# Show us your propagator



## Andy Thurston

Hi folks i'm sure some of you will have seen my propagator step by step and for those that haven't heres the link and a couple of pics 
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/andys-hc-propagator-step-by-step.28930/

Hc



 


 


 
Amania bonsai (left tray, right tray, the rotala rotundfolia got binned


 


 
In tank


 
Anyone else got any pics of their emersed nursery they would like to share?


----------



## GHNelson

There you go....no artificial lighting.....window sill.
Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' & Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'





Cheers
hoggie


----------



## Michael W

I need to re-set my ones after seeing this. My Staurogyne Repens are not looking so hot right now after some neglect.

Really nice growing Andy and Hoggie!


----------



## GHNelson

Some Tom Barr mini dwarf hair grass in there as well.
Would like to try some bonsai!
hoggie


----------



## Vinkenoog1977

Only this weekend did I "harvest" my hairgrass (E. Acicularis), Micranthemum Micranthemoides, and Pogostemon Erectus for some new projects. Do still have some, well, two trays, of Micranthemum Monte Carlo and one tray of Micranthemum Umbrosum, all from 6 plantlets per tray, and I've "harvested" from those three quite frequently, and still they're overflowing! 
And no artificial light or heating either, just the window sill! Will try to get some pics up tomorrow.


----------



## GHNelson

Go on show us your gator


----------



## Andy Thurston

hogan53 said:


> Some Tom Barr mini dwarf hair grass in there as well.
> Would like to try some bonsai!
> hoggie


I'll probably have a few spare stems to get you started in a few weeks hoggie


----------



## EnderUK

Is this because I tried to hijack your other thread? Mines been running 3 weeks with a few scrappy plants I pulled out of my tank on failed carpet attempts. Window sill no extra heat though it has been warm in my flat don't know how they would do in winter.












grass is going very slow.










marsilea sent out new leaves quickly but really hasn't spread.









sweet sweet baby tears.

Not bad after about 3 weeks of growth. I've trimmed them back and replanted, lets see how much I have after another month.


----------



## parotet

You have very cool propagators! Mine is just a small collection of plant bits I get from my tanks, from exchanging or in my field trips



Plant list: Myriophyllum matogrossense red, Hygrophila corymbosa, H. polysperma, Hydrocotyle tripartita, H. leucocephala. Vesicularia dubyana, Lomariopsis lineata, Anubias bartieri, Bolbilitis heleudotii, Microsorum trident, Rotala rotundifolia, Ludwigia repens, Anagallis tenellus, Asplenium trichomanes, Selaginella kraussiana, Saggitaria subulata, Eleocharis mini, Limnophila aromatica, L. sesiiliflora and a pair of unknown moss.

... lot of diversity, few specimens

Jordi


----------



## EnderUK

parotet said:


> You have very cool propagators! Mine is just a small collection of plant bits I get from my tanks, from exchanging or in my field trips


 
The propagator costs about 3-4 quid from wilkos. I've then just stuck some draws with some holes in the bottom, from one of those small plastic storage racks I had lying around. Looks like your's is doing the same job but more space. I love the moss log addition


----------



## parotet

EnderUK said:


> I love the moss log addition


It was in my nano tank all covered with moss and it will go to my future nano plant vivarium. It was nearly abandoned and submerged in a bucket for two months (plenty of filamentous algae), then I trimmed the moss and let it grow again from scratch but in the propagator... and it grows very very well, looks like a very effective method for having a dense, healthy and fast moss growing

Jordi


----------



## tam

If I take the lid off for a photo I'm not sure it will go back on!


----------



## Vinkenoog1977

They look a bit shoddy at the moment, but like I said, I recently harvested almost all of the PH, and quite a bit MC and Umbrosum.


