Securing plants

[Thomas A. Anderson]

Ok, I'm sure most lfs's are the same when they sell plants. 1 kind is in like a black plastic basket, and the roots of the plants are surrounded by some foam stuff.

The other kind have a small piece of foam around the roots but secured by a metal ring.

Question: Is it better to remove these things and root them direct into the substrate, and what is the easiest way to do so considering some fish have a habit of uprooting plants?

 

[CFC]

I find it best to leave the plants in their pots and then weight them down with rocks/bogwood so that my fish cant dig them up,the un potted type tend to end up floating around the tank

 

[semper fi]

some plants can be secured by tying them to peices of driftwood or rocks with fishing line. also found if you get the suction cups used for securing airlines, tie plants or beskets to them and suck them to the bottom of the tank they are pretty much impossible to get uprooted. got some real diggers that cannot get these up no matter what!

maggie

 

[Jimthefish]

The plants will grow best removed from the pots or weights and rooted in the substrate. I tend to avoid diggers in planted tanks but you could add a layer of larger pebbles to protect the roots so that the plants seem to be growing through the gaps in a pebbly bottom.

 

[BIANCA]

you should remove the baskets. I personally like to remove the excess foam media as well, but nothing that has root growth in it. Sometimes the baskets have a lot of roots growing out of them. As long as its not too much, it can be safe to just pull the plant out, but if there is a lot of roots hanging out, you may want to cut the basket to minimize root damage.

For plants with weights, i almost always have to leave the weights on because my plants ALWAYS get uprooted. It is best to take them off though. Maybe you can try your luck at burrying them as deep as possible, and placing heavier rocks nearby. If that doesnt work, try buying more of the plant weights, and seperating the bunches. Ive noticed that the less plants per bunch, the better it grows.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I realize this conversations old but I have to say....LOVE the suction cup idea, that's pure genius! Thanks Maggie!!! I'd of never thought of that and it's too freakin' clever!