Starting up my small aquatic plant business, this is the journal.

Hello! I am attempting to start a very small aquatic plant business. I am fully aware that this may not be successful, and that’s just fine because the plants look just fine in my tanks either way. I am focusing on fast growing beginner plants to start in my aquariums. So far I have

Duckweed
Frogbit
Salvinia cucullata (velvet salvinia)
Red Root Floaters
Brazilian Pennywort
Anacharis
Hornwort
Hygrophila polysperma
Red Ludwigia
Water Sprite
Bacopa australis

I am hoping to start listing plants on EBay and Etsy mid March to early April. So far the Red Ludwigia needs trimmed every 2 weeks, my original three stems of hygrophila are now about 16x 4 inch stems because I laid them sideways, and each frogbit has a little shoot growing wee baby plants. I swear the duckweed has multiplied already.

Some photos of where things are at today... it’s water change day so I’m going to sort them out a little better

Great How do you plan to package them? Would you need a licence for this? Make sure to post links, I might be your customer!

StripySnailGirl04 said:

Great How do you plan to package them? Would you need a licence for this? Make sure to post links, I might be your customer!

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Everywhere I have ordered plants from wraps them in wet paper towels, puts them in a ziplock, and then ships them in a small box. In the winter the box typically has insulation and some people include a heat pack, though that’s usually just if you paid for shipping. For selling through Etsy or Ebay I would not need a license. I just have to be aware of which plants are illegal in which states!

Some plants that you could grow for big profits are plants like Hydrocotyle tripartita that at the fish store sells for $7-10 and just a tiny 3-4 sprigs rooted in rockwool. I put mine in a jar outdoors and its growing pretty well considering its February. Easy and fast grower in or out of water I bet. Same for Monte Carlo,Hygrophila pinnatifida as expensive to buy and grow fast out of water.
Others like Anubias? I see as really slow growers but I saw Anubias nana at a store for $10 and it was just like three leaves..3 small leaves for that price. If you can get them up in production,they always sell.
One big profit maker if you have Co2 is Bolbitis. That plant is always in the $20 range and then add shipping to hobbyists who want one. Get it on Co2 and the lighting does not have to be anything special. That's the crazy thing about that fern. But,it is very sensitive to low Co2 in the average aquarium and that's where it starts to die off. I don't have CO2- but I do aim pump water at it and use the vortex of a powerhead and that has helped. You get that growing thick and you can retire.

Pearlweed is another in demand and easy to grow. Super fast with more light..some iron. Its one of the very few tiny leaved plants that does fine in non Co2 plant aquariums.
Just back to the Hydrocotyle tripartita...so much in demand and it reminds me many of weeds that pop up in a over watered lawns..or in winter here in Cali as a wild weed. Somehow in the aquarium it makes a great dainty look plant.

If you grow Vallis (or if anyone knows of someone who does) I would be more than happy to buy some!! I’d rather not support Modern Aquarium again, their shipping timing is dreadful.

foxgirl158 said:

If you grow Vallis (or if anyone knows of someone who does) I would be more than happy to buy some!! I’d rather not support Modern Aquarium again, their shipping timing is dreadful.

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Oof, yeah. Did you ever get your refund?

I’ve been so insanely busy I haven’t gotten a chance yet… I have photos dated from when I first got them and when they died and such, I just don’t know if they’ll still accept them

OliveFish05 said:

Oof, yeah. Did you ever get your refund?

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foxgirl158 said:

I’ve been so insanely busy I haven’t gotten a chance yet… I have photos dated from when I first got them and when they died and such, I just don’t know if they’ll still accept them

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if they dont, i could possibly send some vals. they grow craaazy fast

OliveFish05 said:

Hello! I am attempting to start a very small aquatic plant business. I am fully aware that this may not be successful, and that’s just fine because the plants look just fine in my tanks either way. I am focusing on fast growing beginner plants to start in my aquariums. So far I have

Duckweed
Frogbit
Salvinia cucullata (velvet salvinia)
Red Root Floaters
Brazilian Pennywort
Anacharis
Hornwort
Hygrophila polysperma
Red Ludwigia
Water Sprite
Bacopa australis

I am hoping to start listing plants on EBay and Etsy mid March to early April. So far the Red Ludwigia needs trimmed every 2 weeks, my original three stems of hygrophila are now about 16x 4 inch stems because I laid them sideways, and each frogbit has a little shoot growing wee baby plants. I swear the duckweed has multiplied already.

Some photos of where things are at today... it’s water change day so I’m going to sort them out a little betterView attachment 154169View attachment 154170View attachment 154171View attachment 154172View attachment 154173View attachment 154174

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why is your tank so pretty XD
my tank has a bald spot in the middle because the middle is all rocks and the sides are sand
i am glad the Dwarf water lettuce is still green after shipping

I recently bought a plant which must have had 1 single duckweed plant on it. As a result both my tanks are now overrun with duckweed and I am trying very hard to get rid of it. I think I've got rid of it from my main tank but I may have to throw away all the floating plants (red root floated & duckweed) in the shrimp tank and get new red root floater.

Looking at your photos, it will be impossible to sell guaranteed 100% duckweed free floating plants, and the rooted plants would probably have duckweed on them when removed from the tank. Many buyers will be horrified, like me, to find duckweed in their tanks. Is there any way you could quarantine your plants to ensure no duckweed before selling them?

Sgooosh said:

why is your tank so pretty XD
my tank has a bald spot in the middle because the middle is all rocks and the sides are sand
i am glad the Dwarf water lettuce is still green after shipping

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Lol. Yeah they did really well with the shipping!

Essjay said:

I recently bought a plant which must have had 1 single duckweed plant on it. As a result both my tanks are now overrun with duckweed and I am trying very hard to get rid of it. I think I've got rid of it from my main tank but I may have to throw away all the floating plants (red root floated & duckweed) in the shrimp tank and get new red root floater.

Looking at your photos, it will be impossible to sell guaranteed 100% duckweed free floating plants, and the rooted plants would probably have duckweed on them when removed from the tank. Many buyers will be horrified, like me, to find duckweed in their tanks. Is there any way you could quarantine your plants to ensure no duckweed before selling them?

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Thats frustrating! I am going to move all the duckweed to a different container if I can, and make sure that no more shows up in the tanks before I start selling. If I can’t clear it all out, I’ll just sell the plants with no guarantee

I've spent 2 hours this afternoon removing all the red root floater from my 6 gallon shrimp tank into a bucket of warm dechlorinated water, then swooshing them round and moving the plants one by one into another bucket of water then swooshed them again and put them in a tub; then used a net to scoop out all the duckweed from the tank. Then I did a water change and put the red roof floater back in the tank and swirled it round on the surface and removed more duckweed that was still caught in the floater. I know I won't have got it all.

You do need to warn customers

Essjay said:

I've spent 2 hours this afternoon removing all the red root floater from my 6 gallon shrimp tank into a bucket of warm dechlorinated water, then swooshing them round and moving the plants one by one into another bucket of water then swooshed them again and put them in a tub; then used a net to scoop out all the duckweed from the tank. Then I did a water change and put the red roof floater back in the tank and swirled it round on the surface and removed more duckweed that was still caught in the floater. I know I won't have got it all.

You do need to warn customers

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I would definitely put a disclaimer!

OliveFish05 said:

I would definitely put a disclaimer!

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Imma send yiu the description of my water lettuce i have a disclaimer

For Olive, Water Sprite grows fastest as a floating plant. I'm not sure if yours are planted in the substrate or growing on the surface, but for best results, grow it on the surface as a floating plant.