Bamboo In Saltwater?

[OntarioLiftie]

Hi Everyone i was doing some thinking and ive heard from someone that bamboo will grow in saltwater and do somewhat the same job as if you were to use a mangrove. I have a hang on skimmer and where it dumps back into the tank i have a skimmer cup which i use to break up and get rid of the bubble coming out of the skimmer. I have this cup filled with cheto and its growing fin because i also have a MH pendant (PFO 250watt) above. So i already have a mangrove growing in there fine and its doing its job fine. I was at my local nursary yesterday for something else and i spotted bamboo shouts for a few cents each so i picked two up, one i put with my mangrow and the other i put in a pot with fresh water. What i would like to know is, has anyone ever tried this or anything like this???. Will it even grow in saltwater? if no im darn interested in finding out so im trying it anyways to see what come out of it. So advice or comments would be appreciated but only good comments no flaming.

[supahtim]

it'll probably rot and die. bamboo only grows with freshwater. you got the climate right though lol

 

Tim

[rev138]

I'd stick the bamboo in a bucket of heated saltwater for a few weeks before getting it anywhere near the tank, just to see what happens.

[OntarioLiftie]

Lol Ya Light isnt an issue like with most things in my tank. Yes i know but if it does start to rot it is out of there, i will be keeping a close eye on it. Maybe acclimating the other one but slowly putting salt in its water might make it addapt to saltwater?? i dont know if im just talking crazy but maybes its worth a try.

[Uploadead]

I don't think it would grow, it would seace growing, although I don't think it would die completely, but it may regrow from the roots if it did i think, ive never tried keeping them on a hydroponic system before.

[MFish]

The salt water will cause the cells to shrivel up and die. Because the concentration of salt [i.e. saltwater] is higher outside of cells' insides, the water inside the cells will leach outside of the cell in an attempt to make the water less salty outside of the plant.

 

Since there is a crapload more salt in the water than the plant, it will wilt and die.

 

I did this in HS with other freshwater plants. :B

[OntarioLiftie]

ok, well then since there is a bit of unsureness on this topic i say this will be an experiment. I will see if it does work and try a few different things and let you know. i personally think its worth it to try and find out but at the first sign of somehting going wrong im taking it out and thats that.

[ezcompany]

ok, well then since there is a bit of unsureness on this topic i say this will be an experiment. I will see if it does work and try a few different things and let you know. i personally think its worth it to try and find out but at the first sign of somehting going wrong im taking it out and thats that.

 

no need to waste a perfectly fine piece of bamboo, it will die.

[Chupacabras]

There is really no reason to waste your time trying it. Think salting the earth only in greater concentrations.

[MFish]

Exactly. Osmosis (yes, like Reverse osmosis water. The mebrane in the RO filter is basically a cell membrane that isnt permeable to all things) causes the water to drain from the cells of the plant and out into the salt water in an attempt to make the concentraions of salt and water become equal (equilibrium).

 

I said I had done this in the past for a reason.

 

EDIT: Let me put this into terms of humans instead of a plant. Why do you think you feel thirsty after eating a bucket of salty popcorn? Cause your cells are slightly shriveling and need water to reach equilibrium.

 

This is also why its very bad for you to drink saltwater (and for the plant to 'drink' saltwater)

[bradarmi]

Are you talking about the "Lucky bamboo" that sold in Asian trinket stores. I can almost bet it will die becasue they have no organs like the mangrove does for surviving in saltwater. They actually aren't even bamboos, they are a relative of Draceana which prefers soft-water with minimal ions. Ever see te leaf tips get brown and dry (too much salt and or fertilizer in the water). Besides, they do not have exaggerated roots like mangroves (or even a philodendron in freshwater) and I doubt they would make appropriate nitrate removers. Garden bamboos, do have extensive root systems but cannot grow "in" water, but often near it. Good luck on this endeavor, but I personally think you are wasting your time.

[Six]

Are you talking about the "Lucky bamboo" that sold in Asian trinket stores. I can almost bet it will die becasue they have no organs like the mangrove does for surviving in saltwater. They actually aren't even bamboos, they are a relative of Draceana which prefers soft-water with minimal ions. Ever see te leaf tips get brown and dry (too much salt and or fertilizer in the water). Besides, they do not have exaggerated roots like mangroves (or even a philodendron in freshwater) and I doubt they would make appropriate nitrate removers. Garden bamboos, do have extensive root systems but cannot grow "in" water, but often near it. Good luck on this endeavor, but I personally think you are wasting your time.

