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Hi all!

I know this may seem quite basic, but i just got a Vallisneria americana]http://www.tropica.com/productcard.asp?id=054[/link], and a [link=Cryptecorne undalata "Broad Leaves".

I have buried these in the gravel, but some of the roots are sticking out! Is this OK? It was Soooooo hard to plant it in, so for future reference, as im going to get a lot more plants, how do you plant a plant in the gravel without destroying its root systems.

Now that im done asking, i will tell you why i want to know........

In my favorite LFS today, i discovered a whole lot of new species of plants, fish, and shrimp galore! I couldnt fit nothin in my crammed 20 and 10 gallon, so i decided to buy plants, some of which i need a lot. I found that all the plants are 3.00 flat rate. I bought some crypts and a swordplant for my dad's hex. I was looking at the gravel, which were regular pebbles......... I saw some of the roots sticking out of the gravel, but all of the plants were full and healthy! Do you think the plants will survive in the type of gravel in the long run?

Right now, my dad's swordplant is just hanging out by the back end of the tank. It isnt planted in the gravel, and it is floating along. Since he has no gravel, we were wondering if we could plant it in the substrate, with large riverstones. Will it survive? We were planning on putting it in the 20 gallon, but it just wouldnt fit. So maybe there was a way to iconspiciously put a container of gravel or pebbles into the tank, while hiding it. Has anyone done this successfully? I am try to construct a pot for it, but it is a heavy root feeder, and the roots are quite deep. If i put a pot or whatever of some sort, will it die of root suffocation? Is that possible in an aquatic environment?

Also, what roots should i take out? The roots are both fine, and suprisingly thick. How can i tell of dead roots?

Right now, the swordplant is sending runners, so im assuming it is going to grow in pebbled environments. The store has had them in the pebbles for over 4 months! So I think it would be fine. I want to change tha substrate to regular, even fine gravel. Will this help at all? Or will it make no difference?

Sincerely,
GobyFan2007

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Somewhat smaller gravel would be helpful. If it's an amazon sword I don't think it would grow well in a pot. These things can get huge and will cover the entire bottom of your tank in roots. I had one taking over nearly half a 55g with the top reaching the surface of the water and when I pulled it out the roots reached the other side of the tank. It would be best to at least anchor it with one or a couple of the rocks over a root or 2 instead of having it float all over. It will last longer that way until you decide how to plant it.

Dead roots will be black and if they have been dead for awhile will be mushy. Cut off any black areas and leave everything else. Plants will do alright if you can't get all the roots shoved down in. Make sure the main root at least is completely under the gravel. Tweezers can help shove individual roots down in. The rest will over time turn themselves down into the substrate. It just looks bad for awhile. My crypts also frequently end up with little bits of root breaking the surface.

Hi,
First, planted tanks should have a substrate at least 3 and
preferably, 4 inches thick. That way even the largest
plant can be properly planted with no roots sticking out
of the gravel.

Gravel should be a #2 or #3 size for plants.
Too small a grain size and the sand will compact
and become gummed up in detritus (gunk). These packed areas
form patches of anaerobic bacteria that are toxic and can
kill both plants and fish alike. They give off Sulfur
Dioxide gas (rotten egg smell).
Too large and the spaces between grains will allow
food, dirt, and waste particles to settle in between
the grains and rot, polluting the tank or at the very
least allowing the nitrate to go sky high.
Too large a size gravel and the plants cannot root and
the roots adapt as if the plant was floating instead
of buried. For those of you familiar with the term
"Petite, baby, peas" are about the largest grain size
I would consider for a substrate.

Heavy root feeders, like sword plants develop huge root
systems, and as Sham mentioned, can grow throughout the
confines of nearly any common household tank. Above the
surface, a mother plant and its babies, can easily take
over all but the largest of tanks.

Depending upon the purpose of the tank or the fish in the
tank, some folks put their plants in pots. These are not
the plastic ones we see plants shipped in, but actual
flower pots. They come in different sizes, and many
are layered inside. A layer of gravel, a layer of laterite
or some other plant soil, and a thin cap layer of sand or
gravel. These pots must allow room for the plant to grow
in, or just like terrestrial plants, they can become root
bound. When setup like this, aquas caping becomes a matter
of just rearranging the pots, and cleaning the tank means
removing the pots, vacuuming, the bare bottom of the tank,
and resetting the pots afterwards.

Healthy roots are white, weak or dying roots can be
brown to grayish in color, and dead roots are black.
Frank




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