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U. graminifolia suspended

A year or 2 ago, I remember seeing elgecko's approach to growing utrics suspended over a pool of water. Since then, I'd always wanted to give it a try. When I saw RSS's great efforts with U. graminifolia over here, I figured the time had come. When I got some a few months ago, I stuck a chunk in a small pot & placed it on top of a jar filled with water - similar to what French3z did over here. I covered the jar with a sleeve to avoid algae issues (based on elgecko's recommendations). I had set up several pots in different conditions & this one always seemed to have the worst growth - very sparse & small leaves.
Ugraminifolia090409RS.jpg



Finally, one day I decided to slide the sleeve down & see if there was any growth below the surface ...
Ugraminifoliaunderwater090409RS.jpg

So that's where the energy was going. Even though virtually no light gets to the water pool, the plant still makes quite a few 'leaves' (photosynthetically-modified / adapted stolons)(is that right?). Several weeks ago, I took a small piece of U. longifolia and placed it in a similar (but larger) setup. One of things I've noticed with it, is that it forms 'leaves' if the stolons come out above the level of the water and regular 'roots' if below the water level. Since I started to notice this, I've attempted to keep the bottle full - but since the sleeve keeps me from seeing the level - I keep forgetting to check...

Here is an attempt at a close-up view of some of the traps. Between the poor macro facilities on my little point & shoot camera & the distortions from the circular bottle surface - this was as good as I could get. Still - interesting to be able to see the traps this clearly. Anyone have a culture of vinegar eels they want to share so I can try feeding the bladders?
Ugraminifoliatraps090409RS.jpg
 
Oh, kewl! :)
 
Terrific bladder shot, none-the-less.
 
I gotta do that next year... set up a styro lid over a plastic storage container, with accommodating holes to suspend the pots.
 
Ron,
Looking good.
I may have to grow a few this way again.
 
awsome! I'm trying that now too... bu the plants I have are very small and will probly take a long time to do what urs did, lol. Very nice!
 
awsome! I'm trying that now too... bu the plants I have are very small and will probly take a long time to do what urs did, lol. Very nice!
This was started with a small ~1/2" piece in the center of the pot (very visible in 1st pic) about 3 months ago (maybe less). I suspect that a lot of growth was going on before I ever looked ... ???
 
I've noticed the same thing with leaves growing inside my pumping lines, not getting pumped in there, growing into the lines and then growing leaves in the dark black tubing. Very odd. I unpotted a U. calycifida this morning because it was just never growing well and wanted to try a different medium and what did I find....a very well grown plant under the medium.......The leaves were perfect, really odd.

If you provide graminifolia with conditions it likes you will be surprised by its growth rate. Its a sight to see.

I would recommend water fleas myself.
 
I would recommend water fleas myself.
I'm planning on getting a daphnia culture when I get some of the larger utrics growing bladders in the water column (I'd really love to see a bladder catch a water flea) :-O but I thought they might be too large for these bladders ... no? I figured the 'eels' should work for any size trap.
 
  • #10
The interesting thing about the bladders is, they don't have to fit completetly into the bladders, they can be digested in stages. Part of the bug will reclose the trap and allow the bladder to reseal around the bug and reset itself while the trapped part is digested and when it is reset the live half of the bug will move and trigger the trap pulling more of it in! Its really something to see with things like mosquito larva and the like.

Some of the water fleas may be too large but thats a good thing, you want a larger, safer breeding group right?
 
  • #11
I think I might do this suspended bladderwort idea. Will it work with Utricularia Livida? What about Calcifida?
 
  • #12
I think I might do this suspended bladderwort idea. Will it work with Utricularia Livida? What about Calcifida?

You would ideally want an terrestrial and emergent aquatic like graminifolia or nephrophylla.

Both lividia and calycifida are listed as terrestrial only. I'm not saying don't try it these lists are only guidelines and sometimes we can "get away" with alot of odd things, but just be aware you are heading into the unconventional areas with those 2 species. Sometimes they are just flat wrong :-O, and we all know how much effort the hobby has put into growing :poke: Utric's.

I've never tried growing these 2 that wet so I can't help any more.

Anyway you are not likely to hurt the plants at all in this sort of a set-up so I'd say go for it and see. If they feel like growing down into the water they can or they can just keep growing in the soil. Keep us posted!
 
  • #13
I had U. calycifida growing that way.
 
  • #14
The interesting thing about the bladders is, they don't have to fit completetly into the bladders, they can be digested in stages. Part of the bug will reclose the trap and allow the bladder to reseal around the bug and reset itself while the trapped part is digested and when it is reset the live half of the bug will move and trigger the trap pulling more of it in! Its really something to see with things like mosquito larva and the like.
Very interesting! I knew that they would capture cylindrical critters that wouldn't fit all the way in & just digest part of the critter but I'd never heard that they could continue to 'pull' the critter in & digest the remainder also. As for the daphnia, I didn't think they were small enough to even get partially captured. Wish I would have thought about the mosquito larvae before I just dumped some out last week...

Some of the water fleas may be too large but thats a good thing, you want a larger, safer breeding group right?
I do want a breeding group but not necessarily in my utric bowls... It seems that their requirements are different.

I've just set up some U. humboldtii in an attempt to have the bladders suspended & visible and hope to have some U. nelumbifolia set up that way in the not-too-distant future. So far, the humbo's are sending up new leaves - which hopefully means they're not trying to die on me ... :beer:
 
  • #15
Very interesting! I knew that they would capture cylindrical critters that wouldn't fit all the way in & just digest part of the critter but I'd never heard that they could continue to 'pull' the critter in & digest the remainder also. As for the daphnia, I didn't think they were small enough to even get partially captured. Wish I would have thought about the mosquito larvae before I just dumped some out last week...

Its mainly the babies that would be eaten the adults would just be there to provide the babies. We had some breeding in some 1-2 gallon containers last summer to feed the killi's and the babies were about the size of a pin head, so I'd say they would be perfect for most Utric's. With the larger bladdered Utirc's you would want something else or they would eat your breeders. I could see the adults getting sucked into an adult bladder of one of the larger Utric's.

I do want a breeding group but not necessarily in my utric bowls... It seems that their requirements are different.

I've just set up some U. humboldtii in an attempt to have the bladders suspended & visible and hope to have some U. nelumbifolia set up that way in the not-too-distant future. So far, the humbo's are sending up new leaves - which hopefully means they're not trying to die on me ... :beer:

Hopefully you'll have better luck than me with humboldtii leaves, mine only last about 2 months then they turn brown. I'm missing something and I can't figure out what. I'm ahead of the curve and the plant is growing but I'm not quite providing it what it wants :crazy:. Hopefully with the summer almost over the cooler winter temps will be the answer I'm looking for.

Looking over at the healthy happy H. minor sitting next to it ??? :crazy: :boogie: :banana2: Maybe its not the temps.
 
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