These are carnivorous plants(yes, I had the same expression when I learned about these plants) that are aquatic and terrestrial. The following beginner’s guide gives a guideline for the aquatic Bladderworts plant and this information would help decide if you want to keep them in your aquarium. In my personal experience, it is a must to experiment with bladderworts
Utricularia Plant – Overview
| Common Name | Bladderworts |
| Color | Usually, the bladders are colored. They can range from dark to transparent |
| Habitat/Origin | Northern hemisphere throughout Asia and Europe |
| Average Size | They can grow up to 30 feet in length (isn’t this surprising that grow up to 30 feet, as they don’t have roots they float and spread the water bodies) |
| Growth Rate | Rapid. They grow really quickly and also intertwine with other aquatic plants (more like a weed) |
| Placement | They are floaters, ideal for large aquariums, paludarium. Due to their growth rate make sure they are trimmed on a frequent basis |
| Maintenance | This floating aquarium plant is easy to maintain, all you have to trim it on a frequent basis |
| Planting Methods | They can be transferred as whole plants. They have simple or divided leaves on the horizontally floating stem and lack root |
| Ideal Setup | Suitable for large tanks and paludarium |
| Care Level | Medium, They require frequent maintenance |
| Supplements | They feed on microorganisms and sometimes prey on small aquatic creatures. They can grow in water which is low in nutrients. Yeast based CO2 generator can benefit their growth. |
| Lighting | They can survive with both bright light and partial light |
| Water temperature | It can manage any kind of temperatures like warm summers and cold winter |
| Propogation | Cuttings of the plant which are at least 3 nodes long to be used for propagation, It’s pretty simple to introduce them into a new tank with proper lighting they will start thriving in the new environment |
| Approx. Cost | A bunch of bladderworts would cost 15 to 20 Dollars in the USA and in Southe East Asia, they are half the price. |
| Common Diseases | Root rot if the bulb is immersed too much in the substrate. |
| What to look for when buying | The bladders should be small, round, and seed like structures that are scattered throughout the foliage |
| Related Specifies | Utricularia macrorhiza Le Conte, Utricularia vulgaris these are some of the species which are available in the market |
| FAQs | Check out the most asked questions about Utricularia |
Utricularia plant gallery
References
- Jobson RW, Playford J, Cameron KM, Albert VA. (2003). Molecular phylogenetics of Lentibulariaceae inferred from plastid rps16 intron and trnLF DNA sequences: implications for character evolution and biogeography. Systematic Botany, 28(1): 157-171. doi:10.1043/0363-6445-28.1.157
- Jobson RW, Baleeiro PC, Reut MS (2017). Molecular phylogeny of subgenus Polypompholyx (Utricularia; Lentibulariaceae) based on three plastid markers: diversification and proposal for a new section. Australian Systematic Botany, 30: 259-278. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB17003
- Jobson RW, Baleeiro PC, Barrett MD (2018). Six new species of Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae) from Northern Australia. Telopea, 21: 57-77. https://doi.org/10.7751/telopea12630
- Müller KF and Borsch T. (2005). Phylogenetics of Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae) and molecular evolution of the trnK intron in a lineage with high substitutional rates. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 250: 39-67. doi:10.1007/s00606-004-0224-1
- Müller KF, Borsch T, Legendre L, Porembski S, and Barthlott W. (2006). Recent progress in understanding the evolution of carnivorous Lentibulariaceae (Lamiales). Plant Biology, 8: 748-757. doi:10.1055/s-2006-924706
- Taylor, Peter. (1989). The genus Utricularia – a taxonomic monograph. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XIV: London. ISBN 0-947643-72-9