----------



## Andy Thurston

EnderUK said:


> Is this because I tried to hijack your other thread? Mines been running 3 weeks with a few scrappy plants I pulled out of my tank on failed carpet attempts. Window sill no extra heat though it has been warm in my flat don't know how they would do in winter.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> grass is going very slow.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> marsilea sent out new leaves quickly but really hasn't spread.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> sweet sweet baby tears.
> 
> Not bad after about 3 weeks of growth. I've trimmed them back and replanted, lets see how much I have after another month.


Kind of I was thinking about this thread when the hijackers arrived 
About three weeks, growth should start to speed up now then


parotet said:


> You have very cool propagators! Mine is just a small collection of plant bits I get from my tanks, from exchanging or in my field trips
> 
> 
> 
> Plant list: Myriophyllum matogrossense red, Hygrophila corymbosa, H. polysperma, Hydrocotyle tripartita, H. leucocephala. Vesicularia dubyana, Lomariopsis lineata, Anubias bartieri, Bolbilitis heleudotii, Microsorum trident, Rotala rotundifolia, Ludwigia repens, Anagallis tenellus, Asplenium trichomanes, Selaginella kraussiana, Saggitaria subulata, Eleocharis mini, Limnophila aromatica, L. sesiiliflora and a pair of unknown moss.
> 
> ... lot of diversity, few specimens
> 
> Jordi


It works. I'm going to try something in a small tub just to see if the heated propagator makes a difference to growth/health[DOUBLEPOST=1405629942][/DOUBLEPOST]





Vinkenoog1977 said:


> They look a bit shoddy at the moment, but like I said, I recently harvested almost all of the PH, and quite a bit MC and Umbrosum.


Looks like that needs thinning and restarting to get rid of the yellowing bits from underneath


----------



## Vinkenoog1977

In the process of doing that; have two new nano tanks coming tomorrow. I have an addiction. This makes numbers 6 and 7, in 4 months since restarting this hobby. Plus, I have about 10 "underwater gardens" lowtech things on the go. Are there support groups for people like me? 
Anways, the point was: they will be thinned out after this weekend, will be using quite a bit of the Umbrosum, and a fair amount of the MC, so should be good to go then. Have had yellow bits before, just a matter of too much sunlight/ not flipping the propagator 18o regulary, or a lower soil spot/ higher water, which leads to sun burns on the leaves.

One thing I have found, and which I think looks extremely cool, is that P. Helferi shows red tops when grown emersed, looks beautiful! Will try and shoot some pics of that, have it going in my Lido 120 now as well, in DSM, and it's starting to show red there already (3 weeks in).


----------



## Michael W

Vinkenoog1977 said:


> Are there support groups for people like me?



Of course! Send 'em our way


----------



## Vinkenoog1977

I'd like to become a member.

Hi, my name is Paul, I'm an aquascape-a-holic. I've been clean for 6 hours now, but I've got this itch man, this bad itch that needs scratching!


----------



## tim

Mines moss at the moment all bits of wood/rocks from previous scapes I chuck em in and see if it'll stay alive until I want to use them again.


----------



## parotet

I am also trying this for moss:


Just a cheap glass cube with a plastic lid on. The cube is placed on a window sill (1 hour of direct sun) and misted once or twice a day. Actually this is a little experiment for my nano vivarium: in the right part of the redmoor the Java moss was attached with cotton thread, and in the left part the moss was chopped and placed on the redmoor with a small brush.
Both work very well: water and quite a lot of light, there is no secret.

Jordi


----------



## Michael W

Tim and Jordi, what kinds of moss are you growing?

Edit: Just noticed Jordi you said Java Moss.


----------



## tam

Here they are...

Left to right: S. Repens, Hydrocotyle sp. Japan, HC




 


 

Left to right: Lilaeopsis Mauritiana, E. T Tenellus, Eleocharis parvula (and a bit of Crypt. Parva)


 


 

The befores where taken 2nd July, the afters today (18th). Wish the plants in my tank grew that well!


