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Thread: frustration frustration!!!

  1. #1
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    frustration frustration!!!

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    ive set up my tank now and havin one REALLY BAD experience planting. Each time i push those thinner stem plants into the gravel, it floats up again. When i DO finally get the plant down, any attempts to plant anything else near it causes ALL nearby plants to dislodge.
    Im very inclined to burn all the plants. Anyone have any tips n suggestions on planting before i do something rash, please??
    knowledge is alway better shared than hoarded
    YC

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    Try using a long pair of tweezer. Should make the job easier.

    Regards,
    Ong Poh San

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    thanks for the suggestion, but ive tried. In fact the tweezers only manage to hurt the stems. Maybe its my fault the tank is like 90cm tall, ill even need goggles to plant those plants deeper down. Argh this is absurd!!
    knowledge is alway better shared than hoarded
    YC

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    How deep is the substrate?
    If you've learnt, teach, if you have, give.
    Don't walk behind me as I might not lead, don't walk in front of me as I might not follow. Walk beside me, as my friend.
    Mohamad Rohaizal is my name. If it's too hard, use BFG. I don't mind.

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    ;initial 1inch coocpeat+fert, then 2 inch 2-3mm gravel.
    knowledge is alway better shared than hoarded
    YC

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    Re:

    [quote:d66f4d69c8="azurehalcyon"];initial 1inch coocpeat+fert, then 2 inch 2-3mm gravel.[/quote:d66f4d69c8]
    Hi,
    I believe 2inch of gravel is adequate. Perhaps it's how you control the planting tweezer? How close are you inserting the plants? Did a wider interval help?

    Cocopeat, if it has lots of fibres, is quite difficult to poke around and do be patient... lest you end up with lotsa floating bits and pieces.
    I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
    Ronnie Lee

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    Perhaps it's how you control the planting tweezer?
    Yes, it's probably how you wield your tweezer. Try these steps to see if it improves.

    1) Pinch the bottom of your stem plant with your tweezer.

    2) Push the tweezer into the gravel, dragging the plant with it.

    3) Release tweezer's grip from plants and continue to push slightly further downward without dragging plant now.

    4) Withdraw tweezer at an angle out of the gravel instead of straight up.

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    How about you plant them in little pots (complete with base fert and gravel, of course) and then lower the pot into position. Just make sure there's plenty of plants/wood rocks in front to hide the pots. It'll make the inevitable replanting easier too.

    For stem plants, you might not even need base fert... just stick a fert stick or equivalent in the gravel.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
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  9. #9
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    LOL... guys, you should suggest that azurehalcyon lower the water level during planting.. makes a whole hell of a difference.

    azurehalcyon, its all in the hands :P squeeze the tweezer but not too hard, insert fully into your substrate, release your grip and slowly pull the tweezer out :P

    please make your life easier by planting during water change then all you need is a ladder and a long arm

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    Hi Guys, I'm new to this too. I found that I was not able to affort a pair of $30 tweezers. I managed to find a very cheap way of planting deep tank. I have a 4ft tank, 18" deep.

    I bought a pair of 18" ice tong for $1.99 and trim the tip to about 1/2" wide. I have been planting big and small plant without any major problem.

    After you push the stem into the gravel, you'll need to release the tong slowly, or else the gravel will be pushed away from the stem when you release and the plant will float.

    Let me know if anyone else is successful with the cheap ice tong like I do.

    MS

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    Re:

    [quote:48a0f17dd0="ms"]Hi Guys, I'm new to this too. I found that I was not able to affort a pair of $30 tweezers. I managed to find a very cheap way of planting deep tank. I have a 4ft tank, 18" deep.

    I bought a pair of 18" ice tong for $1.99 and trim the tip to about 1/2" wide. I have been planting big and small plant without any major problem.

    After you push the stem into the gravel, you'll need to release the tong slowly, or else the gravel will be pushed away from the stem when you release and the plant will float.

    Let me know if anyone else is successful with the cheap ice tong like I do.

    MS[/quote:48a0f17dd0]

    ms, those ice tongs have extremely big tips.. so even if u gently release the pressure.. the tip will usually widen the insertion.. you can use those normal tweezers u find in DIY, hobby shops...

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    ms: for $18, you can already get a decent pair of stainless steel plant tweezers. But about 12" length.
    koah fong
    Juggler's tanks

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    Re:

    [quote:3b5e5ec6="azurehalcyon"]thanks for the suggestion, but ive tried. In fact the tweezers only manage to hurt the stems![/quote:3b5e5ec6]

    Not from my experience. I find tweezers a great help. Mine is 22" long, (Aquarium Products brand). There is a longer one still (twice the length)for deep tanks. Try getting that. It boils down to how you hold the plt in the tweezer and how you release the grab.

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    It depends on the construction of the tweezer too I think... how springy it is. It effects the amount of pressure being exerted at the tip.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
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    Re:

    [quote:c7b6a8fc04="vinz"]It depends on the construction of the tweezer too I think... how springy it is. It effects the amount of pressure being exerted at the tip.[/quote:c7b6a8fc04]

    With this brand, you control the grip force. You do this by controlling how forceful you pull backwards.

  16. #16
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    Mike,

    Sounds more like a grabber than a tweezer... clarify?

    By grabber, I mean:
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

  17. #17
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    Yep, that's the kind! Like I said, mine's a different brand. The trouble is, different manufacturers call it differently. So get that.

  18. #18
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    Personally, I find those too unweildy for planting... but then I've only tried the "brandless" ones.

    See lah, make me happy only. Thought really got 2' long tweezers in the market.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

  19. #19
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    Re:

    [quote:b896e0932b="vinz"]Personally, I find those too unweildy for planting... but then I've only tried the "brandless" ones.

    See lah, make me happy only. Thought really got 2' long tweezers in the market. [/quote:b896e0932b]

    vinz

    Seriously, you should try this one out. As I've said before, it comes w a razor-like spot algae scrapper - that's a bonanza. Only costs $10 (24"?).

    I've planted using bare hands before and its' frustrating! But w this, it's hands-off planting - absolutely no wet hands! Ever see on TV how the docs do so-called minimally-invasive surgery??

  20. #20
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    Some plants are very buoyant and is very difficult to plant initially, they simply floats up once you inserted them into the substrate.

    For bigger plants, follow what vinz suggest by planting it into small pots and those smaller ones like Hemianthus callitrichoides, use some gravel to "weight" it down and don't disturb it till it takes root.

    Perhaps your filter is creating strong current that stirs up the plants?

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