Mike62
New Member
Thought my experiences with this plant may be of interest. I have a very large now, approx. 12 year old A. madagascariensis which is doing really well ( perhaps too well) in a soft water 200L aquarium with aquatic compost overlain with Fluval Stratum and fine(ish) sand, which has flowered a number of times.
The only quite major problem I have had with this plant is that its leaves can be a potential death trap for small fish. On three occassions I have had to save three fish, one Beckfords Pencil which sadly perished, and two X Ray Tetras which survived, having all been netted in its perforated leaves. Bit of a dilema really, I struggled to grow this plant and remember decades ago this was considered to be specialist only and hard to grow and the pinnacle species for any aquarist to grow ( how things have changed) and hate the thought of having to remove and consign to the compost bin. So a cautionary tale for anyone with small fish considering this plant or vice versa.
The only quite major problem I have had with this plant is that its leaves can be a potential death trap for small fish. On three occassions I have had to save three fish, one Beckfords Pencil which sadly perished, and two X Ray Tetras which survived, having all been netted in its perforated leaves. Bit of a dilema really, I struggled to grow this plant and remember decades ago this was considered to be specialist only and hard to grow and the pinnacle species for any aquarist to grow ( how things have changed) and hate the thought of having to remove and consign to the compost bin. So a cautionary tale for anyone with small fish considering this plant or vice versa.
