Method to plant

[FlyingFish]

hi would like to enquire on the method of planting in tanks...is it advisable to plant first then add water of vice versa...if the tank is already filled with water, how then is the best way to plant that is to get the roots in the soil.. frankly i find it difficult especially those moss or plants that covers up the bed...thx

[Simon]

[quote:4bca9ff78e="FlyingFish"]hi would like to enquire on the method of planting in tanks...is it advisable to plant first then add water of vice versa...if the tank is already filled with water, how then is the best way to plant that is to get the roots in the soil.. frankly i find it difficult especially those moss or plants that covers up the bed...thx[/quote:4bca9ff78e]

I usually fill the tank up to 1/4 then do all my planting. You do not have to make sure the roots goes into the soil/base fert as some of the plants we get is without roots.

same goes to foreground plants. But moss doesn't have any root, so anchoring/securing them on wire mesh would be a better idea

[FlyingFish]

great thanks....just another enquiry how long does it take then for these plants to really settle down as in settle in their roots? btw these foreground plants would crawl around rite? its not really necessary to disperse these plants? am i rite to say this

[squall99e]

[quote:1f12d911cd="FlyingFish"]great thanks....just another enquiry how long does it take then for these plants to really settle down as in settle in their roots? btw these foreground plants would crawl around rite? its not really necessary to disperse these plants? am i rite to say this[/quote:1f12d911cd]

Your questions may be too general for us to answer as we do not know what plants you are keeping? Generally light loving or fast growing plants take roots faster. There a new tread on the plants profile which can you can go through to understand the plants you are growing.

Most foreground plants send out runners or crawl except moss n ricca.

Disperse?? Don't really understand your meaning. :P

[Simon]

[quote:53fca60e37="FlyingFish"]great thanks....just another enquiry how long does it take then for these plants to really settle down as in settle in their roots? btw these foreground plants would crawl around rite? its not really necessary to disperse these plants? am i rite to say this[/quote:53fca60e37]

I usually give the roots a trim to promote growth before planting, disperse? u mean spreading them out? spreading them out will give you a better and more even distribution of growth, also makes it easier to cover a certain area. Plants like glosso, hairgrass can be bunched into small groups and plant, thats if you are too lazy to separate them indivdually

[lorba]

for me, i usually position the wood in the tank. When i am satisfied, the plants will go in.

Moss can be tied onto the wood after you know the picture. Others that are tied on wood (like ferns) can be placed inside. Note that there still isnt water. Keep plants moist by spraying water at short interval. If there are many background plants and the wood gets into the way, plant them frst.

Foreground plants such as glosso can be planted after you fill the tank with about 2 - 3 cm of water.

I find it easiest to do planting without (much) water.

[David]

Its easier to plant with 1/3 tank full of water......but for me its a full tank.....

[ranmasatome]

yes yes...i agree with david...i like getting wet...lol..ehh....dont so dirty minded la!!

[FlyingFish]

thanks guys ...really appreciate the inputs.. will bear those in mind..as for now mty tank is already up but not in the best of layouts

[Simon]

[quote:4e9c8e1413="FlyingFish"]thanks guys ...really appreciate the inputs.. will bear those in mind..as for now mty tank is already up but not in the best of layouts[/quote:4e9c8e1413]

you can always drain out some of the water before planting? once the tank is up and running, minor shifting around is normal. I do it constantly to improve the layout or to prevent over shadowing certain plants

[David]

but moving too much is also a problem especially with large rooted plants......

[Simon]

[quote:1983e841="David"]but moving too much is also a problem especially with large rooted plants...... [/quote:1983e841]

not really, during inital setup the roots wun be established yet, so shifting them around is still possible. Plus not many hobbyist would put a E. grandiflorus like yourself

[David]

Not exactly......Echino and even Crypto, after 1 month or so....when the plants are established in the tank, the rooting system is something to reckon with..........ESPECIALLY Cryptos.....

[vinz]

For a new tank...

Fill the water slowly and let the water seep into the substrate. Turn the water off when the water starts to rise above the substrate. Plant the carpet plants at this time.

Next is the short and medium plants that are rigid enough to stay upright even without water. These are usually the rosette plants like the smaller Echinodoruses, Cryptocorynes, Lotuses, Java fern (on wood), Anubias (plant in substrate or on wood), etc. A few stem plants qualify... but I can only think of Lobelia. If you bought emersed plants from the farms, you can plant them at this time too.

The advantage is that you can dig into the substrate and plant the plants without worrying about the base fertilisers fouling the water.

Remember to sprinkle water on the plants occasionally.

After this, fill the water to about 1/4, 1/3 or 1/2 and start planting the rest of the plants.

Using a pair of tweezers is always neater then fingers.

Plant in groups of 2 or 3, with an inch or more between groups depending on the size of the plant. Larger plants should be planted individually.

[FlyingFish]

thx..may i noe what kinds of carpet plants is recommended...my tank i a small one so i do not want them to grow too tall...my tanks ht is abt 1 feet or so

[stormydax]

Hi guys,

can xmass moss grow without co2?....if i just keep it in an air-con room , with indirect sunlight, will it propagate?

thanks

yours sincerely,
Storm