Penny Wort (Hydrocotyle species)

[duanes]

Always on the lookout for ntrate consuming plants to add to the sump, one of the local guys showed a couple weeks ago up with Penny wort(Hydrocotyle), he had discovered growing in a temporary rain pool in the hills of Taboga, and pulled up a couple for me. He shows up regularly with interesting plants from the forest for the garden, and I give him $5.

That was about 2 weeks ago, and although the large floating leaves have melted, new leaves are starting to emerge.

 

[RyanScanner]

Looks great and healthy, surely with such a heavily planted sump you would be nitrogen deficient. Or do you supplement as well?

 

[duanes]

Since the plants grow like crazy
I have never felt there was a need to supplement anything, there 20 cichlids in the main tank (almost daily feeding), and with terrrestrial leaf litter that falls in the tank, nutrient load is no joke
Here is a shot from the side Ibefore the penny wort was added.




A shot from slight above the sump

 

[RyanScanner]

I guess being out doors and so well established it probably has the entire ecology at work. All the bacterial and micro invertebrates, reproducing and dying and consuming the leaf litter. Everything you’ve got just grows so perfectly with minimal maintenance. Or is there a survival bias? I’m just curious because I’m starting to think I’m doing it wrong trying to control everything.

 

[duanes]

Being outside, and at the mercy of the elements I figure there are few thing I actually have control of, other than water changes.
So if a plant works naturally, with my hard, high pH water and intense sunlight , there's no way to force it.
I also live less than 50 ft from the Pacific, so whatever plants (or fish) goes in the tank, must be able to handle the salty breezes.
Probably why the Vallisneria did well (seems to like a little satll) but the Amazon swords quickly melted.
Same with the mangrove trees, the seed pods were found floating in the sea, so they can obviously take it.
As you can see, leaf litter constantly falls in the tank I miss, and breaks down.

And the biggest problem with mangroves are caterpillers
that eat the leaves, until they get noticed, and re disposed of.