Plants in an aquarium are not just a decorative element, but an important practical component. In their thickets, fish can hide during spawning, take shelter from sunlight in shaded corners or just hide, which fry love to do. Lovers of aquatic life often grow a beautiful aquarium plant. Pistia is his name.
Description
Pistia has several names: water cabbage, lettuce, water rose. This plant received them because of the special shape of its leaves, which really resemble a head of cabbage, a bud or a rosette. Water cabbage loves heat very much, therefore it grows in tropical Africa, Asia, Australia and America. In favorable conditions, an exotic plant can tighten the entire surface of a lake or river. And then an amazing sight opens: the water surface is covered with bluish-green velvety rosettes. By the way, these aquarium plants are very beautiful - the photo in the article confirms this.
Pistol leaves always remain floating on the surface. But the whitish root system stretches down to the bottom of the aquarium (up to 30 centimeters deep). Over time, it may acquire a black or bluish color. And this is considered the norm. Water cabbage leaves can grow up to 25 centimeters in length. Outlets often reach 40 cm in diameter. Particularly large specimens rise to a height of 15 centimeters. What is noteworthy, thanks to the structure of the water salad on top, the leaves never get wet.
If the plant receives enough heat and light, it will produce small flowers of a whitish or yellowish hue. They are cute in their own way, look like miniature callas, which will give a special charm to the aquarium. It’s even strange that this plant is considered a weed in its natural habitat.
Pistol Features
Not all plants can adapt to aquarium conditions. But the pistol grows excellently in both natural and artificial home ponds. Water cabbage is an excellent filter due to its roots. They trap suspended particles, absorb organic substances dissolved in liquids, and regulate the level of salts of heavy metals. Pistia in an aquarium with its hairy root system will be a good refuge for fry and adult fish during spawning, which is very important that no one bothers them.
Under favorable conditions, lettuce grows over the entire surface of the aquarium, obscuring the bottom and thickness of the water. The view, of course, is beautiful, but for some species of fish and plants this is not suitable. Therefore, if you do not want the pistol to occupy the entire volume of the aquarium, use a little trick. Limit a certain area with synthetic thread, pulling it directly above the surface of the water.
In what conditions should a pistol be kept?
Water salad is considered an unpretentious plant. But, if you want it to please you with beautiful rosettes or flowering, you need to observe some conditions. So, for a pistol, a temperature of about 19 degrees in winter is comfortable, and in the summer - 24-30 degrees. In too cool water, this representative of the flora will not die, but simply will develop more slowly.
Lighting greatly affects the aquarium plant: pistia loves bright light. It should act on it for a sufficiently long period (within 12 hours). Luminescent devices are suitable as a light source. But ordinary incandescent lamps are better to refuse, since they can burn the leaves of the pistol. It is also worth paying attention to air humidity, which should be quite high. To provide the required indicator, just cover the aquarium with a glass lid.
Top dressing
During periods of rapid growth (spring and summer), an aquarium plant needs additional minerals and trace elements. Pistia requires top dressing. It is worth giving preference to complex fertilizers with a low iron content. A 1.5-liter gram of nutrient is required for a 100-liter aquarium.
How to understand that a pistol needs top dressing? Pay attention to the roots. If there are enough trace elements and minerals in the water, they will look quite common. If the root system seeks to occupy a larger volume of the aquarium, then it seeks to consume more organic substances.
Insect protection
In the hot season, all aquarium plants that grow on the surface of the water are susceptible to various insects. Therefore, they have to be treated with pesticides. Pistol treatment is performed in the same way as in greenhouse and garden crops. Remove the infected plants from the aquarium and treat with the substance according to the instructions. Then rinse the leaves with running water and put the pistol back in place.
Breeding
In the active period, which begins at the beginning of spring and ends at the end of autumn, the pistol grows with new strength. During this time, she can give up to fifty lateral processes. They can be separated from the mother plant when two or three leaflets appear on them, and the rosette grows to five to six centimeters in diameter.
When the daughter shoots are cut off, for the period of growth they need to be placed in the swamp moss. Do not forget that the piston aquarium plant loves high humidity. During this period, you need to withstand the temperature at about 13 degrees. Mature specimens can be planted in an aquarium or pond.
Rest period
It does not last long - only a few winter months. At this time, you need to reduce the activity of caring for water cabbage, so that it has time to gain strength for the release of new shoots. What is required for this? Do not add fertilizing to the aquarium, dim the lighting and change the water less often. By the way, in the active period of growth of pistii, this should be done every week.
Water cabbage in the pond
The piston can be launched into the pond at the beginning of June, when the water temperature rises to 15 degrees. It is important that the reservoir has fertile soil from which roots can take nutrients. Water lettuce will make an excellent batch of water lilies, cotton buds, sedge and decorative cereals.
You still did not want to settle these exotic aquarium plants at home? Photos in the article convey only a small part of how beautiful they are. And the ease of care attracts not only beginners, but also experienced aquarists.