Animals
Bunnies
Bunnies II 
Cat-N-Around Cat Club
Cat-N-Around Cat Club 2007 Annual Show
Hawkeye Cat Club 2004
Hawkeye Cat Club 2005
Chinchillas
Degus
Ferrets
Ferrets by BOB
Gerbils
Ground Squirrels
Guinea Pig
Hamsters I
Hamsters II
Hamsters III
Hamsters IV
Hamsters V
Hedgehogs
Kittens
Kids & Kittens
Mice
Mice Pets II
Parasites
Rats I
Rats II
Rats III
Rats, Hairless
S-T Opossums
Siberian Chipmunks
Sugar Gliders
Sugar Gliders II
Water Bottles

Bugs
Crabby 500
Crab 04 Results
Centipedes
Cray/Lobsters
Crayfish II
Crayfish III
Cray, Yucatan
Fiddler Crabs
Shrimp, Algae
Shrimp, Aqua
Shrimp, Orange Bee
Shrimp, Red
Shrimp, Flower
Shrimp, Ghost
Shrimp, Rudolph
Hermit Crabs
Hermit Crabs II
Madagas Roach
Mantids
Mini-Clams
Mini-Crabs
Patriot Crabs
Giant Millipedes
Red Claw Crabs
Reiman Butterfly
Spider, Black Widow
Snail, Apple
Snail, Colombian
Snail, Land
Snail, Malaysian
Snail, Mystery
Snail, Trapdoor 
Scorpions
Tarantulas
Tarantulas II
Tarantula Night 2006
TarantulaWeen VII
TarantulaWeen 9
Walking Stick
Misc. Bugs
Misc Bugs II  

Birds
Breeding Tips
Button Quail
Canaries
Cockatiels
Dove, Diamond
Dove, Ringneck
Finches
Love Birds
Parakeets
Pelleted Foods
Quaker Parrots
Parrot Pictures
Parrot Pix II
Parrot Pix III
Dave's Parrots

Lizards
Alligators
Anoles
Bearded Dragon
Beardies II
Calotes
Chamel, Jackson
Chamel, Panther
Chamel, Veiled
Crested Geckos
Gecko, Golden
Gecko, House
Gecko, Leopard
Gecko, Tokay
Horned "Toads"
Iguana New
Iguana Dragons
Iguana Q&A I
Iguana Q&A II
Iguana Training
Iguana Update
Cool Iguana Pics
Knight Anoles
Monitors, Nile
Monitors, Savana
Monitors, Water
Salmonella
Skinks
Skinks Blue-Tongue
Tegus
Uromastyx maliensis
Water Dragon
Misc Lizards
Misc Lizards 2
Misc Lizards 3
Misc Lizards 4
Misc Lizards 5
Misc Lizards 6
Misc Lizards 7
Misc Lizards 8
Misc Lizards 9
Misc Lizards 10


Snakes
Anacondas
Boa, Rosy
Boa, Red-Tail
Corn Snake
Garter Snake
Green Snake
Kids/Corn Snakes
Kids/Red-Tail Boas

Kids at Pet Expo 1

Kids at Pet Expo 2

Kids at Pet Expo 3

Kids at Pet Expo 4

Kids at Pet Expo 5
King & Milk
Python, Ball
Python, Burmese

Snakes Alive
Snakesgiving
Snakesgiving II
Misc Snake Pix
Misc Snakes II
Misc Snakes III  

Turtles/Tortoises
Box, Asian
Box, USA
Races
Snapping
Spiny

Sulcata
Water
Western Painted

Live Foods
Blackworms
Blood Worms
Br Shrimp I
Br Shrimp II
Crayfish 1
Crayfish 2
Crayfish 3 
Crickets
Dandelions
Daphnia
Earthworms
Feeder Goldfish
Fruit Flies
Ghost Shrimp

Glass Worms

Grindal Worms
Infusoria
Mealworms
Microworms
Rosy Reds

Super Worms

Wax Worms
White Clouds

Decorating
Bubbles
Driftwood
Gravel
Plastic Plants
Rocks
Slow Growing Plants

Miscellaneous
Bob's Acclimation

How to Start
How to Add New Fish
How to Keep Healthy
Which Fish Get Along?
10 Questions to Ask
What is Ich?
Under Gravel Filters

