Planting with Weights etc

[fishyio]

When buying plants you usually get a choice:

Plain plants often in a bunch, which are cheapest.

Then there is the bunch wrapped in a strip of foam with a strip of lead to hold it down, and of course the fully established plant growing in a pot, normally most expensive.

What do people recommend? I have gone for the middle option usually because the fish always seem to pull out the plants if they are just shoved into the substrate and the potted ones seem awfully pricey to fill up a tank.

I wondered though if the foam/lead is affecting the proper growth of the plant once it gets going, and stopping it reaching its maximum potential.

And likewise do the roots coming out through the little slots in the plastic pot option grow as well as they would if au naturele?

I always feel reluctant to go back in once the plants are established and peel off the foam, pot etc because of disturbing the roots. I have tried a number of methods of solving this. eg using bottomless shallow clay pots, with stainless steel hoops pushed over the plants at ground level to keep them in place, and stop the fish pulling up and digging etc, but it's all a bit clumsy.

I'd be interested to hear what people think on this - is there an optimum procedure or does it vary with plant, substrate and fish?

 

[VaughnH]

I don't think it is a good idea to ever leave a plant in the pot it came in when planting it. Nor is it a good idea to leave the bunch all tied together at the bottom with anything, from a lead strip to plastic foam. Planting no more than 3 stems together, but not tied together is a good idea. Removing a plant from the pot, discarding the mineral wool or as much of it as is possible, then planting it is a good idea. I'm not convinced that a thin lead strip or lead substitute wrapped loosely around a stem or three is a bad idea. In this hobby it always seems like the things that work the easiest are the worst things to do.

 

[Tom Barr]

I trim and clean a plant good before using it.
Be picky about the plants you buy and add to the tank.

Rotting plants are bad as rotting deasd fish, both are sources of NH4 and the lowering O2.

If you move plants around a great deal, like vendors/LFS's and bad plant keepers(they know who they are then the pot option is good.
Sometimes you will get many more plants in a pot for the $ than single plants etc also. Potted plants are almost all hydroponically grown emergent.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[fishyio]

Erm sorry Tom are you saying that the hydroponic and emersed cultivation is a good thing for the future performance of the potted plant, or does it make the plant pampered and feeble when thrust into the average "not quite all there yet" fishtank like mine??

 

[Tom Barr]

Just means that how aquatic plant growers grow their plants without algae, CO2 etc quickly and easily.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[fishyio]

I did wonder how those LFS plants look so perfect and bright green when they've just had a delivery, and then by the end of the week the ones they haven't sold yet look a bit sad by comparison. The next week it's all bright green and vibrant again, and the sad looking stragglers have mysteriously gone.

I think I am going to have a go with a few of each type and see how things go.

Thank you for the advice once again..