why it's all over the place. It can be used satisfactorily in planted tanks, but it's nothing special. Kinda resembles an Ammannia species.

Please don't offer it for sale in the swap n shop. This plant is so invasive that even public aquariums must request a collection permit in order to collect it and transport it.

As you can see in the attached link it is classified as noxious in your state, so please be very, very cautious in the way you use it.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALPH

This link shows the actual native areas for this plant in the U.S., which there are none. That's how invasive this plant is.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALPH&mapType=nativity&photoID=alph_001_ahp.tif

 

[Cavan Allen]

Somebody sent me some a few years ago. It came along with some native plants and he didn't know what it was. I figured I'd see how it did. It just makes a mad rush for the surface, so I dried it out and disposed of it. Add what Nelumbo said, and it's just not worth trying.

 

[davemonkey]

Thanks, guys.
I'll dispose of it then.

There are a few other species I've seen that I want to try out as well. I set up a small 1/2 gallon NPT in my office to throw things in intermittently to see what they do. That way I can decide if it's worth bringing home. I'll post pics of the ones that look interesting as they come about.

-Dave