buying plants on-line

[jaylach]

Here is how it now looks in preparation for the plants. Tree trunk is missing as I want it dry when I glue plants on the thing.

The new substrate has more color than I thought but I'll be OK with that as the tree trunk will cover a lot. It actually looks sort of cool when under blue lighting. Actually I'll probably break up the java moss I'm getting and use for 'ground cover' so the substrate color will be hardly noticed. I'm excited as I think this is going to end up looking good.

Here is what is is as of right now. First image is under full white/blue/red lighting. Second image is under just blue lighting. Time to go scrub the tree trunk in hot water and let dry to mount plants tomorrow. LOL! I'm scared to death about these plants as I have the biggest black thumb ever seen. I know that the tank needes sponge scrubbed again. I did the initial scrubbing with the tank empty. There is some cleanup still needed.

 

[jaylach]

I have to admit to being a bit pleasantly surprised by the size of the new plants. A LOT better than the crud I got from Petco!

<edit>
BTW, The 'mystery plant pack I mentioned contained one of each of the following:
Myrio Green
Golden Melon Sword
Sag Dwarf
Val Italian
Limno Hippo

 

[Grizleyguy]

Looks nice. Beautiful plants

 

[jaylach]

Looks nice. Beautiful plants

Thanks! I'm happy with what I got. There was a bulb thrown in that turns out to be a Tiger Lotus. Don't know if it is red or green but am hoping for red as it would give a nice color contrast.

 

[Rocky998]

Thanks! I'm happy with what I got. There was a bulb thrown in that turns out to be a Tiger Lotus. Don't know if it is red or green but am hoping for red as it would give a nice color contrast.

I would dose a fert with iron if you want the red to come through. It gets a very nice red but you need to "feed" it well... Or maybe your water already has enough iron for it

 

[Rocky998]

Don't know how well it'll do in the gravel though. May be fine

 

[jaylach]

Don't know how well it'll do in the gravel though. May be fine

Thanks. I got both a liquid fert and root tabs. Both are from Seachem. The liquid is Flourish Excel which claims to "Promote Ferrous State of Iron.". The root tabs are Flourish Tabs.

Actually it looks like the Tiger Lotus bulb is starting to sprout with little red 'spikes' coming out that I assume are roots.

 

[Rocky998]

Thanks. I got both a liquid fert and root tabs. Both are from Seachem. The liquid is Flourish Excel which claims to "Promote Ferrous State of Iron.". The root tabs are Flourish Tabs.

Actually it looks like the Tiger Lotus bulb is starting to sprout with little red 'spikes' coming out that I assume are roots.

Well see, Java ferns have rhizomes and when they are buried they will rot. Even if you have good ferts

 

[jaylach]

Well see, Java ferns have rhizomes and when they are buried they will rot. Even if you have good ferts

I didn't bury the Java Ferns, just the stem plants.

 

[Rocky998]

I didn't bury the Java Ferns, just the stem plants.

Oh ok. It looked like they were in the gravel

 

[jaylach]

Hey, another question...

I have some plant weight strips coming and know how to use but wonder about something. Everything I want to weigh down has multiple stems. Is it better just wrap or sort of weave through the stems above the roots? I just worry a bit about just wrapping as doing tight enough to stay might restrict growth and, if loose enough to avoid restriction, may not hold.

These are the weights I ordered.

Aquarium Plant Weights | Fish Tank Supplies for Live Aquatic Plants

Keep your aquatic plants from floating away with these aquarium-safe plant anchors. Comes with 10 reusable strips that can be wrapped around plant roots.

www.aquariumcoop.com

BTW, You were right about some plants being in the substrate but that was just for the photo. After I took the picture they were pulled back out and are happily floating around. Well some are floating, others came pre weighted.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

You got a really nice selection of plants! Definitely save the contact details of that seller, that's a really nice mix! The lotus will be fine in gravel, as long as the bulb isn't completely buried, only 2/3's buried.
With the tiger lotus (I had one) it will eventually send a shoot to the surface, which grows super fast. You need to trim that back in order to keep the plant producing submersed leaves. I didn't know that when I had mine, and let the surface one do it's thing, then wondered why it wasn't producing more underwater leaves. Is that right, @Wills ? I know you have one too

 

[jaylach]

You got a really nice selection of plants! Definitely save the contact details of that seller, that's a really nice mix! The lotus will be fine in gravel, as long as the bulb isn't completely buried, only 2/3's buried.
With the tiger lotus (I had one) it will eventually send a shoot to the surface, which grows super fast. You need to trim that back in order to keep the plant producing submersed leaves. I didn't know that when I had mine, and let the surface one do it's thing, then wondered why it wasn't producing more underwater leaves. Is that right, @Wills ? I know you have one too

I save info for anyplace I buy from on-line. Not only does it let me get back to the store but also serves as a good place to keep my digital receipts. I use an email client, not web mail, and made a folder that I named 'Keepers'. Within that folder are folders for each on-line store that I deal with.

LOL! on the Tiger Lotus. From what I researched it said to only bury 1/2. The problem with that is it keeps popping out of the substrate. I'll try~2/3 which will put a little gravel above the thickest part and mayhaps keep the obnoxious thing in place. I imagine that the red spikes that have sprouted are roots and guess that I should put them toward the bottom when I plant the stupid thing again.

 

[Wills]

You got a really nice selection of plants! Definitely save the contact details of that seller, that's a really nice mix! The lotus will be fine in gravel, as long as the bulb isn't completely buried, only 2/3's buried.
With the tiger lotus (I had one) it will eventually send a shoot to the surface, which grows super fast. You need to trim that back in order to keep the plant producing submersed leaves. I didn't know that when I had mine, and let the surface one do it's thing, then wondered why it wasn't producing more underwater leaves. Is that right, @Wills ? I know you have one too

I've never had much success with them I have 2 kinds in my tank at the moment a red and a patterned green, both have tiny leaves on at substrate level but from what I know when the leaves reach the surface and the plant can get oxygen that way, the aquatic leaves all tend to go to the surface. I like that look though so if I get them coming through to the surface I'd be happy - though I'd like 4-5 stems I suppose so would need a bit of tactics.

In terms of planting them, I've since read some advice that says to place them on top of the sand or aquasoil and let it send out roots to pull its self into the substrate rather than trying to bury them from the start. Not sure if this works but the people that did that had good success? Same info for Crinums and other bulbs too.

Wills

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I have two of these Tiger things....they came with my request for plants that I could not kill from my supplier

I dropped the bulb things randomly, they had no leaves or stems when first dropped into the aquarium

The mainly green one in the front corner is now 1ft tall and the reddish one further away is about 6" tall

Not done anything to them, no ferts or anything and just normal lighting on a dimmed setting for 8 hours a day