U. gibba care?

[Keith]

I recently lost some U.gibba which had been snuck into a fish tank I maintain with some java moss. I had noticed the bladders and very fine hairs coming out of them and kind of knew what the plant was. It was really more of a novelty to me and the aquarium owners untill my interest in CP's peaked a few months ago.
The fish tank ended up with a nasty hair algae bloom that obliterated the Utric and all I could find of it was a tiny 2 mm stem fragment with no bladders. I carefully picked it out of the filter media with tweezers and took it home to see what would happen. I put it in a small cup with distilled water and despite its pale color it produced a bladder or two before shrinking and dying in a gooey blob.
I am ready to try it again and the fact that it grew and reproduced so well in the fish tank (before the hair algae incident) leads me to believe that it needs a little "dirtier" water than I gave it with the distilled.
Can anyone offer some tips on how to grow this fun little aquatic? Should I add some soil to the water to prep? How about water hardness? It didn't seem to appreciate the water I use for all of my other CP's.

 

[hcarlton]

I have U. gibba growing in a small aquarium with a layer of peat moss and some dead leaves lining the bottom, and it also hsares the tank with Elodea, DUckweed, and a single Alrdovanda. This is a plant that does very well with companion plants, and with some sort of acidic organic matter in the tank as well. Direct or diffused light is also best for fast growth.

 

[Keith]

Do you "feed" gibba anything? Thanks I will try the peat amendment for sure.

 

[boxofrain]

I keep mine in a plastic "dish tub" with about 1 1/2" of sunken peatmoss in the bottom, and filled with pure rain water.
I leave it outside year round here, the same for all my aquatic Utric's and my newly acquired Aldrovanda (thanks Pebes).
They will feed fine on the organisms that will come from the sunken peat. Dead leaves are a sure quick start for that as well.
Expect mosquitos to be present when the weather allows, the larvae are very good food for the Utric's.
I just hope I see some flowering next year.

 

[hcarlton]

Yeah, any culture of U. gibba, Aldros, or really any aquatic plant will end up breeding a zoo in the water for the plants to feed on. However, if you don't notice anything like that after a couple months, go to a local pond and take a tiny bit of the water there and put it back into the tank. Or, you can order a small Daphnia culture as food.

 

[jimscott]

 

[Keith]

@boxofrain: Thanks, I suppose I should start preparing my "habitat" now for my gibba's arrival in spring.

@hcarl: it was local native algaes that decimated the aquarium that the Utric was triving in for over a year. I must admit it never flowered and looked nowhere as good as jimscott's but it kept up very nicely with the java moss and was a beautiful green. Where might I find daphnia cultures? Do you have any "secret" sources?

@jimscott: What beautiful pics! Is that all gibba flowering? And is that a waterwheel I spy? How long has your set-up been growing? Natrual light only or supplemented? What king of snails are in this tank? And do you think their young are feeding the plants at all? Sorry for the barrage of questions..lol. Thanks a bunch for sharing Jim!

 

[hcarlton]

Looks like quite a few waterwheels ( mine looks like crap, needs a whole lot more light tan I can give...oh, for some bigger growlights). And my tank with the U. gibba ended up with its own micro zoo in it, so I never had to worry about actually buying cultures or anything. But just about any serious biology supply company cna provide you with things like that.

 

[boxofrain]

I have always used "Carolina Biological Supply" for my "bugs" and such. Good people, prompt shipping, great products.

 

[Keith]

Thanks boxofrain. I always appreciate a recomended supplier.

 

[kwende]

Hey all. Sorry to hijack this thread, but I figured I might as well ask here rather than open up a brand new thread.

I have a U. Gibba as well living in a pint mason jar a couple inches under some grow lights. It's been happily growing, but I haven't done anything to feed it. I have a loose mixture of peat at the bottom of the jar (the plant isn't touching the peat though). I read on here that I should be able to just grab some leaves from the back yard, toss it into the container and that will provide enough "bugs" for the thing to eat. Am I reading that right?

I really want the thing to flower and am thinking maybe just floating in the jar isn't providing enough food for it. The nearest lake has had problems with blue/green algae and I'd rather not introduce that into the jar so I'm opting away from a cup full of lake water.

 

[kulamauiman]

it is a combination of factors. critical mass and it seems to need to attach and bury part of itself in the substrate to flower. So small tank works. i have mine in a mixture of peat and sand. just keep filling water on occasion.

 

[kwende]

But what of food? Will tossing some leaves in bring enough for it to eat?

Tomorrow I'm going to add more peat to the water and let it intermingle with soil.

 

[kulamauiman]

I didn't add anything. but invertebrates I am certain came with the original plants

 

[richjam1986]

I have found in most cases you almost have to TRY not to have aquatic organisms multiply. I have daphnia and other small critters in the water trays and terrariums of my potted plants (not not even for aquatic plants, mind you). I did absolutely nothing to encourage them.

 

[jimscott]

That's U. gibba doing the flowering and Aldrovanda is sharing the tank with them. Mosquitoes seem to be the food supplier for them. I'm doing nothing else. I have no idea what species of snails they are. The Aldrovanda died out this year, unfortunately..

 

[kwende]

Sounds good. Then I'll just assume it has enough food and carry on. I've blocked out an hour this afternoon to repot some plants and add more soil to the jar the utric is in. Thanks again guys.

 

[jimscott]

Pond or bog water should provide some Daphnia.

 

[Mark Wilson]

Hi Jim,
the plug of gibba you sent me hasn't been doing much so I brought in a bowl of sunken peat and poured it into a big clear shoebox and am going to put it in there once it all settles to the bottom.It has some moss intertwined in with it.Should I try to separate it out?

 

[Keith]

Hijack away Kwende. I am as interested in the culture of this "critter" as you are and am glad to keep the conversation going to get the max info on everybody's varying cultural practices. Thanks for the bump!