Hi Carl,
What is APP?
Hi Carl,
What is APP?
My new blog about field trip, aquascaping, DIY and etc. http://dominicanrepublica.blogspot.com
APP aka Ah Pek Plants, it's actually elatine triandra.
Carl,
I think it would be difficult as this is a very nutrient hungry plant and grow very fast under the right conditions like high light, good CO2, NO3, PO4, low temp, etc. It would form a nice carpet. See my old setup:
As you see I had spaced them away from the glass edge and the neighbouring plants. In less than 3 weeks from here, they would overgrow and require trimming. That's the headache.
Notice the star grass, they are beautiful plant and creep low and nice behind the APP carpet. It has the same requirements as APP.
If you don't mind me saying - I think we should stop using the name APP, now that the correct scientific name (Elatine triandra) is known. As far as I know, the APP name is used only by Singaporean hobbyists and this confuses those who live in other countries. I can understand the need for a common name but frankly, I think it's really silly to call a plant after the fish farm owner who first sold it.
If "Ah Pek" was the person who discovered the plant or if he was the one who "tissue cultured" and hybridise it, it would be perfectly alright but to name the plant after him just because he was the first to sell it? Come on, folks, don't you realise you're helping to promote his business everytime you use the APP name?
Loh K L
fc, that is nice and healthy. Mind to let me know your tank spec like temperature, lighting, co2 and etc? Lot of friends trying to grow them and none of them are success. By the way, we called it ET in Kuala Lumpur.
My new blog about field trip, aquascaping, DIY and etc. http://dominicanrepublica.blogspot.com
Dominic,
Thank you for the compliments.
Thank you KL for the comments, yes, we should always use the latin name.
Elatine Triandra is not really a demanding plant in my encounter, frankly. I started with just a pot of it, it was frail/fragile looking and very small (the leafs were about 1/4 the size in the pic). It always come in this form but don't be intimate by the look. Once planted and stabilise which took about 2~3 weeks, they will soon grow from strength to strength.
Like most plants, they like:
1) rich substrate - I inject (using stringe) a cocoon of traces and all macros into to substrate at 2 inch under because my substrate is depleted long time ago. The plant roots are about 1~1.5 inch long and feed mainly on the substrate's nutrients.
2) moderate water column nutrient level with emphasis on NO3 and PO4.
3) moderate to high light - 0.5~1.0 watts per litre. I used flourescence tubes.
4) water temp at/below 28 degree celcius - 4 inch fan cooling is suffice
5) high CO2 level - above 25ppm. For tank of more than 150 litres, reactor is highly recommended.
See another angle of the setup:
BTW, to all my friends here, I am now in Brunei, doing a small project.
Hi Freddy, thanks for the information. The stargrass looks great too.
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