Is it safe to put in plants tied to wire mesh in my tank?

[hdarius]

Hey,

I just bought a foreground plant that is tied to a wire mesh. The shopkeeper told me to leave the wire mesh and just put the plant into the soil, is it safe to leave it there?

[stormhawk]

Yes and no. It is safe to leave the mesh in the tank, since they are usually made of stainless steel, but if the edges are sharp, they can hurt any fish, especially bottom dwelling ones.

Sometimes it's easier for you to take the plant off the mesh, and stick them into the gravel so that they can grow.

[hdarius]

Thanks for the advice, will plan to take them off the wire when time permits. Thanks stormhawk.

[Blue Whale]

Here is another thinker.

1. Use pilers to trim the edges.
2. Use file to file the side; now you will need those really fine like screw driver but the body is a file by itself. Not the files aunties use for their finger nails.

That is what I plan to do for the up coming tank since I can bent the mesh at will according to the shape of the branches. The moss would have outgrown the mesh in a few months time.

[hdarius]

Thanks Blue Whale for the advice but i have removed them from the mesh and planted them individually. Did not know it would take sometime to do it. Thanks anyway.

[Blue Whale]

Actually you can think this way, since you have remove the mesh, so long the mesh is around, you can modify them anytime. If not, you can re-visit this next time, not an entire waste of effort if you ask me, just a learning curve there and certainly adds experience.

[Emokidz]

Really depend on the type of fish you are keeping. For burrowing / scaleless fish like some spiny eels, sharp objects should always be avoided to prevent scratches and bacterial / fungal infection.

For shrimps and fishes which swim around the mid and top regions of the tank - it's perfectly fine.

[hdarius]

Thanks for the suggestions, Well I am keeping shrimps and Otto so it should not hurt them but i still removed the mesh, plants are growing well so far.