# Accidental flowering!



## shooterKD (Mar 27, 2008)

OK, so here's the story... I purchased a ton of plants from Tabatha a short while ago when she tore down her 25 gallon... Included were two very nice Anubias. I put one in my 29 gallon puffer tank and one in my fiance's 10 gallon guppy tank. The one in the 10 has flowered! I've never had an aquatic plant flower for me before, so this is cool! Now, here's the kicker... The 29 has Coralife T-5 lighting, Red Sea CO2 Bio System, and Flourish added. The 10 has two basic screw in 15 watt incandescent bulbs and a little Flourish and/or Excel(when I remember)...

Anyways, hopefully these pics load!


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## koopagurl (Jun 23, 2008)

lucky you! i had an anubias nana flower too, but my puffer took a bite out of it and destroyed it.  but i had the anubias under t5 lighting.


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## shooterKD (Mar 27, 2008)

I should also add that the 29 has Flourite substrate and the 10 has basic Big Al's medium sized gravel as it was originally gonna be a plastic planted/ornament tank to give my fiance lots of colour! Apparently, the Anubias likes basic life better than the high life! I certainly hope the one in my puffer tank doesn't flower now, as I'm sure my almost 4" Abei would chomp it too!


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

I'm so jealous!!! They never flowered for me, I have 2 in my 90 g that haven't yet flowered, mayby I should send them over to you!! LOL!

Congrats!!!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

The anubiases seem to do pretty well when you do nothing to them. I found that with more intense light and better substrates and ferts, etc, that nothing noticeable happened, but before with a 14w light, I got good growth out of them and a few flowers too. Now, no flowers. But other plants can grow


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## Westender (Mar 24, 2006)

I'm not sure if this works the same with marine gardening, but if you overfertilize land plants, they often don't flower or stop flowering. Stop fertilizing and stress them a little and boom - flowers. I guess they figure they need to reproduce now in case the bad times are coming that seeds can ride it out.


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## JamesG (Feb 27, 2007)

I am convinced that like many land plants, flowering in aquatic plants is photoperiod controlled. This is actually the number of hours of darkness versus full light, ie the plant measures when it is not getting light. 

Recent evidence of this came with the big storm 2+ weeks back that of course knocked out power to my building for 2 hours. Once the power came back on so did the aquarium light timers and because I have continuously forgot to change them the plants have been enjoying 2 more hours of day (2 less of dark). While they still keep the lights on for the same amount of time as before, now more of the time the lights are off is actual daylight (my living room is well lit) so the plants have more 'sun' into the evening. 

Right now I have 3 Anubias species, 1 Echinodorus, and I think my Aponogeton Madagascarenis all with flowers. 

I suggest everyone mess around with their light timers every once in a while. Mimic real seasons and the plants will respond.


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