Sponge Filters
Cloudy Water
Cool Water Tanks
Gravel Vacuums
Preventing Disease
Feeding to the Max
Frozen Foods
Green Water
Nasty Chemicals
Overfeeding
Power Filters
Rift Lake Salts
Quarantine Tank
Mini-Tank
2nd Av Bait

Pet World Visit
Dandelions

Aquatic Plants
Amazon Swords
More Swords
Sword Plants III
Anubias
Anacharis
Aponogetons
A. boivinianus
A. fenestralis
A. ulvaceous
Aquarium/Bog
Banana Plant
Bolbitis
Bunch
Bunch Plants II
Cryptocorynes
Crystalwort
Dwarf Lily
Grassy
Grassy II
Hornwort
Hygrophila
Lace
Java Fern I
Java Fern II
Java Fern III
Java Fern IV
Java Moss
Moss Balls
Onion
Vermiculite
Watersprite
Different Watersprite

LA
Anacharis easily ranks as the number one aquarium plant -- outselling all other species.

What's in a Name?  Most aquarium hobbyists, wholesalers, and retailers refer to this popular plant as anacharis.  Many fish keepers just call it "sea weeds" or "bunch plants."   They use it in their aquaria and ponds.  School teachers (especially third-grade teachers) always ask for "elodea."  They feed it to their crayfish.  College and university biology instructors ask for that "thin leaved plant that shows how photosynthesis works."  They use it to teach their first-year biology students how to use a microscope.  At Aqualand we're multi-lingual but usually we just call it anacharis.

LA
One big reason for its popularity is its low price.

Origin.  Anacharis evidently grows all over North America (including Canada and Iowa) and South America.  The anacharis we get mostly comes out of Florida fish farms via Chicago.  You can find it in Banner strip mine pits just down the road from Des Moines.  Unfortunately, our state requires more SCUBA certification red tape than I want to deal with anymore (even tho there's a rich carpet of anacharis in the biggest pit), so we ship ours in.

Interesting Behavior.  You'll probably never see it in your aquarium, but anacharis moves up and down in the water depending upon water temperature and light.  In your tank you may see tiny bubbles of oxygen escaping from your anacharis leaves.  In the wild, this product of photosynthesis causes anacharis to float (unless well rooted) on warm, sunny days and sink on cool, cloudy days.  Down below the first thermocline in Banner Pits, anacharis stays on the bottom and remains fairly short.

LA
In your retailer's tanks you'll see anacharis anchored to the bottom with a strip of lead.

Remove that Tourniquet.  Triage for anacharis requires you to surgically remove that rubber band and strip of lead.  The strips make the bunches easier to sell but will make the strands rot off right where they cut off their circulation.  Then we recommend planting each strand in the gravel about two inches apart.  We are flexible on the number of inches.

LA
Unplanted anacharis grows rampant.  This is three strands in a 10-gallon tank.

Versatile Plant.  Floating anacharis grows fastest.  It's closer to the light.  In my first two-gallon flat goldfish bowl, one strand would grow to three feet in the light from the east window.  Growing like this, anacharis makes an ideal baby haven for new livebearer fry.  They can hide in the jungle and dine at leisure on the animacules or aufwuchs growing between and on the leaves.  Ditto for egg-scattering egglayers.

LA
Each strand also grows multiple branches.

Water Cleaner.  Anacharis eats fish wastes -- carbon dioxide, nitrogenous, and phosphate wastes.  You can do fewer water changes, however, fewer water changes also slow the growth of anacharis.  How do you "cycle" a goldfish bowl?  Throw in a bunch of anacharis.  Three to four bunches work wonders in a new 10-gallon tank.

LA
Anacharis grows numerous but fairly feeble roots.

Green Side Up.  Although anacharis eventually grows roots, it takes in most of its food directly thru its leaves.  This makes anacharis an excellent algae competitor.  It will do its best to starve out algae (and other higher plants) which makes it a noxious weed in the eyes of many states and some countries.  Remember Babbington's curse?  So, you're not supposed to toss your excess anacharis in your local waterways. 