----------



## parotet

On post 19 it is Java moss. The log on post 9 is covered with another one. Not sure what it is. It looks like Java moss but is thicker and grows a bit downwards.

Jordi


----------



## tim

Michael W said:


> Tim and Jordi, what kinds of moss are you growing?
> 
> Edit: Just noticed Jordi you said Java Moss.


Hi Michael, Xmas moss on most of the wood with some fissidens on two bits, fissidens struggles and on the rocks is anchor moss this stuff does really well emersed ime.


----------



## Michael W

I don't think I have heard of anchor moss before, do you have a picture of it submerged Tim?


----------



## kirk

Oh go on then here's my effort well lack of, the back birds keep digging it all up.


----------



## kirk

Looking at all of yours, I have been inspired to go into the garden and clean the one up I got from a carboot for 2squid!!!.  Here it is cleaned up. I started our lettuce peas and beans off in it earlier in the year. I've

 yet to test the heating of it.


----------



## tim

Michael W said:


> I don't think I have heard of anchor moss before, do you have a picture of it submerged Tim?


Sort of  just below the exclamation point rasbora




I'll try and get a better pic of it over the weekend mate.


----------



## gar13

Hc cuba



glosso



my first emersed hc cuba and glossostigma  
About 2 month to fully grow in a pot
Just using garden soil for substrat


----------



## Vinkenoog1977

My way of propagating moss, any moss, is to chop it up, drop it in some tank water, put some kitchen foil over the top, and give it a semi-shady spot on the window sill; works a treat (when dry-starting moss, this is the perfect way to prestart it about 4-6 weeks, and then just add some blobs to wood and stone; I'll update Crimson Projekct soon to show the results from about 3 weeks of DSM with "prestarted" moss).


----------



## kirk

Just planted a few bits I'll will up date in a mth or so should they survive/ I remember to water them


----------



## Vinkenoog1977

Restarted my propagators today...

Micranthemum sp. "Monte Carlo"





Micranthemum Umbrosum & Micranthemum Micranthemoides





Rotala Rotundifolia & Rotala Rotundifolia sp. Green 





Let's see how this round goes... I hope as well as the previous one, cause I will be needing quite a bit of the MC and RR for rescapes in September. 

(sorry 'bout the crappy phone pics)


----------



## Andy Thurston

tim said:


> Hi Michael, Xmas moss on most of the wood with some fissidens on two bits, fissidens struggles and on the rocks is anchor moss this stuff does really well emersed ime.


I think fissidens is a true aquatic Tim and will do better if kept fairly wet


----------



## kirk

Whoops!!!!! Left mine out in the sun and they have boiled away


----------



## kirk

I will start again but in the shade  the hair grass is the only survivor.


----------



## GHNelson

hoggie


----------



## EnderUK

growing plants has never been so easy. So I have a load of baby tears, now what's the best method of introducing them back into the tank? Do you let them grow to to a nice height or is better to plant while they're still a couple of inchs in size?

next step will be to try rescuing the lugwiga sp.


----------



## kirk

EnderUK said:


> growing plants has never been so easy..


  go on rub it in why don't you


----------



## 4nton

Hello everyone!
Inspired by you all I also decided to set up a propagator to grow some HC for what is to become my first proper aquascape. It's been a week and I'm already beginning to see positive signs of growth.


----------



## Vinkenoog1977

Added a little experiment; typical garden soil covered with some gravel, piece of bogwood on there, and chucked on some Javafern-plantlets I saved from thinning out Indiscipline. Also, I added the Riccia I had left. Wondering if this will work, time will tell!


----------



## Andy Thurston

Big clown said:


> I'll probably have a few spare stems to get you started in a few weeks hoggie


Pm your address if you still want a few stems, can post today/tomorrow


----------



## 4nton

Recently I've noticed that small patches of algae have started to appear here and there in my propagator. Should I be concerned? Is it too wet? So far I've kept it wholly covered with cling film and only opened it to air it out every third day or so. The past week has also been unusually hot with a lot of sun and the window is facing the south.


