How to keep plants planted

L

Laylah

Laylah
Oct 22, 2004
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0
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Cape Town South Africa
So heres the deal. I'm trying live plants YAY but I'm not doing the whole aquascaping thing just yet, I need to prove that I can keep plants alive first. I got myself some beginner plants, some swords, anubis, stuff that looks similar to, but are not baby tears and the likes (low light super easy stuff - no java moss, fern or java anything, CT lfs's don't stock them) Now I have some residents that are notorious uprooters of plants (but most blame goes to the "giant" pleco Seymore). So the question is: How do you guys keep plants planted? I have about (all rough conversions) 1/5" of fine gravel topped with about 1 1/2" of substrate and the top layor is a 1" mix of small to medium gravel and pebbles (with a rock or two for good measure) Now when I plant I make sure the roots are placed in the fine gravel + substrate level, I figured that that was deep enough, do I need more depth? or is there a way of weighing the plants down till they get fully settled. Some stay down (swords and some coarse bushy plant) :huh:

Any help is apreciated and needed
 
I would recommend securing Anubias and Java fern to a rock or driftwood in some manner vs. planting the rhizome/root in the substrate. The larger pl*co species can be problematic for your plants.

Scott
 
Use the plant anchors that the plants come with to secure a bunch together.
Don't bother trying to plant one stem at a time. I was sweating the aquascape stuff at the beginning, but unless you have tiny fish that don't disturb things, you might as well forget it. (and I like my active species too)
The best thing to do is get sturdy plants and anchor them down with the weights. Keep replanting until things get ahold. I managed to get a pleasantly planted tank by doing so and I was able to keep my 'ruffians' too :)
Anubias and java fern can be tied to rock or wood. I have sword plants, that root deep and hold well. Vals also are good, not easily disturbed. Any deep rooting plants work well after they secure themselves.
 
that's the stuff

Now anchors, that's what I'll need. Our plants round here don't come with nifty little anchors, they are ALL potted in black gate like pots and are rooted in what looks like brown cotton wool but is a fibrous squoogie substance (I know my plant knowledge is impeccable :rolleyes: ). Would you find those anchors at the lfs of would I have to try a hardware store? And if I do find some (big if) how would I use them...cotton wrapped around some stems attached to anchor, anchor and roots burried?
 
Usually LFS sell packets of lil metal plant anchors, about ten in a pack for 3 dollars or so. Don't use any of th wool, just wrap the anchor above the root on a stem plant and bury it. You can bunch a few stems together to give a fuller look. Rhizomes need to be left above the substrate so these are best just tied to wood or a rock or wedged in a crack between rock or wood.

You can probabl find some maleable metal bits in the hardware dept.,however be careful as some metal will rust and I've had a fish succumb to metal poisioning before I realized the problem. (It was from one of those silk plants that had a metal insert so it could bend, the metal got exposed and caused rust piosioning that killed my poor betta) So, be careful, use stainless or bio-safe metals in your tank. I wouldn't chance anything else.
 
They should be at an lfs, I think Lee's makes them, but they're like a real bendy type of metal, or whatever it is. But you don't need the cotton, just wrap the anchor around it, just be careful you don't squish the plant with the anchor, but keep it tight. The potted plants, I just leave in the pots, I don't think its gonna hurt anything, but I hate that spongy stuff if it gets out of the pot. Thanks for asking the question though some of the posts had some good info.
 
Thanks all

Right so it's off to the lfs with me (oh darn :rolleyes: ) If I can't find them at the store, I'll just grab some stainless steel welding wire from the office (that sounds like what you're talking about bendy metal)

Thanks again (keeping fingers crossed that I'll find nifty anchors at lfs)
 
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