Worth Pondering.  Pond keepers use anacharis as an aerating plant as well as an algae competitor.  Remember the photosynthesis kicking out the oxygen bubbles?  In a shallow pond in the sun, anacharis will usually double in size in two to three weeks -- right up to the day you add your koi.

LA
Bunch of anacharis hiding a filter stem in a tank of blusher angelfish.

Equipment Hider.  Most anacharis probably gets tossed "as is" in front of the under gravel filter tube or heater to hide it.  This method takes about two seconds and makes your tank look better with very little effort.

LA
By taking an extra two seconds you can make it even better looking

Vary the Heights.  Break up your bunches.  Put the tall strands in back and the short ones in front.  These have only been planted about two seconds, but in two days or so they'll look much more natural.

LA
Some of the blusher angels have already decided to check out their new "furniture."

Home, Sweet Home.  Angels and other fishes quickly learn to work their way thru the strands of anacharis.  Most fish feel more secure in planted aquaria.  A nice stand of anacharis strands makes your fish feel more at home.  Anacharis is a definite piscatorial de-stressor.

LA
Taller anacharis help to frame this bogwood.

Frame Your Center Piece.  This piece of bogwood looks even better when framed with anacharis.  The fast-growing anacharis will have to be trimmed or removed as time and a half passes.  The slow-growing (and lighter green) anubias will take a good year to colonize this wood.  Anacharis makes an instant filler while your pricier plants get firmly established.  The anubias (and that bit of java fern) require much less light than the anacharis.  Plants with varied shades of green look good when used in combination.

LA
Frame your centerpiece and cover your filter stem.

LA
20H tank in background measures 24-inches wide.

Keeps Growing.  Your anacharis grows taller fast -- easily to the top of your tank.  It will then arch up over the top and tend to shade the lower plants.  The anubias and java fern will do just fine.  You may need to add fertilizer to maintain your fast-growing anacharis.  Also, you can pinch off the top half foot and grow extra plants.

LA
So what happened here?

LA
As the bumper sticker says, "African Cichlids Happen."

African Cichlids Love Anacharis.  In the Rift Lakes, African cichlids eat algae and the aufwuchs that dwell in and amongst the filaments.  In our tanks, they prey on anacharis in much the same manner.  Anacharis makes an excellent African fish food supplement -- as well as an excellent vacation food while you're in Vegas looking for more African cichlids.

LA
Illegal snail alert.

Apples Love Anacharis.  After our African cichlids defoliate anacharis right down to the bones, we throw the remains into a tank of apple snails.  Apple snails are voracious devourers of anacharis (and other aquatic plants) -- so voracious that they cannot be shipped legally across state lines.

LA
Infusoria eat the bacteria that break down these trimmings.

LA
Mincing your trimmings will break them down faster.

Culture Infusoria.  Most newly hatched egglayer fry will not eat powdered foods.  They want live food that twitches.  Paramecia fill the bill.  Bacteria break down aquatic plants and multiply exponentially.  Infusoria (mostly paramecia) eat the bacteria.  The fry eat the infusoria for their first week or two.  You want to culture infusoria outside of your rearing tank.  You can speed up the breakdown process by adding snails.  Or chop up the anacharis into bits with a pair of scissors.  Tip:  Removing the lead strips makes the shredding process easier.

LA
Brand new salad snacks for these guys.

Anacharis Threats.  We just mentioned African cichlids and apple snails.  Other anacharis eaters include koi (big time), uarus (also big time), sometimes plecos, and crayfish/yabbies.  Medications -- copper and anti-biotics -- plus any dyes or floating plants that cut off the light will also adversely affect anacharis.  Oddly enough anacharis can crowd itself out.  You may need to add some fertilizer over and above your fish wastes.

LA
Anacharis -- just an eye-pleasing, economical, and "easy-to-grow" aquatic plant.