----------



## tam

Mine's growing fine without standing water so you could try empting the tray and see if that helps


----------



## Andy Thurston

Small update
Trimmed left tray and sent some to a friend and used the rest to fill the right tray. Lets hope theres enough uk sun left to get a decent crop


----------



## EnderUK

well I harvested the sweet sweet baby tears and put them in my tank. I've swapped them for the lugwiga sp. I'll see how it does. Very happy with the crop, the roots were amazing.



















I just dug them out with a fork (don't tell the lass), washed them under the tap and planted.


----------



## tam

My tenellus grew flower stalks, but now they are growing roots and new leaves...



 
They are pretty cool - I think I like this better emersed than in the tank.


----------



## cenk

Hi to all,

I got two propogators, here they are 

first one; rotala bonsai and staurogyne repens. 20W 5600K cfl bulb.









and the second; Rotala Macrandra and Glosso Elaitinoides. 2 X 20W 5600K cfl bulb.


----------



## Andy Thurston

This got cut back to the substrate and forgot about
And by some miracle it survived and is still growing albeit very slowly


 
Amania bonsai anyone?


----------



## GHNelson

Hi Andy
I will have some for a emersed bowl....what else you got plant wise?
hoggie


----------



## Andy Thurston

Not a great deal at the mo i've just binned a load of monte carlo, crypts and pogostemon erectus from the cube


----------



## GHNelson

No problem...will have some anyway!
Got Monte Carlo/Crypt etc!


----------



## parotet

Little surprise this morning on my terrace propagator (= clear plastic container with bits of plants).



Rotala macrandra blooming... now that the photoperiod is shorter and temperatures lower (12-16C). 

Jordi


----------



## drodgers

You guys are giving me some great ideas (my wife is groaning in the background)


----------



## Andy Thurston

hogan53 said:


> No problem...will have some anyway!
> Got Monte Carlo/Crypt etc!


Sorry hoggie nearly forgot. I've lost your address shoot me a pm and let me know how many stems you want and i'll post them on mon/tue


----------



## Andy Thurston

Flowers in winter


----------



## GHNelson

Very Nice!
hoggie


----------



## navneethtk

My propagator. Actually more like a dump spot. A place where I put plants that i have no space for. 

In it there alternanthera reineckii mini, java moss, peacock moss, thiudium sp., monte carlo and selaginella sp


----------



## navneethtk

Just propagated some from my propagater 





A full shot. 





Peacock moss flowering 

sent from my Sony z2


----------



## zanguli-ya-zamba

Just a quick pictures of my propagator. 










This is just a small propagator I construct in 10 minutes. My big propagator is a pond. 

Cheers 


Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk


----------



## zanguli-ya-zamba

Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk


----------



## navneethtk

Just propagated and sold some reineckii mini from my propagater. 

sent from my Sony z2


----------



## Greenfinger2

Hi Andy, Cool thread  My latest  Fiss strings  Hoping it will look like a ivy growing up a tree? When twisted round a DW piece  ???


----------



## Andy Thurston

thats a cool idea


----------



## Greenfinger2

Hi All, Thank you  Its not my idea I nicked it off the www . We will see how it go's


----------



## navneethtk

Some new emersed setups of mine for storing and propagating. 

Hygrophila compacta 





Cryptocoryne nevilii just newly potted with first new leaves 




Bolbitis heudolotii getting first new leaves 





I like product photography so I did this for my potted Cryptocoryne wendtii (more of these can be seen on my page: facebook.com/greenshackindia) 




A part of my emersed storage unit. Has just half an inch of water. Everything is stored in pots.




Some closeups of what other pots I've potted and grown. Sadly lost few plants because it hailed heavily while I wasn't home. 





