Tufa growing

[Rob-Rah]

I have been impressed with the success of growing my P. gypsicola on pieces of tufa rock sitting in water. Strong growth and impossible to overwater, while retaining constant moisture as long as the tray it's sitting in is full. I was wondering who else grows on tufa, and whether anyone grows larger species in this way.

I lost most of my Mexican pings early this summer as they came out of dormancy. I don't really know precisely why, but it seems to have been a watering issue (either too wet while the nights were still cool, or too much alternation between wet and dry). Was totally gutted. When/if I replace them I am tempted to try them on rock, but wondered whether I am missing any potential problems with their size, so am interested in anyone else's experiments. And where can I buy tufa that isn't sculpted into daft contorted shapes for "art" effect in fishtanks?

[tracy]

I have been impressed with the success of growing my P. gypsicola on pieces of tufa rock sitting in water. Strong growth and impossible to overwater, while retaining constant moisture as long as the tray it's sitting in is full. I was wondering who else grows on tufa, and whether anyone grows larger species in this way.

I lost most of my Mexican pings early this summer as they came out of dormancy. I don't really know precisely why, but it seems to have been a watering issue (either too wet while the nights were still cool, or too much alternation between wet and dry). Was totally gutted. When/if I replace them I am tempted to try them on rock, but wondered whether I am missing any potential problems with their size, so am interested in anyone else's experiments. And where can I buy tufa that isn't sculpted into daft contorted shapes for "art" effect in fishtanks?

Sorry to hear about your plants. I only have P.heterophylla at the moment which i bought emerging from dormancy but the leaves seem a bit distorted and the older leaves keep going brown so it never has very many leaves. Its the first one of these I've tried so I'm probably doing something stupid :?

You can get large pieces of tufa from specialist fishkeeping stores (not the small concessions you often find in garden centres). They usually sell it for hardwater species like some African Ciclids, I think. The guy in my local store said the tufa is easy to saw into blocks then shape as required. Trouble is the smallest pieces were several kilos, about the size of a large toaster and, at ~£3/kilo, not exactly bargain price. I wanted to try this technique as well so I'm hoping someone else comes up with a better suggestion!

Sorry, that wasn't particularly helpful was it!

[Pesiolino]

Hi Rob

I grow mine in calcareous eroded rock, and the plants seems to grow well.

This is a picture of some months ago:

I hope to get soon a panoramic wiew of the "pot" because i haven't a digital camera

Cheers

[Rob-Rah]

How do you water the plants, Giancarlo? Just overhead?

[Bob H]

They have bits of Tufa in our local Pet shop (Pets at Home) that already have nice holes made in them, as previously said for Fish :-)

I think I'll try that!

[Rob-Rah]

Getting the plants anchored in the first place is likey to be the hard bit. I started off with seedlings of the gypsicolas, and have a few seedlings of gigantea I am kinda tempted to see what they do.

[BonnieJohnson]

Does anyone else have any pictures of a similar set-up? I've been debating trying Pings this way.