 

i agree. im glad you relayed that this plant isnt even bamboo! i was kinda po'd when i learned that about mine ive had for years. I too agree that killing the plant is a waste of time. there is no way it would work.

 

there are very few actual plants (meaning non algaes and bacteria) that will tolerate saltwater.

[idog]

With very few exceptions, vascular plants can't handle salt water. Hell, simply mixing a little table salt in with potting soil will prevent anything from EVER growing in the soil. Don't waste your time.

[Mr. Fosi]

Hell, simply mixing a little table salt in with potting soil will prevent anything but bacteria, fungi, & some protists from EVER growing in the soil. Don't waste your time.

 

Fixed that for you.

[rickjg]

You might have better luck trying to grow a tomato plant aquaponicly (hydroponics…growing plants in water, mixed with aquaculture…growing fish) in your fuge. Tomato plants are very salt tolerant. I’ve seen them sprout & grow on the beach just from tomato slices falling out of burgers.

[Mr. Fosi]

Now that's cool.

[bradarmi]

Big deal, every year my stupid tomato plants get a fungal infection due to the wet and cool springs followed by unbearable hot, humid droughts of July and August. By the time the crop is ready for harvesting the fruit has a nice red color throughout and the bottom is a blackened mess. But that is growing in Chicago, where we have 4 seasons often in the same week. I still don't see the value of having a vascular plant in a saltwater set up.

[rickjg]

Big deal, every year my stupid tomato plants get a fungal infection due to the wet and cool springs followed by unbearable hot, humid droughts of July and August. By the time the crop is ready for harvesting the fruit has a nice red color throughout and the bottom is a blackened mess. But that is growing in Chicago, where we have 4 seasons often in the same week. I still don't see the value of having a vascular plant in a saltwater set up.

Maybe the Bears will win and cheer you up a little. ha ha

[bradarmi]

Of course the Bears will win, what kind of blasphemy are you speaking?

 

Ok I re-read my posts and aside from being an avid reefer I am also a passionate gardener. I am still pi$$ed about last years tomato plants. I went to the grocery store last week and they taste as bad as they look. Sorry if I sounded grumppy.

[HecticDialectics]

ok, well then since there is a bit of unsureness on this topic i say this will be an experiment. I will see if it does work and try a few different things and let you know. i personally think its worth it to try and find out but at the first sign of somehting going wrong im taking it out and thats that.

 

 

How'd the experiment go? I imagine it's probably over by now.

[breene]

The salt water will cause the cells to shrivel up and die. Because the concentration of salt [i.e. saltwater] is higher outside of cells' insides, the water inside the cells will leach outside of the cell in an attempt to make the water less salty outside of the plant.

 

Since there is a crapload more salt in the water than the plant, it will wilt and die.

 

I did this in HS with other freshwater plants. :B

 

 

Good ol' biology class.... I used some kind of freshwater aquatic plant... elodia was it? Or something along those lines. I remember watching the nucleus nice and plump under a microscope then adding the salt water and it shrunk to like a 3rd of its size.

[MFish]

Good ol' biology class.... I used some kind of freshwater aquatic plant... elodia was it? Or something along those lines. I remember watching the nucleus nice and plump under a microscope then adding the salt water and it shrunk to like a 3rd of its size.

 

Elodia/Anacharis, commonly sold at most fish places

 

We also used terrestrial plants, but I forget which, that was a few years ago. :B

[OntarioLiftie]

Actually its still alive, suprising i know, and honestly im not wasting my time i really have nothing better to do inbetween working two full time jobs, one is actually at a LFS. Other then that the roots and stuff coming out the bottom still look to be fine, other than me having to prune down my stupid calurpa there isnt really an problems yet, yet is the key word. anyways i know its probably not going to work but hey if i have nothing better to do while waiting for my Acro to grow then hey its something.

[reefkidsclownfish]

i am prity sure it will all die, i tride the same thing and MOST of the bamboo died, only one stalk servived, but i'm chalking that up to it just beingto stubern, they'll probably die, so don't go waisting your money on it.

[Koral krazy (reefer 365)]

start a brackish water species tank with archerfish!!! That would be sweet.