Tricolor Stonecrop Succulent Aquarium Gardening

Tricolor Stonecrop Succulent Aquarium Gardening

May 8th, 2019

I pick a cutting of Tricolor Stonecrop, scientific name Sedum spurium.

Let's check if this low-growing succulent would grow with roots in water in my aquariums.

This cutting needs to be rooted first.

Let’s place the cutting in a piece of plastic straw to keep it in a fixed position inside a small cup filled with water.

I keep the Tricolor cutting among other succulents already growing on top of this aquarium garden.

9 days later on May 17th.

Water evaporates quickly from an open cup.

And look! The cutting already developed about 1 cm long roots.

Also, the bottom leaves left submerged in the water wilted.

I remove the wilted leaves and put the plant back.

June 28th.

7 weeks old Tricolor Stonecrop developed a noticeably elongated stem.

Also, there are some new leaves growing.

Let's clean up the plant from the remains of wilted leaves on the bottom.

Now we can measure the plant.

It has about 3 cm long roots.

And about 10 cm long stem.

The plant is already big enough to be placed in this aquarium garden.

I use the same-size plastic straws in this planter to hold small plants.

Make sure the roots of the plant stay in the water all the time.

The water level should always be below the bottom edge of the straws to allow air circulation.

Here you can see the roots hanging down from the straw.

I keep the straw always above the water.

The aquarium is populated with dwarf guppies, cherry shrimp, snails and scuds.

All of them need air.

You can see fish and shrimp come to check on what's new in the tank :)

August 2nd.

This Tricolor Stonecrop plant has been growing with roots in water for about 3 months.

Let's cut the plant for a new experiment.

Each part of the plant has 4 pairs of leaves.

The top cutting goes into a small cup to grow bigger.

And the rooted part stays in the same aquarium.

About 3 weeks later, on August 26th.

The top cutting developed nice roots.

The roots are long enough for the plant to go into my succulents aquarium garden.

Here you can see the whole garden.

Check my previous videos about making this and other planters and setting up sustaining aquariums.

Here you can see the first plant on September 1st.

It took one month for this Tricolor Stonecrop to develop 2 new stems after I trimmed the plant.

A couple old leaves wilted at the bottom.

Two weeks later, on September 18th.

One of the stems grew noticeably larger and developed a new pair of leaves.

All my aquariums get only indirect sunlight from the window.

Tricolor plant is one of many succulents I grow with roots in water.

Have fun and happy aquariums :)