Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
favorite plant and why?
- Gavin (Gavin)
-
Topic Author
- Offline
- Premium Member
-
- Posts: 518
- Thank you received: 24
me: vallisneria nana
www.tropica.com/plants/plantdescription.aspx?pid=056C
why, it was the first plant that I ever grew in an aquarium (a little 60 litre).just love the intense dark green and way it propogates up through the soil.a bit of flow and it seems to dance.I've grown way more difficult plants since my first tank but this is my fave and allways seems to crop up in my setups.
over to you!
dont make me come over there.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- stretnik (stretnik)
-
- Visitor
-
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Gavin (Gavin)
-
Topic Author
- Offline
- Premium Member
-
- Posts: 518
- Thank you received: 24
it was gonna be my choice but I thought I'd look to flashy!

dont make me come over there.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
-
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 2309
- Thank you received: 127
It was also one of my first plants to use. (see if i can dig out an old photo)
I like HC Cuba (Hemianthus callitrichoides) as a foreground plant. It is so small but can carpet a tank quickly once conditions are right.
Trim it with a scissors to keep it clean and low or grow it in to small bushes.
www.tropica.com/plants/plantdescription.aspx?pid=048B
Midground and grassy i like Eleocharis parvula. It can grow fast and can be trimmed in to shape with a scissors. Just like trimming a real lawn.
www.tropica.com/plants/plantdescription.aspx?pid=132C
Background i like Hygrophila guianensis. Just an easy stem plant.
I have used this before as a floating plant. It grow from the surface. The leaves above the water were red and below were different shades of green.
The roots dangled about 6-8" in to the tank. The fish loved it.
I dont have a tropica link.
I know it was only supposed to be 1 plant but i couldent help myself.
Photobucket is acting up so i will try add photos of these plants in aquariums later.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Gavin (Gavin)
-
Topic Author
- Offline
- Premium Member
-
- Posts: 518
- Thank you received: 24
dont make me come over there.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
-
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 2309
- Thank you received: 127
The only real trouble i had with HC was staghorne algae growing beneath it, killing of the HC in large patches.
If it grows dense or bushy a good flow helps keep the build up of detritus to a minimum.
IMO if it grows to dense the lower growth dies off from lack of light. This can cause it to float or partly die off.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Gavin (Gavin)
-
Topic Author
- Offline
- Premium Member
-
- Posts: 518
- Thank you received: 24
dont make me come over there.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- igmillichip (ian millichip)
-
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 3366
- Thank you received: 536
A beautiful plant, is a nice challenge without being impossible (as opposed to some plants).
But there are other Aponogetons that I prefer, but no one has posted of picture of them for me to copy...but this one is in my top 5 (or 3).
ian
stretnik wrote:
Easy...
Aponogeton madagascarensis
Such a beautiful plant, the fenestrations ar wonderful and the colour is so fresh.
Kev.
Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Ma (mm mm)
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 1202
- Thank you received: 8
Mark
Location D.11
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Jim (Jim Lawlor)
-
- Offline
- Premium Member
-
- Posts: 506
- Thank you received: 72
Indian Fern, grows massive and quickly, beautifully green and a perfect plant for sheltering the shy fishies.
Mark
Gotta go with Mark on this one - Indian Fern is the swiss army knife of aquarium plants. You can grow it long, cut it back hard, tons of plantlets can provide floating plants with roots for quite some time, looks good, survives a lot of abuse.
Its not the sexiest or most colourful and doesn't have intricate foliage, but its still my favourite.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- dar (darren curry)
-
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 1539
- Thank you received: 17
Check out the angling section, it is fantastic
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Ma (mm mm)
- Offline
- Platinum Member
-
- Posts: 1202
- Thank you received: 8
Mark
Location D.11
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Puddlefish (Colin McCourt)
-
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 347
- Thank you received: 10
This is such a versitlie plant and one given the proper conditions will flourish magnificently.
I also have a soft spot for Barclaya longifolia but you dont seem to see many about these days, anyone seen these lately.
Regards
C
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- igmillichip (ian millichip)
-
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 3366
- Thank you received: 536
Which would be your favourite?
And as for versatility.....great plants for a Dart Frog viv as well.
ian
Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Puddlefish (Colin McCourt)
-
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 347
- Thank you received: 10
Cryptocoryne cordata
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- igmillichip (ian millichip)
-
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 3366
- Thank you received: 536
Not seen many of the latter in LFS though!
Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Melander (Andreas Melander)
-
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 797
- Thank you received: 140
I also like how it grows on roots and rocks rather then in the substrate, if only it was South American.
Melander
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- doreilly (Donal O Reilly)
-
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 190
- Thank you received: 18

Please Log in to join the conversation.