Sulawesi plants

**mincedmeat** · 20th Feb 2012, 10:49

Anyone knows where in Singapore that I can get my hands on some Sulawesi plants? Would you think Mizu world would carry any?

Would they need soil to thrive in, or coral sand is fine? I have a Sulawesi tank and would like to add one or two plants in it together with the anubias nana as well as the mosses I have.

**stormhawk** · 20th Feb 2012, 16:29

First plant you might consider getting is Ottelia mesenterium. I have no idea what type of substrate it likes, but perhaps Matt can help you with that.

List of plants found in 3 lakes according to an Indonesian site:

Lake Matano

Species Red Data Book Cites
Calophyllum sp.
Cyperus halpan
Cyperus pumilus
Eleocharis atropurpurea
Eleocharis dulcis
Eleocharis geniculata
Eriocaulon longifolium
Fimbristylis celebica
Fimbristylis dichotoma
Fimbristylis schoenoides
Fuirena umbellata

Lepironia articulata
Lycopodium cernuum
Machaerina disticha
Najas graminea
Nepenthes mirabilis
Nymphoides parvifolia
Ottelia alismoides
Ottelia mesenterium
Panicum repens
Phragmites karka
Rhynchospora corymbosa
Rhynchospora rubra
Scirpus mucronatus
Scleria poaeformis
Utricularia bifida

Lake Towuti
Alternanthera sessilis
Blyxa auberti
Colocasia esculenta
Cyperus compactus
Cyperus cyperoides
Eleocharis dulcis
Fimbristylis celebica
Fimbristylis dichotoma
Fimbristylis globulosa
Ipomoea aquatica
Lepironia articulata
Limnocharis flava
Ludwigia adscendens
Machaerina disticha
Monochoria vaginalis
Najas graminea
Nepenthes mirabilis
Nymphoides parvifolia
Ottelia alismoides
Ottelia mesenterium
Paspalum sp.
Polygonum pulchrum

Originally posted by billb at this thread: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ta...-4-21-a-2.html

**mincedmeat** · 20th Feb 2012, 16:44

This looks awfully familiar! I think I saw it it a thread (which is now deleted - not too sure why also) on a sulawesi setup. Tried looking for some of the plants on mizu world but doesn't seem like they carry any of those. I might just opt for the alternatives - which are plants that are able to thrive in high pH. I already have nana on driftwood as well as xmas moss on lava rocks so we will see how it goes.

**stormhawk** · 20th Feb 2012, 16:47

From the Lake Matano list, hairgrass is probably the best option.

**Jovel** · 20th Feb 2012, 22:08

yet plants need nutrients to survive right? most of us are going for inert gravel or shrimp soil, some even coral substrate, making the water too hard to grow anything. Any recommendations on soil that doesn't lower the PH so much?

**mincedmeat** · 20th Feb 2012, 22:52

I would suggest the benibachi golden soil since it buffers at pH7.2

It might be worth experimenting that half of the tank is filled with the golden soil, and the half with coral sand + coral chips. In time, the water parameters should be able to reach a compromise of above pH 7.6, which I suppose would work for a Sulawesi tank. This is just something I thought of off the cuff and might not work, but like I said earlier it is worth experimenting.