how do u put live pants in your tank?

Question

hi i just bought a tanks a few days ago and i was wounder how do u put live pants in ur tank i kno u need a co2 system but do u plant the seeds for teh plant to grow or do u buy them from the shop.

Answer 1

Most planted tanks don't require a CO2 system, unless you are planning a plants only tank with not fish.

Cover the bottom of the tank with about 1" of gravel substrate. You buy the plants from shop and they will come in a little pot, or with an weighted anchor around them, or just in a bunch - for the floating plants.

You can keep the plant in the pot and just sink it down in the gravel, or remove the pot, however you like it. I usually remove the weights and just cover the bottom of the plants with the gravel. And floating plants, just toss 'em in the tank.

Most of the time, your plants will have accidental tourists that come along with them - snails. If you don't want any snails in your tank, then go over your plants very carefully and rinse them in tap water to remove any snails and/or eggs from the leaves.

As your plants grow, you just snip off the tops and replant them in the soil and like magic - you've got new plants growing!

Answer 2

Get a good planted tank book as it is not possible to go into all the details here about planted tanks. For beginners, Peter Hiscock's books are not bad, covering things like planting techniques, aquarium design & photos to identify plants (check out Amazon for the options). For pure inspiration (no instruction), check out Takashi Amano's Nature Aquarium books with photos that inspired a global wave of people to start planted tanks.
The most essential factors for good (not just surviving) plant growth is lighting, CO2 and fertilisation. If you just want live plants without the hassles, just get undemanding plants like Java fern that are attached to driftwood & do not require planting. Avoid red plants unless you have strong lighting & sufficient iron fertilisation. With live plants, be prepared for lots of maintenance like removing dead leaves, trimming back excess growth and regular fertilisation.
You can grow from seed but takes much longer and different plants propagate differently. Try not to get plants from the wild as may have more parasites/organisms. Mostly people buy from shops or even order on-line, some are lucky to get cuttings or excess plants from other local hobbyists.

Answer 3

Hi Football Fanatic, Definately agree with the Pee Tee -pet stores are the worst places to get advice on ANY aspect of fish keeping.

I have very limited plant experience but what I do know works a treat. I was sick & tried of constantly replacing my plants every 2 months because the gravel is not nutritious enough to sustain them any longer. I liked the look of heavily planted tanks but as I was not willing to completely strip down my tank to cover the bottom with substrate & didn't want the complications of a CO2 unit & specific lighting I tried a 'middle' option:

The 2 plants that I grow are called Vallis & Elodea. Both are quite hardy & will happily grow in the average fish tank as long as they are planted in substrate. I believe Hornwort will grow this way too but cannot confirm as I've never used it. Cabomba & Moneywort will NOT survive!!

Use the growing substrate for planted tanks that Fish Story mentions but instead of covering the entire tank under the gravel, simply use tiny regular earthenware plant pots or small glass pots & away you go. One thing to bear in mind is cover any exposed substrate with marbles of stones-otherwise the fish use it for mouthwash & spit it all over the place!

The beauty of this method is you can move your décor around to create different settings as well as being able to vacuum under the plants. In time they grow thick, send out runners & choke the pots so just like normal house plants you thin them out & pot the cuttings up, you never need to buy another plant-my plants grow like crazy despite my 5 Goldfish constantly trying to pull them up!

Answer 4

Buzzy is right,a little bitchy,but basically correct. Try to find an inexpensive book and choose plants that suit the conditions that already exist in your tank. CO2 is not necessary for many plants,and can disrupt things like pH and kH. Start simple and learn as you go. I recommend a book rather than a pet store because they will sell you stuff that isn't even intended to grow immersed,and call them water plants.

Answer 5

spend less time watching football and practice your spelling. Go to the fish store for PLANTS and advice.