One group of plants that has emerged (that was a pun
) as especially useful are some of the small herbaceous species of Genus Pilea. This group is in Family Urticaceae, the nettle family, and is distributed mainly in tropical areas. There are a few Pilea species that are used as houseplants or terrarium specimens, so they can be found without too much difficulty.In ripairums I have found that the most useful way to employ Pilea plants is by planting them on trellis rafts and positioning them in the layout midground. They are useful for this because they are relatively short-statured, and many of them have attractive leaf colorations or patterns, which contrast nicely against the dark or light greens of many of the good riparium background plants. These plants also have the important advantage of having modest nutrient demands, so they can grow with their roots suspended right in the water and get along well with the nutrients provided by fish waste and modest water column fertilization.
Here is a shot of my Synodontis lucpinnis catfish display--I have a couple of other fish species in there too--that includes a few very nice little Pilea plants and other light emersed stem plants
...and here is a close up that shows the two different Pilea in there.
Each of these is growing on a Nano Trellis Raft, a foam piece that can hold the stems erect and with the bases in the water. The picture below shows the larger of these, which I am identifying with the provisional name, Pilea Florida ditch #1--you can probably make a good guess as to haow I acquired this plant.
Here is the smaller plant floating right in front of that one in the tank close-up above, Pilea Florida ditch #2.
Actually, I am not 100% certain that this little plant is a Pilea, but it was growing in the right kind of spot where I found it and it looks like one to me.
This last picture shows better how the stems grow in the Nano Trellis Raft. The plant here is also a Pilea. I am not sure if it is a species or cultivar, but I have seen it identified with the moniker 'Silver Tree'. It has attractive silver-patterned, purple leaves and is the fastest growing Pilea that I have tried.
'Silver Tree' grows so fast that it is necessary to crop the tops of the stems and replant in the trellis raft when it becomes too leggy. The new cuttings root readily when planted in this way.
