Anyone who is tired of laboriously removing duckweed from the aquarium but is still looking for a floating plant can hardly avoid the mussel flower. The attractive plant with the furry leaves is now even enjoying increasing popularity in garden ponds.
Francisco Manuel Blanco (OSA), Pistia stratioites Blanco2.468, marked as public domain, details on Wikimedia Commons
key data
Attitude:
simply
Breed:
foothills
Size:
up to 20 cm, usually smaller in the aquarium
Temperature:
15ºC – 30ºC
pH:
5 – 8
GH:
up to 20 °dH
CH:
up to 15 °dH
Look
The clam flower consists of a row of thick fleshy leaves arranged in a rosette around the center. The dense fur allows water to roll off, preventing you from getting soaked and submerged when it rains. The light green leaves are oblong, broadening towards the end and are indented there. Depending on the light intensity, the leaves lie flat on the water surface or stretch upright towards the light.
In the aquarium, the dense roots of the mussel flowers are particularly noticeable. In larger specimens, the roots can sometimes reach to the ground. The tiny, inconspicuous flowers, which are similar in color to the leaves and are enthroned in the middle of the rosette, can only be seen from above. The shell shape of these flowers also gave the plant its German name.
Shell flowers inevitably spread over the entire surface of the water. To do this, they push out long runners from their leaf rosette, at the end of which new young plants grow.
distribution
The original distribution area of the mussel flower is not known to science today. What is certain is that the plant forms robust stands in tropical waters all over the world and, as a neophyte, is still opening up new areas today. It is proven in South America and Africa and penetrates as far as Texas and Florida. The mussel flower prefers standing water and can usually be found near the shore.
In Europe, the mussel flower is not hardy, but is often used in ponds. These plants must either be overwintered inside a building or bought new next spring.
husbandry conditions
In the aquarium, the mussel flower is simply placed on the water surface and then left to its own devices. It does not make high demands on the water parameters. She doesn’t like the current. It is well known that mussel flowers never survive long in some aquariums and are downright overgrown in others. The exact reason for this phenomenon has not been fully clarified, but it may be related to condensation and heat accumulation under the cover, which the mussel flower does not like.
The dense root system of the mussel flower can be bothersome or helpful, depending on where it is used. On the one hand, it offers young fish hiding places and building material for foam nest builders, on the other hand, it disturbs the visual image of the underwater landscape and blocks the light from the other plants. In this case, the largest mussel flowers should be removed regularly.
In addition, the mussel flower is considered a good nitrate consumer and thus helps in the fight against algae plagues.
particularities
In the aquarium, the mussel flower only occurs as a small, stunted form. With enough space and without a cover, the plant can take on much larger proportions. Its natural size and fresh, light green color have earned it the second name Wassersalat. Another reason for the name is the fact that mussel flowers serve as a valuable food source for many herbivorous aquatic creatures. The manatees of Central America are known for grazing on water lettuce from the water surface. Local keepers of sea turtles also swear by mussel flowers as a forage plant.