Bamboo in Aquariums?

Good day all,

I really need some advise on this,
I have an idea to start off a tank like in the link below:
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ELx7FLcoKpo/hqdefault.jpg

However, I have read through various posts that the bamboo might not survive?

Any advise???

Thanks
Johan van ASwegen

 

Hmmm interesting question

 

There are some very nice examples of bamboo in aquariums if you image search on google...Some very cool idea's... also on Pinterest

 

That's ornamental bamboo, should last a couple of months perhaps, but won't survive in the long run.

 

I tried using dried and live reeds. The dried ones rotted very quickly and the live ones didn't take, eventually also rotting. Caused a massive sulphur dioxide buildup in the substrate. I'm surprised that I didn't lose all of my fish.

 

That really does sound horrible... Maybe I should give that a pass and rather opt in for some ceramic ones?

 

There are two things we think of as "bamboo" in terms of tanks. One is the thing in your picture, which is actually a dracaena species, commonly sold as lucky bamboo. It won't survive for long completely under water as in that photo, but it will survive nicely with the stem and roots in water and the leaves sticking out. That's how it's often grown for sale. The other type is real bamboo that you'll find growing in the garden, or as poles sold in garden centres. If it's properly dried out and cleaned, you can treat it like any other driftwood for use in the aquarium. It will eventually rot though and need to be replaced. You can also tie java fern (the normal variety) to the nodes to make it look like it's growing underwater.

 

PsyXe where does one get Lucky Bamboo??? I will grow it so that It stands well out of the tank before placing it into the tank, also, what kind of substrate would be needed?

 

Odd places, like near the cut flowers in Pick 'n Pay... some florists... sometimes being sold as an aquatic in pet shops...

 

Any substrate will do, they will even root in plain water. You can also find it in garden centres as larger plants growing in soil. You could take cuttings and root them in water.