Planting in pots - how ??

[joannde]

So I'm sitting here imagining the potted plants I'm going to put into the tank. Ordered by EcoComplete last night. And now I'm wondering - how do I get it into the pots ? Do I put the pot in the tank and then try to get the substrate into the pot ? Or do I put it into the pot and then put the pot into the tank (and if I do that is it going to wash out and make a mess of my bottomless tank as I do that ?). And when do I put the plants in ?? Before I put the pots into the tank or after ?
(remember - the only dumb question is one that isn't asked )

 

[IceH2O]

I'd fill the pots about halfway with Eco then add the plants.
Then fill the rest of the pot. Then I'd soak the pots in a pot of water.
That way anything that floats off doesn't get into the tank and the rest would be saturated enough that when you do put it in the tank it won't float.

 

[joannde]

oh - that's a good idea ! Hadn't thought of soaking it first. Thanks Ice

Now I need to find a really big tub to do the soaking in. One of the "pots" I'm making is a combo pot / cave thingy - its about 15 inches long and 8 inches wide at the widest point and I have no clue how high its going to end up yet ... I'd love to make it at least 12 inches high, and will if the clay cooperates and doesn't collapse the entire contraption on me LOL

 

[hashbaz]

Are you using terra-cotta pots? If your pots have holes in the bottom, you will want to seal them up somehow. I sealed my terra cotta pots by putting a glob of silicone on a piece of paper. I then put the pot on top of the gob so that some of the gob came through the hole in the bottom of the pot. I then let the silicone dry, and removed the paper with warm water.

IceH20, did you mean that joannde should soak them for a long period of time, or just long enough to saturate the soil and rinse soil off the outside of the pot (30 seconds or so)?