Aldrovanda is one of the strangest plants around. It is a relative of the Venus Flytrap and is more widespread than any other carnivorous plant. It is also a rare and endangered species. Since Aldrovanda is so widespread some go dormant and others do not, but most will enter a dormancy if presented with cold temps. We sell the Japanese form and it will go dormant but doesn't have too. Once dormant they can withstand temperatures down to -5°F, but if they freeze solid they will die. They accomplish this by putting out non-carnivorous leaves that are smaller and more compact causing it to curl. This all happens on the growing tip, once its curled tight it breaks free from the rest of the plant and sinks. These are called turions. It will sit down there until the temps come back up. These grow from Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa but they are or almost are extinct in all of these areas.

Aldrovanda (waterwheel plant) is a carnivorous, rootless aquatic plant. It is a small plant, the stem can reach over 6 inches long and the traps 3/16" or so in length. It can grow from multiple growth points branching out. It grows whorls off of its free floating stem. The carnivorous leaves that grow in a ring around the stem are called whorls. In good growing conditions the Japanese Aldrovanda can grow a new whorl per day or more! It has traps like the Venus Flytraps that snap shut to catch its prey. The narrow pointy leaves help keep obstacles away from the traps. This is another carnivorous plant that has been around a long long time, probably millions of years. But unless we change our attitudes pretty quick it will no longer be found in nature.

Click for bigger pic

Now these plants have an extremely nasty reputation for being hard to grow. I think during this year we are going to prove that false. While supplies last we are offering them pretty cheap through the store to anyone that wants to try one. I think if you dedicate some time to this plant it will reward you beyond your wildest dreams. We can only ship them to the continental US.

To raise Aldrovanda you need to set up a growing area for them. Outside generally works better than inside but you can keep them in a 10 gallon aquarium indoors successfully. Even smaller containers will work but you should be familiar with them first. Aldrovanda is susceptible to algae and Boron Deficiency. If you set the tank up right and do periodic water changes this won't be a problem.

It is best to set up your tank 4 or 5 months before you get the Aldrovanda. CO2 is not needed during this time if you plan on using it. You do want to get a colony of water fleas going in it though. Add your substrate too. Do your partial water changes as needed and let the tank age. Let new water sit open for at least 48 hrs before adding to the tank. Eventually it should balance, which means the film on top will go away and algae should not be a problem anymore. The water fleas help immensely.

Water - This is tricky and can get confusing rather fast.
Lets start with the short answer. Most water is fine to use. If you just have a simple setup use bottled water or any moderately hard or softer water. They like "Brown Water", see "Substrate" below.
But, if you use hard water you should grow companion plants with them to help take the excess nutrients out of the water.
And, if you are going to use CO2 you need something with a decent alkalinity (KH) to keep the PH from going wild. More on this farther down in the CO2 section. If you add CO2 they will live happy in about anything.
PH of 4 - 7.8 is tolerated. 6.8 - 7.4 is ideal.

Temps - -5° (5 below) to 87° F is tolerated. Do not let the water get above 90 or the Aldrovanda will start to die. Do not let them freeze into ice or they will die. The water should be allowed to cool at night, preferably 10 degrees or more. This should happen naturally to some degree. In certain climates and in certain areas you will probably have to help in one way or another. Use the forum to get ideas, ask for ideas and share yours.

Substrate - Aldrovanda like growing in "Brown Water". It is apply named because the water is a brownish color. They like growing in water that has decomposing plant mater in it. In other words, Peat. Fresh plant parts dying and decomposing is bad, encourages fungus. Old plant parts partially decomposed decomposing is good and that is exactly what peat is. Generally a 1/4 cup of peat per gallon of water is good enough. Most folks recommend to use 1 cup per gallon. Boil the peat and let cool, stirring occasionally as it cools to help release the air. Once cool it will sink very well. You just need enough water to keep it covered after boiling. I also like to add some clay. Red, black or gray clay is ok. It gives the plants something to hang onto if you use them. It also helps the micro fauna and introduces some helpful bacteria. Then I cover the bottom with a fine layer of silica sand. 1 cup does well in a 10 gal aquarium. The sand helps bounce some light back up and helps hold the peat stable.

Click for bigger pic Soil added, ready for Aldrovanda

Light - Lots of websites say these are low light plants. If you grow them outside, then yes. Grow them in shade to bright shade to keep the water from over heating.
If you grow them inside, then no. Give them as much light as you possibly can. Watch the heat. If you have an extravagant setup that produces bright light see the CO2 section below.

Food - Aldrovanda like to eat! Make sure you supply them with a food source. Be careful not to add something that will eat the Aldrovanda. Trumpet Snails are generally available at any pet shop that sells fish. They reproduce like mad and Aldrovanda can eat the young ones. And they only eat dead plant parts, not live plant parts. Daphnia, copods, small fry, small tadpoles (tadpoles eat plants so don't add very many), mosquito larva and the like are all good. Some snails eat plants and do so very efficiently.

Algae - This is a big killer of Aldrovanda. It shouldn't be much of a problem for indoor tanks once the tank has aged. If you use CO2 it will help prevent algae growth. You can add daphnia or snails to help keep it cleaned up, see "Food". 10% water change every other week or as needed on indoor setups. Outside setups can be a little harder to keep under control. Do water changes as needed and keep the CO2 levels up if you use it.

Boron Deficiency - Boron Deficiency will cause a steady decline in the plants until they die. Most plant stores sell a product to treat it with. A search on Boron Deficiency will produce several results. This is a rare disease, or macro vitamin deficiency.

Now, if you have been digging around trying to research Aldrovanda you are probably finding lots of different information. Above is the simple stuff.

Doesn't sound so bad. And its not. Really, thats all there is too it. You have probably read things like "High levels of CO2 are needed" or "must grow with companion plants" "keep shaded" "tap water is fine" and on and on. And with other sources saying just as convincingly the opposite. Well, most of them are true (and some already covered above) with some if's and but's tossed in. Forget you ever read anything about any of them and you will still be fine! Just use the summarization.

Some people are not happy just keeping something alive, although keeping anything long term is of itself an accomplishment. For those that enjoy really learning about a habitat and growing plants to perfection please read on. Keep in mind the information on the next page is not required growing knowledge. It just explains the why on a couple things and explains CO2 and how to generate it. The basics from above will do fine for the majority of folks growing these. Sometimes trying to do and learn too much at once is overwhelming.