Last Words.  Water changes definitely perk up anacharis (and your fish).  LA

Jaguar Spawning II
Jewel Fish
Keo's Flowerhorns
Keo's Flowerhorns II
Kribensis
Oscars 1
Oscars 2
Oscars 3
Oscars 4
Oscars 5
More Oscar
More Oscar II
More Oscars III
More Oscars 2007
More Oscars 2007.5
Oscar Spawn
Peacock Bass
Red Devils
More Red Devil  
Red Parrots
Red Parrots Spawn
Red Parrot Spawn II
Pikes
Pink Tilapia
Rams
Red Bay Snooks
Roger Stephen's Cichlids
Severums
More Severums
Severums III
Tanganyikans
Texas Cichlid
Texas Spawning
Texas Spawn II
Uarus
Misc Cichlids I
Misc Cichlids II
Misc Cichlids III
Misc Cichlids IV
Misc Cichlids V
Misc Cichlids VI
Misc Cichlids VII
Misc Cichlids VIII
Misc Cichlids IX

Livebearer  
Guppies
Half-Beak
Mollies
Moons/Platys
Swordtails

Minnows/Tetra 
Barbs
Barbs, Black
Barbs, Gold
Barbs, Rosy
Barbs, Tiger
Barbs, Tinfoil
Danios
Danio Egg Saver
Distochodus
Fathead Minnows
Headstanders
Killies, Econ.
Killies, Golden
Killies, Peat
Killies, Plant
Misc Mini-Fish
Pacús 
Piranha, Black
Piranha, Red
Rainbowfish

Rainbowfish, Dwarf Neon
Rainbowfish, Irian
Silver Dollar
Tetras, Larger
Tetras, Smaller
Tetras, Spawn
Tetra, Vampire
White Clouds

Pond Fish
Carp
Channel Cat
Gold. Comets
Gold. Fantails
More Fantails
Gold. Oriental  
Gold Oriental II 
Gold. Spawn
Kloubec Koi Farm
Koi
Koi II

Koi III
Oranda Spawn
Plecostomus
Shubunkins

Oddballs  
Af. Butterfly
Af. Lungfish
Af. Mudskippr
American Eel
Archer Fish
Arowana
Bichirs
Borneo Suckers
Brackish I
Brackish II
Brackish III
Brackish IV
Brackish V
Michael Troung's Pix
Butterfly/Wasp
Chameleon Fish
Chromides
Chin Alg Eater
Crazy Fish
Crocodile Fish
Datnioides
Dojo
Dwarf Puffers
Electric Cat
Electric Eels
Elephant Nose
Exodon paradoxus
Flounder
Gars  
Glassfish
Goby Bumble
Goby Butterfly
Goby Dragon
Goby Misc.
Half-Beak
Knife African
Knife Clown
Knife Ghost
Loach Botias
Loach Clown
Loach Kuhli
Loach Weather
Moray Eel  
Peacock Gudgeons
Polypterids
Puffers
Ropefish
Scats
Siam Algae Eater 
Spiny Eels 
Snakehead
Stingray
Stonefish
Wasp Fish
Wolffish
Wrest Half-Beak
Misc Mini-Fishes
Misc Odd
Misc Odd II
Misc Odd III
Misc Odd  IV

Misc Odd V

Sharks  
Bala
Black
Bull
Chinese Hi-Fin Banded
Iridescent
Red-Tail
Siam Algae Eater

Pond Info 
Blank Park Zoo
Bob Humphrey's Ponds
Cattails
Maffett Reservoir
DMACC's Pond
D.M. Botanical Center
D.M. Water Works
Dr. Ervanian's Garden
Duckweed
Dwarf Lily
Ewing Park "Pond"
Jan & Chris's Water Garden
John McDonald's Pond
Hall's Four Acres
Klines' Water Garden
Landscaper Effects
Mini-Pond Pics
Pioneer Corn's Pond
Pond Fish Predators
Pond on 38th Street 
Pond Pics
Pond Plants
More Pond Plants
Pond Plants III
Reiman Ponds
River Scenes
Riverview Island
Selin's Water Gardens
Selin's Japanese Garden
Tom's Used Cars Pond
Urbandale Duck Pond
Water Hyacinth
Water Lettuce
Wild Ponds