Where to collect Aquatic Plants?

Harvesting Local Aquatic Plants
They grow in more places than you might think. A lot of the time, they’re grown in emersed states, in which in the aquatic plants are grown above the water line. You can save quite a lot of money on your aquariums and have an adventure looking for water plants in your local area. I’ve found in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), you can find a lot of plants that are native and invasive.

At Toogood Pond, Milliken Park, Rouge Park, I’ve found an abundance of Lemnoideae, aka duckweed, both greater (spirodela polyrhiza) and lesser (lemna minor), fanwort, Frogbit, both types of coontail/hornwort,egeria densa (anacharis/elodia), and hydrilla. I usually like to harvest some duckweed to feed the Goldfish from time to time. It’s not very hard to find, you’ll just have to find any riverside, pond, or swamp like areas to look through. I find it easiest to find aquarium plants in marshy areas.

Look for areas like the ones photographed below. Locations like such are where I have found the most diverse community of aquatic plants and species. Always be mindful of how much you take. I try to take no more than 5 stems of plants in one area at a time. It's important to respect and preserve the aquatic life and pulse of the environment.

Remember that the aquarium plants grown emersed will all melt away when submerged into the water. This is because the adapted leaves of the plant will not be able to survive in an underwater in your aquarium. This doesn’t mean you can’t pick emersed plants for your aquarium, it just means you’ll have to wait for the plants to grow back after melting away. The best way to speed up and ensure their return is to harvest the emersed plants with as much of their roots as possible. The roots will help the plant develop new leaves that are capable to surviving under water. You don’t need to worry too much in regards to the floating plants and plants that are found submerged already.

After picking the plants you’ll like to harvest, simply pull the plant out of the substrate, preserving as much of the roots as you can. I recommend soaking the plants in 1 gallon of water and half a tablespoon of potassium permanganate to remove pests from entering your aquarium (such as snails, worms, and nymphs). Soak the plants in the solution of 15 minutes and rinse well under tap water before putting into your aquarium. Alternatively, you could use one gallon of water and a cup of and a half of bleach and soak your plants in the solution for 5 minutes, then 5 minutes in a tub of water. Note that if you have too high of a concentration of bleach, you could end up killing your plants and your hard day’s work of collecting them. Native species are often easy to find in marshy areas, just be careful not to slip in the mud!

Aquatic Plants Found in Ontario

• Ludwigia 
• Frogbit 
• Egeria densa (Anacharis/Elodia) 
• Fanwort (Cabomba) 
• Hydrilla 
• Duckweed 
• Bladderwort 
• Vallisneria (lake Ontario) 
• Coontail/hornwort 
• Water stargrass (heteranthera dubia) 
• Stargrass hypoxis hisuta 
• Fragrant water lily 

Here's some quick tips for harvesting aquatic plants

• Aquarium net 

The fine mesh of an aquarium net can help scoop up all the duckweed you'll need. It's very useful in just skimming the top of the water to help you look below to see what treasures may be hidden.

• Plastic Bags 

I like to use plastic bags when picking up your plants. It's less to lug around than a big bucket. Any plastic bag would work. It doesn't have to hold water, just hold the plants. The plants can be out of the water for a long period of time before drying out. Still, be mindful of how long the plants will be out of the water. 

• Paper Towel 

If you're travelling far to get plants, big some paper towels. Not only could it help stay dry, it also helps you keep your plants moist! Soak the paper towel in water, ring out some of the extra water, and put it in the bag with your plant. This will help stop the plants from drying out and making it back safely to your 

• Picker Upper

Sometimes you just don't want to stick your arm into the water, and other times you just can't reach that plant you've finally found. Using the picker upper, you can reach your plant and stay dry at the same time. The Picker Upper can be found in most dollar stores and it will simply help you reach further to pick things up. It does take some time to get the hang of, but it's quite easy to learn.

• Bug Repellent

Bugs are a given when searching in nature. You`ll find the most intriguing creatures buzzing around, but most of them are just a pest when you're trying to collect. Mosquitoes, flies, dragonflies, gnats, are just a few of the various insects you'll come across. Any bug repellent will give you peace of mind and reduce the number of annoying mosquito bites you might get. 

• Always Soak in Quarantine Solution

You should always quarantine the plants you've picked up from your trip. Soak them in the solution explained above to remove pests from invading your tank. Dragonfly nymphs are likely to eat your shrimps, small fish, and other creatures in your tank. Mosquito Larva will quickly mature in a fishless tank with only shrimps, which means you'll bitten in your own home! Snails easily take over aquariums and are one of the hardest pests to remove once infested. Unlike dragonfly nymphs and mosquito larva, they don't leave the aquarium and multiply like crazy! While there is nothing wrong with having a few snails, they're a real headache and eyesore to most people. Note that the snails, mosquito larva, and nymphs could also bring in dangerous bacteria into your aquarium. I highly recommend soaking the plants in a solution to avoid such problems.

- ASC