Limnofila Water - tropical plant, preferring natural reservoirs and swamps of Southeast Asia. In his homeland, it is considered to be a weed grass, which is mercilessly destroying to protect the rice fields from her. But not so long ago, Ambulia began to contain in home aquariums due to its delightful external characteristics and useful properties.
Aquarium types of vegetation
Since the water flower breeding began to be engaged relatively recently - only 30 years ago, aquarium culture was many appreciated. Its popularity is due to the unpretentiousness of the plant. Despite this, you need to know the basic requirements for the care of ambulia, so that the plant remains healthy, beautiful and periodically flourished.
For aquarium breeding, three varieties of equatorial vegetation are most adapted:
- Water (or royal) Ambulia - Limnophila Aquatica;
- Aromatic - Limnophila Aromatica;
- Sydyatachevytova - Limnophila Sessiliflora.
Today in the world there are 35 species of lymanophiles, but most of them are not suitable for aquaries. This is due to the fact that in the artificial reservoir, the content of representatives of the tropical flora represents a certain complexity. In particular, it concerns Indian variety of Limnophila Indica plants. In case of damage to the leaves or stem, Ambulia highlights a poison that can lead to the death of other inhabitants of the aquarium.
This vegetation can be cultivated only separately from fish and snails in a personal tank, in general it is unpretentious to environmental conditions.
Royal
Aquarium plant Royal Ambulia (Limnophila Aquatica) is distinguished by a lush-shaped crown formed by numerous tightly growing leaflets, deeply dissected around the edges. They are narrow, extremely soft and gentle, have a lamellar morphology, thanks to the longitudinal division of cells on the same assembly of the axial organ of the plant (the kidney of the leaf sinus) can be located up to 10-13 leaves.
The stem has a long and rather thick, in diameter is about 6 mm, but it is difficult to see it for the uphill thick green mass, which it supports in a vertical position. At home, for this species, it will take a sufficient amount of water, since the lymnophila grows up to 0.5 m high, but in the wild it is capable of reaching 1 m. For this reason, its other name is gigantic.
The spherical top of the plant with curly curls of greenery is large and forms a circle at 12 cm. In addition to its magnificent decorative species, it has a beneficial effect on the aquarium microenide due to the filtering function.
A feature of Ambulia is Its amazing mode, providing for hours of sleep and wakefulness. Closer to 9 o'clock in the evening, the plant folds his leaves, even bright lighting in this can prevent her. Wakes up "Sleeping Beauty" in the mornings, the blossom of its luxurious emerald green crown.
If it competently contain lymannophila in artificial conditions, it can throw out a plurality of small blue flowers, becoming a real decoration of the underwater interior.
Ambulia in aquarium may feel comfortable if a number of requirements are performed.
- An exotic plant needs a lot of light, so the light day should be 10-12 hours. When the lighting is not enough, the stalks can be very pulled out.
- The preferred water temperature is 23-28 degrees, lower parameters detain grass growth.
- Soil can serve as small gravel, pebbles or sand with a small amount of clay for the development of the root system. Soil requires constant cleaning from different growths and yals.
- Limnofila feels well in clean water, so you should install the filtering system and additionally carry out water substitution once a week.
The royal lymannophila is breeding, sharing the roots that first have to be cautiously unravel, and then sear. It can be done with the help of cuttings - they are cut at a distance of 20 cm from the top of the plant. Slap kids is needed 3 cm from other bushes.
Ambulia is well combined with any thermal-loving decorative fish, and it is desirable to plant it near the rear wall of the aquarium, where it will create an exotic background from openwork thickets.
Sydiachevytskaya
The plant is also called a dwarf ambuli. In the grass, a straight and high stalk with reddish and green leaves resembling feathers. When he grows to the surface, a large number of young twigs depart from him, densely destroying the surface of water. Thus, the plant can grow both under water and above it. With good lemnophila care forming beautiful white flowers. The dimensions of the adult plant: width - from 4 to 7 cm, height - from 15 to 40 cm.
Conditions needed for normal tropical grass life:
- Warm water: not lower than 18 and no higher than 30 degrees;
- The plant does not have the ability to grow on the stones, so it is better to place at the bottom of the sand with a thickness of 6 to 10 cm, and if iron is contained in the soil, then the shade of leaves is likely to be reddish;
- In the case of a dwarf Ambulia, a small presence of a role does not play, moreover, it is used to it as a nutritional supplement;
- The optimal acidity of the medium is 5-8 units, despite the stiffness can be different - from 0 to 20 units.
A sedental variety is not too demanding about lighting, but with a long scarce light looks shine and not so attractive. It is very easy to damage the gentle and extremely vulnerable root system of vegetation, so the purification of the soil should be carried out with caution.
Turning order, periodically it is necessary to shake the bushes of plants, Since it filters any small particles that are in water, restoring the ecological equilibrium of artificial reservoir.
We define the lymannophil with cuttings with a size of 10 cm, which immediately plant in the ground. Already in a few days, the grass will be rooted and begins to live an independent life.
Aromatics
Distinctive property of Ambulia fragrant - The constant change of growth point (every 7 cm), which is why it can be both represented and accumulating along the bottom. The size of the bushes in diameter reaches 17 cm. The leaves have a different color gamut: from a salad-green to brown, the lower side of them often happens a purple color. The form of leaves is pointed to the tip, all of them are the same length. In one mutant there are about 8 pieces.
The purple tone of the leaflets acquire, being in the surface of the aquarium, and the shape of them becomes more rounded, it may be a sign that flowers will soon appear.
Aromatics - the most complex plant in the content, for which the tank is required with the walls of at least 50 cm and the volume of 80 liters. The vital activity and the appearance of the grass depends on the hydrochemical characteristics of the water.
Required parameters:
- rigidity - within 3-14 units;
- Acidity - from 5.5 to 7 units;
- temperature - 23-28 degrees.
With lower and high temperatures, the growth and development of Ambulia ceases, and the composition is largely affected by the color of the leaves. Water must be constantly cleaned using filters, And also replace 1/4 volume. It is impossible to exceed this digit, as this can lead to undesirable changes in water parameters.
Lack of light (less than 10-13 hours per day) causes the pallor of leaves. With good lighting with lamps at 0.8 W / l, the plant acquires red. Also, the lymanophile requires feeding with iron, phosphates, nitrates, potassium and spraying carbon dioxide, without which the normal flow of photosynthesis processes is impossible. As for the soil, then For the plant, sandstone or fine pebbles will suit the plant, a mixture with a high content of iron is placed on the bottom.
Aromatics need periodic trimming of the upper escapes to eliminate the shading of the lower sheets leading to their rotting. Ambulia to multiply should be cuttings that form the root system and begin to grow after 2-3 weeks or a little later. It is permissible to breed grass in a vegetative way. For this, the side stems with several well-developed leaves are separated.
An exotic plant of 3, 5 and 7 bushes are planted, because so the thickets look more aesthetically, rather than in the back or middle background, where they are often cut. The main rule is not to plant tight.
More information about the features of Ambulia, see the next video.