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Hi
How do you plant potted plants in an aquarium? I want them out of the pots but when i cut the pot away i noticed if i dont leave the mushy packing stuff (for lack of a better word) on, that the plant is not all together - like they are all just parts of plants shoved in this material...am i supposed to bury the plants in the gravel with this material in tact to keep the plant together? Sorry for not being clearer - I hope someone understands and can offer advice.
TIA
SHARKY

I understand but I'm not really sure either. My first plants were crypts which I left in the rockwool (I think that's it). I don't think it hurts anything and it gives the roots something to grow in so they aren't sticking out of my substrate. The brazil sword and hairgrass I completely took apart and planted seperately. Since then I've just bought bulbs. These plants should come with instructions for plant beginners like me .

How do you plant the bulbs sham?
I might go buy some bulbs if i know what im looking for as far as names of plants that are relatively easy for a beginner.
Any one else know about the rock wool in the potted plants?
Thanks!
sharky

From walmart you can get a pack of apongeton or lilly bulbs for a few dollars. You can also order more expensive bulbs of various plants online but I don't remember any sites. My 55g is 5wendtii crypts, 3 brazil swords plants, various bits of hairgrass, about 2 packs of walmart apongeton, 4lilly, 2dwarf lilly, and some java moss. The cheap way to plant an aquarium lol. Right now I only have 30w of light but I'm waiting on the new hood that should give me 80w. The lillies will not grow much in my current light but the rest is doing pretty good.

Forgot a question.. You just toss bulbs in. Remove what floats for more than a few days without sprouting and put the ones that sank where you want them. No planting required.

first off tank the plants out of the pot, wash off all the potting material and stick in the gravel and voila, there you go.

me

Hi,
As I recall, the bulbs are not perfectly round.
There is a portrubance or bulging on one side.
The bulb should be placed so that the bulge is
facing the surface and the bulb itself may be
half planted into the gravel.

As far as plants that come in the small plastic
pot embedded in the "wool," one should carefully
break the pot apart from the plant. Then remove
the bulk of the wool and discard it. Then, under
running water (about aquarium temperature) you
should "tease" the remaining wool away from the
roots. During the process some of the very smaller
roots will be snapped off, and the removal is a
traumatic process to the plant. However a healthy
plant will soon recover and thrive once planted
in the tank. Do not just take the pot from the
plant, and then plant the wool and plant together
in the tank. It will decay, and also release
excess nutrients into the tank causing all sorts
of problems.

Frank


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

Oh Man Frank!! They have been in my tank for over a week now with the wool packing on them!! I am afraid to mess with them at this point...I bought them before I knew anything about live plants so I have no idea of their names or even if they are true aquarium plants...one of them is doing great, another one that looks like some sort of sword is doing so so and the third one that looks like thin slightly curling leaves is turning brown and curling under more...i just cut that one down to almost nothing and trimmed off yellow leaves from the sword looking one...Are you sure I cant leave them with the wool packing? Is it going to make my fish sick or kill them to leave it as is?

Sharky

Hmmmm I see you are a member of AGA - so it looks like I really messed up? ]:|
Sharky

Take the pots off and remove the rockwool. Your roots need room to grow and room to breathe.. You're choking your plant roots and the nutrients in the rockwool are probably used up. Imagine trying to breathe or eat with a thick, soaked cotton or wool sweater over your mouth.. Can't do it.. Same theory applies.

The Amazon Nut...