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i got some new banana plants and i was just wondering if it would be ok to just leave them floating around in the water......or do they need to be rooted in some sort of substrate??

Hi,
This plant is a "high light" demand requiring the
equivalent of bright, or full, sun. You should
anchor the roots in the gravel leaving the green
"banana" like stalks above the gravel.
There are several sites available on this plant
such as:
http://www.mongabay.com/fish/plants/Nymphoides_aquatica.htm
http://www.aquahobby.com/garden/e_banana.php

Hope this helps.
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Even though many people say this plant has a "high light" requiremnt, IME with the plant it does well in low-moderate lighting as well.

ATM I have around 10 banana plants because they are quite easy to reproduce. Just clip the floating banana leaves that reach the surface, leave it floatingin the tank and in a few days you will see roots and a "banana" forming where the leaf was clipped.

Most banana plants when just bought do not have any roots, but just the banana stalks and a few leaves. To keep the plant on the substrate just sprinkle a few gravel pieces to hold it down (make sure you do not actually bury the bananas though) in a few weeks your plant will send roots in to the gravel.

ok i'll try that, but my darn cichlids keep uprooting all the plants in my tank so it might be a bit of a challenge