Taking Plants from natural source

[lindsayanng]

I know that it is a big no no to take fish from a natural pond source, but what about plants? There is a reservoir supply pond near us that has the most beautiful water plants, and they are having a "spring cleanup" where they are having volunteers remove overgrown areas and invasive plants.. Some of those plants are water hyacinth and water lilies.. They want to clear a fishing area where people wade in.

So they allow volunteers to take plants home.. i think its the only time of the yeqar where its legal to do it.. And I know that they will not have been blooming yet, but I went down there, and you can see last years lillie pads attached to the new growth, so you can get some really nice plants.

What are my risks? I have room to quarantine them... WIll that help ?

 

[razornick]

Beware of hitchhikers. I had a massive leech outbreak.

 

[lindsayanng]

eww.. never even THOUGHT of that..

Is there a good washing system or quarantine system so you can avoid that

 

[DrDave]

Soak them in chlorinated tap water for several hours before adding them to your pond. Use several containers to soak and rinse before adding to your pond.

 

[lindsayanng]

THAT i can do... We used to do that when buying plants from PetCo for our aquarium.. You all know, i'm sure, how horrible petco can be to fish..

Just in anyone is curious.. here is what our planted tanks look like:
(small tank before it was fully grown)

fully grown tank

another one

pennywart

 

[lindsayanng]

last one

and a shrimp for good luck

 

[stroppy]

my they look really good .:icon_smile:.. what that grass like plant ?

 

[lindsayanng]

It's called dwarf hair grass. It's hard to grow underwater because it's a bog plant and usually should be able to stick out but you CAN grow it underwater with CO2 injection.

 

[oldmarine]

I have some really nice Horse Tail Rush that I picked up a few years back near here on Ruston Way at the north end of Tacoma in a marshy area. I had them in a pot for two years before I knew they would grow in a pond near the surface. Like a marshy area.

They are beautiful and are easy to care for in or out of the pond. I found out from experience that they need to be separated and repotted every other year. Share them with you friends.

I have had no problems with any hitch hikers or any other critters that might have come along creating any problems.

 

[DrCase]

I had to get rid of the horse tail here ,it gets out of control..
Linsayanng your tanks look real nice..it been foever since i had fish in the house..

 

[DrDave]

Oldmarine
Just curious, If you live in Washington, why do you have an Iowa website in your signature?

 

[lindsayanng]

thanks Dr.Case.. My husband LOVES our tanks.. we did have to downsize. We had a 150 gallon (no pictures) with discus, but our little business got SUPER busy and we didnt have time for them.. and we all know how much TIME fish are.. especially in a little tank - with plants! We still have tanks though.. and we love them. I am now pushing him to set up a biocube on my desk with dwarf puffers.. my absolute FAVORITE

 

[razornick]

Horsetail rush looks great but hard to control. Does anyone who reads this forum have a creative tip on containment? I suppose pots without holes would work until the rush became pot-bound. But that would happen pretty quick.

 

[oldmarine]

I have always kept Giant or Rough Horsetail Rush potted in a pot for above ground or in the pond. In the wild this type of Horsetail Rush can grow up to five feet tall. So far my Horsetail Rush' have only grown to four feet high. Each year take the root bound mass and cut it into forths and repot as needed. Throw away any unwanted portions you don't want or need.

Here in the Tacoma area we have a plant what looks simular to the other Horsetail Rush. It is called Field Horsetail Rush, it only gets about a foot high and looks like a bottle brush. This stuff spreads like wild fire by sending out runners, and will take over anywhere the roots can travel. I would strongly recommend killing off any of this variety that pop up near your property.