Is Bucephalandra for the well off?

[greenie]

I believe it is a matter of time this topic crops up. Me being out of the scene for a long while decided to start this hobby.

Saw this new (to me) plant species an start to admire it's beauty. I was taken aback by the seeming high price of this plant.

1 stalk can cost as much as $20-$50 depending on sub-type.

After much searching and thought, I decided to hands off this plant until farms start to cultivate en masse. Thus lowering prices.

I also believe some people are taking advantage of the high price and demand to remove these plants from nature thus destroying what ever is left in the wild.

This type of exploitation I cannot tolerate. I remember last time 1 pot of HC cost $30. But unlike HC, there are so many Bucephalandra species that prices will remain this way for a long while.

To those keeping Bucephalandra, do you know where yours came from or you don't bother to care?

Comments?

[barmby]

Click An easy plant to grow Some snippets. Nothing new. But I thought consumer behaviour is that Expensive good, people will start playing. Soltari007, correct? ** wink **

Who wants to buy my wendtii? ; ) Cryptocoryne. Free? LOL

[David]

Click An easy plant to grow Some snippets. Nothing new. But I thought consumer behaviour is that Expensive good, people will start playing. Soltari007, correct? ** wink **

Who wants to buy my wendtii? ; ) Cryptocoryne. Free? LOL

So where do I get some?

[cherabin]

I can keep anubias, ferns and most slow growing plants. But after buying 3 stalks of bucephalandras, I threw in the towel and decided to not buy any for the time being. Reason: they are very fantastic algae magnets for me.

[David]

That bad?....any specific type of algae it attracts?

[TS168]

Most common factor that allow algae to take conquer out tank is mainly heat. As most of us do not use any cooling system to maintain low temperature for our planted tank.
and with addition hr of strong lighting, and more fertilisation into the tank. Sooner or later one will give up.

Over crowding is also another factor as most hobbist want a planted tank but can't resist adding more beautiful fish into their tank. more fish mean more shit and unbalance the water quality.
Then alage will move in. How to solve it? need alot of patience and effort to defend your plant and tank.

For me being a plant lover, i avoid adding to many fishes. So i only keep afew little Boraras brigittae to safe guard my water plus they are a beauty in my eye when they turn chilli red.

This is just my 2cents thought. Thanks.

[barmby]

David, BBA, all time favourite of AQ

[David]

Gosh...I really dislike the abbv. BBA...LOL

[cherabin]

Yes, BBA loves to attack my bucephalandras.

I fully support what greenie has mentioned about local farms cultivating bucephalandras for the benefit of us hobbyists. If Teos farm can successfully cultivate and propagate these en mass, I will buy buy buy and surely so will everyone.

[David]

Unless some one steps forward and donate plant specimen to him....I am sure his years of experience, he will succeed.

[barmby]

Knowing Teo he will keep these plants emersed so to propagate them quickly. But it is different thing when the plant go submersed. Similar issue when hobbyists switch Hemianthus callitrichoides from emersed to submersed

[David]

He now does submersed as well.....I got most plants submersed from him....

[greenie]

Yes, BBA loves to attack my bucephalandras.

I fully support what greenie has mentioned about local farms cultivating bucephalandras for the benefit of us hobbyists. If Teos farm can successfully cultivate and propagate these en mass, I will buy buy buy and surely so will everyone.

If Teo's can get hold of some of the bucephalandras, that will be good news for most of us and bad news for the scalpers. I can only see great benefit from that as the plants in the wild will not be plundered and diminish.

Not to mention, everyone get to afford them. A win-win situtation.

[David]

@greenie...I like the way you use the word scalpers....LOL

[felix_fx2]

@david, i think he meant what i describe as dolphins aka Flippers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticket_resale

[limz_777]

the local farm have not started on bucep cultivation ? any idea oriental started on it ?

[soltari007]

Click An easy plant to grow Some snippets. Nothing new. But I thought consumer behaviour is that Expensive good, people will start playing. Soltari007, correct? ** wink **

Who wants to buy my wendtii? ; ) Cryptocoryne. Free? LOL

Haha just saw this think it's expensive at source, if it isn't I would have bought so much more! Granted there are many scalpers around who want to make a few bucks out of these plants, meaning collectors like me suffer That said, bucephalandra are intrinsically beautiful plant, just so bloody slow to grow (one leaf per week/fortnight to test your patience anyone?) and hence not really worth cultivating compared to HC. That said, if more hobbyists keep these plants then there should soon be a resale market for submersed variants next time. To me the fun part of keeping these guys is seeing how each variant changes, sometimes dramatically, when they convert to submersed state. Certainly not one for the impatient types for sure!

Just my humble 2 cents..

[AQMS]

@soltari007 - i agreed with you it expensive because of the source.
it is not entirely true about the growth rate because some species grow faster than others. It depend on the species. Bigger leaves and bigger roots equal faster rate of growth.
Over time the Bucep growth accelerates.In my opinion, the slow growth is an advantage, and makes them really valuable plants.
And certainly not for the impatient types.

@ cherabin - i had 2 species of bucep for a month plus now,no bba so i have to disagree with you about
it being an bba magnet.
@ Greenie - Yes, i do care of where my buceps came from and totally on board for the local farms to cultivate the buceps