Help New to Planted Tanks

[NeptunesMom]

I have started transitioning my tank to being entirely planted. Up until this point I have had a moss ball and at least one mondo grass (although I had 2-3 until recently) in my tank. However, my tank was not staying clean and one of the wonderfully helpful posters here identified a potential issue as the mondo grass (I didn't know it wasn't aquatic). So the mondo grass has been replaced by Microsorium pteropus (fern), and Anubias nana (Anubias). I also have two Anacharis plants that are floating (I tried to get them to root into the gravel and they won't).

So here are some newbie questions:

1) How do I vacuum around the two news plants? I always accidentally sucked up the mondo grass, but it was cheap enough it didn't matter. At $7.00 a plant I want these two to last.

2) Is it okay for the Anacharis to float? I've found some sites that say yes, and others that say it's best to have them root. It's turning a little brown in spots so that has me worried. The Anacharis has been in longer than the other two plants (fern and anubias). I just got those two today. I got the Anacharis about a week ago.

3) I've read some about fertilizing plants, but I'm wondering how that process works? Everything I can find talks about fertilizing, but nothing seems to explain what you do.

4) Are these plants going to dissolve like the mondo grass? I'm assuming that was part of rotting in the water since they aren't aquatic, but there are still pieces of mondo grass in my tank I'm trying to suck up.

Sorry if I'm asking questions that are posted somewhere. I looked and found pieces of some of these questions, but no answers that I clearly understood.

[kfryman]

I will tell you one thing at first, mondo grass is not aquatic, it will rot. I got tricked to getting it when I started with plants.

1. Don't vacuum right next to the plant violently, only go down maybe .5 inches so you don't disturb the roots. That way the roots don't get disturbed and they get poop for food.

2. Anarchis is fine left floating, though I prefer mine planted, it is more of preference. Some plants are so easy it won't make a difference.

3. Well the fertilizer contains metals and other things that plants need to grow. I would recommend Seachem Flourish Comprehensive Plant fertilizer, this one http://www.amazon.com/Seachem-516-Fl...achem+flourish other ones are different, so make sure to get that bottle as there are different ferts on that line by Seachem, but that is an all in one supplement.

4. As long as they are aquatic they should be fine as long as they have the right care. Sometimes plants can die from a variety of things.

[NeptunesMom]

Thanks for the response kfryman. I now have another question. Should I bury the roots of the anubias nana? I found an article on caring for the Java Fern that tells me not to bury the roots, but I haven't found anything that tells me yay or nay for the anubias.

[JackisLost]

anubias doesn't benefit too much if you bury the roots, it's easier to just keep them out of the substrate.

[Tikibirds]

I have heard the roots will rot if buried. I have mine attached to driftwood with fishing line

[mursey]

I have mine tied to driftwood but some just floating around and they are all doing well with just some liquid fertilizer.