Cryptocoryne wendtii spathe 




sent from my Sony z2


----------



## stu_

Right then,first effort at this lark.
E.Tennelus (can't remember its new name) .Started 4 weeks ago.
First tray;*unheated*, but *direct sunlight*
3 weeks growth= rubbish



Second tray;*heated prop*,*no direct sunlight *
 
2 weeks
 
4 weeks
 
Lots of runners already,plus it's starting to flower
 

Moved the first tray in with the second one in the heated prop.
It's already picking backing up.


----------



## ismayandi

wow lots of live there...


----------



## PedroB

Greenfinger2, any updates on the fissidens string? It's a really cool idea, I tried replicating it with no sucsess...


----------



## PedroB

Here are mine, I wouldn't call them propagators, they're more like jars of green things I experiment with.


----------



## Greenfinger2

PedroB said:


> Greenfinger2, any updates on the fissidens string? It's a really cool idea, I tried replicating it with no sucsess...



Hi Pedro, Not a lot happened it did grow a little  So letting it dry out in the jar on the string.As when I tried on rock it failed and it dry out. When I used the rock in a scape a month or so later the fiss started to grow again and had attached to the rock  So trying the same sort of thing again Will be using it in one of my new scapes.When i come back from holiday 

Great plant growth you have there  A little Wabi- Kusa in a jar


----------



## PedroB

Looking forward to seeing it, This could be a new visual element to aquascaping


----------



## Andy Thurston

PedroB said:


> Here are mine, I wouldn't call them propagators, they're more like jars of green things I experiment with.


like mini bottle gardens! nice Idea


----------



## ismayandi

looks like magical bottle gardens....


----------



## navneethtk

Eriocaulon quinquangular and Eriocaulon parkerii in my emersed set up. 




Sent from my D6502 using Tapatalk


----------



## navneethtk

Ammania bonsai in my emersed pot  

Sent from my D6502 using Tapatalk


----------



## Greenfinger2

PedroB said:


> Greenfinger2, any updates on the fissidens string? It's a really cool idea, I tried replicating it with no sucsess...




Hi Pedro, Well I let it dry out then attached it to some DW And have just put it in my Cube about 3 weeks ago it coming back to life slowly but it there 

How things going with your projects ?


----------



## Greenfinger2

Hi All This is my Wab-Kusa keeper and Propagator. Old tank 36"x 15 x 18 With 2 30w 6500k garden flood as lighting


----------



## PedroB

Just tried something, it might not work but I gave ot a try.

Since my propagators are closed jars, I've added a small birthday candle and lit it then immediately closed the jar, letting the flame extinguish itself and hopefully burning all the O2 and producing CO2 (and some CO as well I know...).

Would this be a good way of adding CO2? I'm thinking of doing this in the morning when I can (letting plants produce O2 during the day and spending it during the night)


----------



## Greenfinger2

PedroB said:


> Just tried something, it might not work but I gave ot a try.
> 
> Since my propagators are closed jars, I've added a small birthday candle and lit it then immediately closed the jar, letting the flame extinguish itself and hopefully burning all the O2 and producing CO2 (and some CO as well I know...).
> 
> Would this be a good way of adding CO2? I'm thinking of doing this in the morning when I can (letting plants produce O2 during the day and spending it during the night)



Hi Pedro, Why  The plants get all the Co2 they need from the air surrounding them in the jar.


----------



## PedroB

I'm keeping the jars sealed now and CO2 gets used during the day, so I thought I could make them grow a bit quicker if I supplemented the air with extra CO2.


----------



## Greenfinger2

PedroB said:


> I'm keeping the jars sealed now and CO2 gets used during the day, so I thought I could make them grow a bit quicker if I supplemented the air with extra CO2.



The Experts will know more. The plants will grow at the same rate as they do in normal air. They only take what they need the extra Co2 will just be wasted. It like pumping Co2 in from a Co2 system its just wasting the Co2 and of no benefit to the plant.


----------

