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It is very hard to find decent plants locally. Most fish stores only have a couple kinds and what they have is not very attractive or healthy looking.
I tried ebay, that was a BOMB! The plants looked gorgeous in the photos but were tiny and or dead upon arrival.
I did get some Java Moss though which was nice.
Anyways, there is a place online called AZGardens and they have some neat plants and sell packages of plants. One package is called the easy life and you can pick a package to fit the size of your tank. Has anyone here used them and if so how were the plants?
Any other places you can recommend?
I would like a fully planted tank but not planted with all boring stuff. Thanks

The most important thing I have found in plant ordering is to order from a place that is close to home. This way you are limit the time they are in the box and the amount of banging around they take. If plants are in the dark to long they will get mushy and they are all but dead than. Use the Internet to research the plants you want.
For plants I used these places and all have given me healthy plants and great customer service.

FloridaDriftwood.com (Southeast)
Petsolutions.com (Northeast)
Aquariumplants.com (West Coast)

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Hi,
I've used Arizona Gardens for years now and have never
been disappointed in either their service, advice, or
products. I read their information and then called and
talked to them during one of their "off days" when they
are not rushing to fill/ship orders.

Another good place is:
http://www.aquabotanic.com/abstore/index.html

In any case, before you decide to call someone to place an
order, you should know several things.
The size of the tank, amount of light (wpg), using CO2
or not, the general characteristics of the water (pH,GH,KH)
the type of substrate, and lastly, what you have in
mind for the tank (the "look" when it is mature.
Most of the "packages" will not "pack" your tank. Instead
they give you a few of several plants that will most likely
grow and thrive in your tank. When you get them space the
plants out leaving some distance between plants for them to
grow into. In time a package will fill the tank. The key
phrase, is "in time" don't become discouraged with a
55G package thinking that they are too few, wait for the
plants to acclimate, and mature. They will fill the tank.

Frank


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

I feel for you...LFS around here are pretty blah as far as plants go.

I have used AZ Gardens. Their plant quality and quantity are very nice but some things I didn't like about the company were: Minimum order, must spend at least $35. Extra box handling fee. Will only ship Fed Ex which is VERY expensive! My shipping cost about $50 (more than the plants I ordered!) and the package was still in the mail for 6 days...All my stems and vals arrived as expensive brown mush... If you use AZ plan on spending a lot of money and getting a big order and then send it next day to make sure they arrive ok.

Florida Driftwood is very affordable, cheap shipping. Some of their plants are labeled very strangely which made me nervous. I didn't want to end up with the wrong plant so I didn't use them.

Aquariumplants.com is another affordable, decent shipping place. Plants arrived on time, everything was in good shape with 2 day shipping. Quanity was fine, not skimpy. But one of the plants I ordered was not at all what I expected/what was advertised so I was dissapointed.

That is just my experience with two orders. Of the two places I tried, I would order from aquariumplants.com again. When deciding on shipping speed consider that tough leaved plants like swords, ferns, anubias, etc... will almost always ship well and can tolerate cheaper/slower shipping. Many stem plants will quickly wilt and die during shipping so they should go at least 2nd day air. Next day is even better.

Are you on good terms with any of your LFSs? Mine only carries the boring stuff...elodea, hornwort, some swords...But they suprised me last week with beautiful ludwiga, wisteria, chain swords, pearlgrass and lots of other nice stuff. If your store carries some plants already they may be willing to get some nicer ones for you with their next order. Saves you on shipping and you are guarenteed quality. Could be worth asking...

Good luck with finding plants!

I cannot speak highly enough of Florida Driftwood. I ordered their $43 package, and with a good word from djritchie I received WELL more than what I expected, including a very unexpected red tiger lotus that is the jewel of my tank. The shipping was fast and everything arrived in great shape. I did have one batch of stems (rotala) not survive very long, but I think that was due more to my fish than to anything else. I highly recommend them.

Listen! Do you smell that?