[meve]

Hi
I would like to know what do you do with the plastic pot and the sponge when you buy a live plant? DO you keep the plant in it or do you take it out? FOr my first plants, I took off the plastic pot and planted only the sponge in. It made the water cloudy and dirty... Then, I took all the sponge off the roots. I bought new plants and I asked the sale person about it. He told me that I could keep them in the pot since the roots will grow through it. SO, I did it and the plants looks just fine. Today, I bought new plants again and asked a different sale person again...He told me to take off the plastic pot and keep the sponge...

HElp! What should I do? I have Anubias and Alternanthera reineckii in bothe of my tanks.

 

[mattoboy]

What do you mean by plastic pot? Is it a little rubber-ish things that holds the roots together and is relativly heavy? I keep it on if it is so.

 

[kfryman]

The weight on the plant is a lead weight just saying, that comes with plant clippings like ludwigia. The plastic pot and rock wool, that is what the sponge stuff is called, should be removed it will cloud your water and restrict plant growth.

The weights can be left on until they get roots if you want, but they should be taken off after a will which could cause problems.

Anubias should never be buried, it can but the rhizome cannot be buried. If you don't know wjat the rhizome is it is the stalk looking thing where the leaves and roots come out of. Attaching it to rocks or driftwood is the best way to go. Just use fishing line or cotton thread to tie it on, it will eventually attach and can be cut.

 

[meve]

@kfryman
Do you have a tip to make it easier to take off the rock wool? When I tried, I broke many roots... and I was not able to take everything off. What kid of substrate do you have? I have the regular small gravel from Marina...should I change it?

First pic is what I mean bu the plastic pot and you can see the «sponge» or rock wool
and the 2nd pic, is my tanks set up..

 

[Mo]

..

 

[Bombalurina]

I cut the pot off and gently seperate the roots from the wool. You can leave the wool on if you want, but I don't. It is a bit of a painful process and you do lose some roots along the way, but I don't want the wool in my substrate.

 

[kfryman]

The easiest way I find is to just take the pot off, cut it if you need, then take the wool off, it is usually 2 pieces put together. The plant will hold on to some, just run it in the tap and take it off that way. If you want you can use tweesers to help get some off.

You crypt will enjoy having the pot taken off as they grow huge root systems. The other one, micro sword, may die off after a while as they need a lot of nutrients from the substrate I believe... Not sure just research the plants, get familiar with what plants are aquarium safe, like London grass is only semi. Get to know the plants and the way they feed.

 

[Bombalurina]

The microsword will be ok if you dose it with some Flourish or other liquird fertilsier, but you won't get any rampant growth the way you would with a nutrient-rich substrate.

 

[meve]

What do mean by microsword? is it the Alternanthera reineckii?
I bought Flourish tabs at the store. It says «gravel bed supplement for the planted aquarium» Is it ok for my Althernanthera?

 

[Bombalurina]

Sorry, I was looking at the picture of the plants, not the one of your tank! Ignore me.

Flourish tabs are great for any root feeder. For water column feeders like the anubias, liquid supplements are of more use.

 

[kfryman]

Yeah, that is fine. That is the scientific name for micro sword lol. Every plant has a scientific name and more of a common easy to remember name.

Yeah just get it out of the pot because it won't get the root tabs unless its roots are right there.