(not from the net!)
I just wanted to say that I love the Vallinserias! I have two in a planted tank and I wouldn’t dare consider cutting them. Nothing is more beautiful than watching the long leaves sway back and forth in the water. They add a certain fullness to the tank that no other plant could do.
Nice grass that grows extremly fast. Silver Dollar resistant. I bought one of these about 6 months ago. Now it has grown to 20+ new plants. I have had some shoots grow to over two metres. Mine did come with snails too. Not that I knew at the time. I bought some Clown Loaches recently and now they have an All-you-can-eat-buffet.
Frankly speaking, I like this plant, too. I've bought some, but none of them are doing well in my 75 L community tank. It seems that some fish in my tank like picking on their long, narrow leaves, especially swordtails. Possibly, they're mistaking it to the flakes. Angels and gouramies tend to be cleverer about this. As a result, I wouldn't recommend it to people having fish that requires high vegetable content in its diet.
This is a superb plant that can quickly spread, covering an area that just looks fantastic. It goes very well in river tanks, where the current is strong. You don't inject CO2 but have a high KH? Not a problem. The plant absorbs its carbon from the KH. It reduced the KH in my tank from 16°dH to 5°dH in a week!
These plants are absolutely awesome, quite hardy, but fish tend to munch on them, especially the new shoots from runners. I placed half a bundle in my planted tank with high lighting and fertilizer (no CO2 injection) and it spread like wildfire, getting a new runner every 3 days or so. I accidentally killed most of them due to the fact that I forgot to dechlorinate and it shocked the plants, but they have managed to regrow and look good as new. New shoots should be away from a filter inlet, as they tend to get sucked in and break, ruining the whole leaf. I definitely recommend this plant for beginners and people who want a nice bush-like forest appearance in their tank.
Vallisneria spiralis is also useful in unfiltered ponds and tanks for reducing algal growth. Don't use with koi or carp, as it's very nutritious and they'll graze it away.
Tape Grass, (or refered to as Vals in some stores) are very easy to care for. I have them in a 75 L tank with tetras and cories, and the fish absolutely love them, as they provide a comfortable place to hide. My 3 blackskirt tetras claim the space between them and the glass as their hideaway during the night. I had them for about 3 months and the leaves were over 1.5 meters in length before I finally cut them back. Beware though, these leaves are long lasting and I would not recommend them in tanks with a severe algae problem. A safe starter plant would be Elodea. If algae is present on the leaves, running them between your fingers will do the job without damage to the plant.No special equipment is necessary for these plants. However, a simple CO2 diffuser, such as the Nutrafin CO2 system built by Hagen, and some fertilizer will make this plant absolutely thrive. Happy plant keeping!
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