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Not sure why my fish keep dying :(

You don't have to do soil, I use only sand/fine gravel for my plants and it works great, but if you still want to you can do it either way, maybe mesh bags will make it less messy but as long as you cap it with a lot of sand it should be fine.

Some plants, called epiphytes, such as java fern and anubias, like to be glued to wood and rocks and not buried in the substrate, while some other plants, like stem plants, like to be buried.
 
Ja292246 said:
Do i need a mesh bag at the bottom for soil ? Or can i place the plants in the rocks ?
Click to expand...

No. I do not recommend using any sort of "soil,"because they have (usually) bacterial issues especially for substrate fish like catfish and loaches. And these fish also like to "dig," and this can make a mess, with or without a bag.

Plants like Anubias and Jave Fern can be attached to rock and wood, if that is what you mean.

As I was typing, I spotted BettaFishGirl's post, saying much the same things. I would use only soft sand. All rooted plants will grow well in this, and it is safe for all fish. If you want cories you must have soft sand, nothing else.
 
Ja292246 said:
Do i need a mesh bag at the bottom for soil ? Or can i place the plants in the rocks ?
Click to expand...
At this stage I wouldn't bother with all of that, like the others have said already your plants will do just fine in your sand or fine gravel.

What plants have you decided on?
 
CaptainBarnicles said:
At this stage I wouldn't bother with all of that, like the others have said already your plants will do just fine in your sand or fine gravel.

What plants have you decided on?
Click to expand...
Sounds good , im thinking Anubias and Jave Fern. I ordered fine gravel but they sent me the small rocks should i switch it or will i be ok ? .Im driving to my aquarium store to see what the plants they have in stock as we speak .
 
IMO sand looks better, what I do is a put a fine sand down then near the plants and hard scape I will scatter the fine gravel around it and it makes it look really natural.
 
Ja292246 said:
Sounds good , im thinking Anubias and Jave Fern. I ordered fine gravel but they sent me the small rocks should i switch it or will i be ok ? .Im driving to my aquarium store to see what the plants they have in stock as we speak .
Click to expand...
Just fyi, for the Anubias you should tie it to some wood and not plant it in the substrate. I bought some at Petco that had a suction cup attached to it which was useful for my application.
 
Ram419 said:
Just fyi, for the Anubias you should tie it to some wood and not plant it in the substrate. I bought some at Petco that had a suction cup attached to it which was useful for my application.
Click to expand...
Or if you're all thumbs like me, you can use superglue. It has to be cyanoacrylate super glue. Once it sets, that has a stable bond with water and is aquarium safe. Use the gel kind. It's easier to manage.
Moisture actually helps it to set faster.
 
Ok so here is where I’m at , i have a few small Anubias plants at the bottom , kind just in the grabek , i have a piece of wood soaking in water so it doesjt stain the tank water. Once that is ready i will get some more plants attached to that and we should be good , water was just conditioned .
 

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Driftwood can continue to release tannins for months or even years after it's put in water. If it continues to release tannins for more than a few weeks, just put the wood in the tank and do big water changes to dilute the tannins to a level you can live with.

Your different coloured gravel will mix unless you have a physical barrier between them.

You need a picture on the back of the tank to help the fish feel more secure. you can buy aquarium backings from pet shops or online. or use a plastic bin liner or coloured card. Just tape them to the outside on the back of the tank.
 
Ja292246 said:
Ok so here is where I’m at , i have a few small Anubias plants at the bottom , kind just in the grabek , i have a piece of wood soaking in water so it doesjt stain the tank water. Once that is ready i will get some more plants attached to that and we should be good , water was just conditioned .
Click to expand...

The plants look like they are "planted" in the substrate. The rhizome must remain above ground, or it can rot. Attach the plants to a piece of wood or a rock. I used to find a crevice in a chunk of wood, and gently poke a bit (one end usually) of the rhizome into the crevice. Or you can use black cotton thread. Some use a special super glue.
 
I have them gently placed under some of the gravel, waiting for a few supplies to be delivered (hopefully ) today. My petco doesn't really carry anything good . Going to glue them to rocks and wood . Also ordered a couple more plants , didn’t think the 3 small ones were enough.
 
Rather pull them up and let them float until you can get some hardscape...they'll likely rot otherwise
 
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