Removing the wool, is it vital?

[jonny_ftm]

Hi,

I'm wondering if removing the wool that comes with potted plants is necessary or not? Is it toxic to fish?

I ask because I soldered some Anubia nana petite to a wood on my emersed setup. I fear the roots rot if kept on air directly. So, I covered them with some of the wool that came with the potted plants. The Anubia will probably root in the wool and it will be hard to remove before I submerge the tank. Could it cause any issues later once submerged? Will it degrade completely, any alternative to something that will degrade by teh time anubia roots well and I submerge the tank?

many thanks for your help

 

[Philosophos]

Rock wool is molton rock that's been spun in to fine fibers. The source of the rock is going to determine how nice it plays in your tank. Depending on the source of stone used, it can spike your pH.

Fish health outside of that would be the issue of silicosis. Personally I highly doubt they'd develop it; rock wool breaks down far too slow, and it's negatively buoyant.

As for life span, you and I will probably degrade before it does.

-Philosophos

 

[jonny_ftm]

Damn it, what you say makes me trumble I prefer something that degrades before me

I'll get rid of that rock wool following your advice. So, many thanks for the info

But, what can I use to keep my anubia roots moisted? Any other kind of safe degradable wool?

 

[jonny_ftm]

Here's a shot of my dry start Anubia
Any help on what I can use to replace my Rockwool on this setup?

 

[Gerryd]

Johnny,

Can you use thread or fishing line to wrap around the rootstocks and then the roots and rocks?

This has worked well for me in the past.

I always remove all of the rock wool from my plants. If some is left over, no biggie, but I usually rinse them pretty well.

 

[jonny_ftm]

It is attached with fishing line. You can even see it if you look closely at the photo.

The wool is to maintain humidity on the roots and is just layed on top of them.

I need something similar to the wool to maintain humidity in this emersed setup.

 

[Philosophos]

You could always just grow the anubias sitting on the substrate until you're ready to fill, then attach with cotton thread (it breaks down, fishing line does not), or use a little super glue on the rhizome.

-Philosophos

 

[Gerryd]

Jonny,

Sorry I didn't see that. I must of lost track of your thread and got confused with another.

My bad..........

 

[Biollante]

Burlap?

Hi Jonny,

A little burlap or some such natural fiber.

Biollante

 

[jonny_ftm]

Thank you all for your advices.

The idea of Philosophous is not bad, but I'll have to unroot them later. Emersed anubia can have a very important root system. My goal is that they establish before being submerged, otherwise I could grow them immersed in my main tank and put them later in the nano. Anyhow, if I see them dieing, I'll do what you suggest.

Biollante, I thought recently on using coir (coconut fiber), I was hesitating. But, I never heard, neither found where I can find this burlap (need a french translation )

 

[shoggoth43]

Well, if you want something that will degrade I suppose you could try cotton balls or similar. At least you'd be able to pull it out of the roots easier and any bits left in will definitely degrade in the aquarium BEFORE you do.

-
S

Damn it, what you say makes me trumble I prefer something that degrades before me

I'll get rid of that rock wool following your advice. So, many thanks for the info

But, what can I use to keep my anubia roots moisted? Any other kind of safe degradable wool?

 

[jonny_ftm]

Yes, I thought at using cotton but, as I never saw anyone using it, I hesitated. Also, rockwool and coir are said to be resistant to fungus. I didn't find anything on cotton. In emersed setup, I really fear fungus.

So, if anyone tried cotton emersed can help...

 

[Biollante]

Burlap

Salut Jonny,

Un peu de toile de jute ou d'une fibre naturelle telle.

Biollante

Hi Jonny,

I use burlap, any type of natural vegetable fiber should work, and I occasionally use burlap as a kind of flexible pot. The problem I have found with using burlap is that if you leave it under water or in the substrate, it can add substantial dissolved organic carbon (DOC).

Be well, my friend,
Biollante

Salut Jonny,

J'utilise la toile de jute, tout type de fibres végétales naturelles devrait fonctionner, et je l'utilise occasionnellement toile de jute comme une sorte de pot flexible. Le problème que j'ai constaté avec l'utilisation de la toile de jute, c'est que si vous le laissez sous l'eau ou dans le substrat, il peut ajouter du carbone organique dissous substantielle (DOC).

Soyez bien, mon ami,
Biollante

 

[jonny_ftm]

Many thanks Biollante for the info, I'll look for what you told me.

Merci beaucoup pour la traduction aussi

 

[shoggoth43]

This is about the only part of that whole French exchange I understood.

-
S

Many thanks Biollante for the info, I'll look for what you told me.

Merci beaucoup pour la traduction aussi

 

[jonny_ftm]

This is about the only part of that whole French exchange I understood.

-
S

I stop to hijack in french

I looked for that "toile de jute" or Burlap, it was very nice and well made indeed. I found it rather expensive though (only big piesces of about 20USD for what I liked to do. After some one told me in another forum that Anubia grows in Asia with roots in the air with 70-75% humidity, I opted to spare my money. Just to make it grows faster, I'll lay some standard cotton, with a "bio" logo I have in house for my children. By the end of September, the tank will be flooded.

Many thanks again for your help. The burlap idea will be useful maybe for another project once

 

[Biollante]

Burlap Should Not Be Expensive!

Hi Jonny,

If the burlap is expensive, my translation has to be wrong!

I am talking burlap sack, sack of potatoes, burlap.

Si la toile de jute est chère, ma traduction doit être faux!

Je parle sac en jute, sac de pommes de terre, toile de jute.

Bonne chance,

Biollante

 

[jonny_ftm]

Hi Biollante,

Really many thanks for the translation, it helps a lot. Yes, I also looked at the burlap sack indeed. It was not expensive at all, around 6 USD equivalent indeed. The problem is that I found its fiber texture too dense and was fearing it will be impossible to remove when the anubia roots through it. That's why I finally chose cotton. I think it will be much easier to get rid of it

Anyway, really many thanks for all your help, I appreciate