Guppygirl Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 Hi, I was wondering if I get some plants what are the requirements before I put them in my tank. Should I somehow disinfected them? How is that done? Do I have to have a certain type of substrate? Right now I only have a very thin layer of gravel on the bottom of the tank. Do the plants need to be physically planted in the gravel/soil? Or can they be put in pots??? The plants up here are in little containers, can they be left in them or should they be removed? Sorry for all the questions but I am a plant newbie/ beginner. I have never had anything living in my tanks other then my fish. Thought that I would try something new in the yellow guppy tank. Thanks in advance for any info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windeindoiel Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 Pots tend to restrict root growth, so you should remove them. You should have substrate deep enough for the roots to get a good hold in, unless you go with plants that grow on a rhizome. Those you just attach to rocks or driftwood (fishing line works good) and they'll eventually attach themselves, I think they look really nice. www.plantgeek.net has some good info on different types of plants, where to plant them and how much light they need. I'd stick with low light plants. Oh right and I don't disinfect my plants, but I don't worry about hitchhikers, I figure if it's anything other than snails it'll likely be eaten. I'm not sure how you'd disinfect them if you do decide you want to though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 Sometimes you do get nasties in w. plants - usally snails and/or algae (but, read recent damselfly nymph story on AA). Most of us don't decontaminate, but it can be done w. Potassium permanginate or a week bleach solution - bleach will kill more delicate plants. Pots can work well - especially for root feeders like swords, crypts and lotus. I've used terra cotta pots w. good success - put a bit of gravel, then a 1/2 pot layer of potting soil, then top it off w. gravel. stem plants just use their roots to hold them in place, so if they can be rooted in your gravel as is, no problems. Most plants sold at LFS can survive in low light w. no ferts - they just won't grow fast. If you want the plants to grow noticibly, read some of the pinned threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shai Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 One thing I've learned since getting into planted tanks is that it's really useful to research the plant before buying it. If you see something at the LFS that looks interesting, write down the name and look it up online when you get home. This will help you avoid buying plants that are really hard to keep or will grow too large for your tank...and this will save you money and headaches! As a beginner, you might consider some of these plants to start with: java fern java moss anubias nana anubias afzelii anubias barteri cryptocoryne wendtii (the "green" variety is very nice, IMO) sagittaria subulata vallisneria spiralis water wisteria cabomba These are all relatively easy to grow and take care of. I'm sure there are others that can be suggested too. If you Google the names you should be able to find lots of information about them. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arixonbarnes Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 (edited) definitely disinfect them especially from an LFS. I once bought 20 bunches of hornswort (a few years ago) and it came complete with a leech. Be careful with the potassium permanganate as you can cook your plants if you dose too much for too long. I made that mistake a few times. Edited February 13, 2007 by arixonbarnes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werner Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 Gravel should be at least a couple inches deep for the plant roots, and preferably about 1-3mm in size. A lot of the packaged aquarium gravel for sale is quite a bit larger, and you'll find that the plants uproot easily from it. The little pots that the plants come in should be removed, as well as the rock wool that's around the roots. Stem plants: pinch off the stem (especially any broken/rotting parts) just below a node- this is where the plant will produce roots from. Plant them in small bunches of 3 or 4 stems so they won't float up as easily. Rosette plants, etc.: roots can be trimmed if they're long- you don't want them coming up out of the gravel. If your gravel is shallow, use a pot like previously mentioned. Java fern and Anubias sp.: these should not be buried in gravel! Wedge them in or tie them to wood or rocks- they'll eventually grab a hold on their own. Definitely research your plant purchases. There are several non-aquatic plants that are frequently sold for aquarium use as well as many that wouldn't be suitable for your tank conditions. I have never bothered decontaminating plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppygirl Posted February 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Thanks for the info. I think I will wait a while yet to get any plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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