planting with pots as part of the overall scape? - Aquarium Advice

happygirl65 · 12-01-2006, 03:38 PM

Hello all,

Any tips on selecting pots/containers for the fish tank?

happygirl65 · 12-04-2006, 01:25 PM

Its probably a dumb idea anyway....but I am hoping to find a way to keep the frogs and such from uprooting everything I have tried to plant behind those rocks!

It is hard to get my hands back there but it looks so bare without plants covering the background.

I have planted many stems back there and they are all floating by the next day. Could be someone uprooting, could be that I dont get them down in far enough since it is a tight spot, I am not really sure I just thought if I could get some small pots back there it might help because I could plant them and then wedge them down in there.

Any thoughts?

The pictures are not the greatest but in the larger top picture you can see the rock structures. Basically I have some hygro, some sunset hygro, some wisteria, ambulia, hornwort, red ludwiga, though it is more green than red now...a nice red wendtii crypt, a green melon sword, and a few other small grassy plants that I think might be narrow leaf swords.

I would like to add more and fill up the blank space behind the rocks. I have considered backfilling behind the rocks with a bunch more gravel to make it easier to plant and maintain. Right now there is not much of a slope, it is all pretty much the same depth from front to back.

All suggestions are welcome even if it means a complete redo! I have considered that but I do like the rocks just need some input on planting around them.

TIA

hashbaz · 12-04-2006, 05:07 PM

You might try getting some really long tweezers to help get your plants down farther in the gravel. You may also try using deeper gravel.

I have used the "lead" plant weights to keep plants down - and found that they worked quite well for some stem plants. YMMV

Pots might be hard to fit behind the rocks.

How horrible would it be to move the rocks forward? You may try moving some of the rocks forward and putting tall plants behind them, and leaving other rocks all the way against the back glass and no plants behind.

I sometimes like the way pots look in an aquarium, but IMO pots look too unnatural for the rest of your tank.

JMO

happygirl65 · 12-05-2006, 02:56 AM

I think you are right about the unnatural look of pots for my tank. I dont really want something to stick out like a sore thumb.

I will try to find the long tweezers as I think that will help along with deeper gravel back there.

I guess I am just gunshy about moving the middle section of rocks forward because of the way I put them together. They are all glued with silicone but I built them in sections, then put them in and glued some of those sections after I put them in but before filling with water (letting it cure for a while before filling up.)

When I moved it forward to put the bubblers in it just never quite looked the same again, having had some shifting etc. Some of the glue holding the sections together came unstuck in some spots and since it has water now I cant re-cement them. It is stable with support from behind.

I can probably pull everything forward and brace it behind with a jar or something while I work back there and then move it back, I am just concerned about having to move the crypt that is right in front of them

but maybe I can scoop the gravel and everything around it and scoot it roots and all??? It is doing so well I am scared of making it melt. I guess I painted myself into a corner on this one...lol.

So thanks for the input....the long tweezers are worth a try before all the moving. And adding more gravel behind will probably help hold the plants in.

12-01-2006, 03:38 PM	#1
happygirl65 Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: DeBorgia, MT Posts: 828 Images: 7	planting with pots as part of the overall scape? Hello all, Any tips on selecting pots/containers for the fish tank?

12-04-2006, 05:07 PM	#3
hashbaz Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Utah, USA Posts: 745 Images: 1	You might try getting some really long tweezers to help get your plants down farther in the gravel. You may also try using deeper gravel. I have used the "lead" plant weights to keep plants down - and found that they worked quite well for some stem plants. YMMV Pots might be hard to fit behind the rocks. How horrible would it be to move the rocks forward? You may try moving some of the rocks forward and putting tall plants behind them, and leaving other rocks all the way against the back glass and no plants behind. I sometimes like the way pots look in an aquarium, but IMO pots look too unnatural for the rest of your tank. JMO __________________ link to 75 gallon planted 10 & 29 gal QT/nursery/undecided

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12-04-2006, 01:25 PM	#2
happygirl65 Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: DeBorgia, MT Posts: 828 Images: 7	Its probably a dumb idea anyway....but I am hoping to find a way to keep the frogs and such from uprooting everything I have tried to plant behind those rocks! It is hard to get my hands back there but it looks so bare without plants covering the background. I have planted many stems back there and they are all floating by the next day. Could be someone uprooting, could be that I dont get them down in far enough since it is a tight spot, I am not really sure I just thought if I could get some small pots back there it might help because I could plant them and then wedge them down in there. Any thoughts? The pictures are not the greatest but in the larger top picture you can see the rock structures. Basically I have some hygro, some sunset hygro, some wisteria, ambulia, hornwort, red ludwiga, though it is more green than red now...a nice red wendtii crypt, a green melon sword, and a few other small grassy plants that I think might be narrow leaf swords. I would like to add more and fill up the blank space behind the rocks. I have considered backfilling behind the rocks with a bunch more gravel to make it easier to plant and maintain. Right now there is not much of a slope, it is all pretty much the same depth from front to back. All suggestions are welcome even if it means a complete redo! I have considered that but I do like the rocks just need some input on planting around them. TIA

12-05-2006, 02:56 AM	#4
happygirl65 Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: DeBorgia, MT Posts: 828 Images: 7	I think you are right about the unnatural look of pots for my tank. I dont really want something to stick out like a sore thumb. I will try to find the long tweezers as I think that will help along with deeper gravel back there. I guess I am just gunshy about moving the middle section of rocks forward because of the way I put them together. They are all glued with silicone but I built them in sections, then put them in and glued some of those sections after I put them in but before filling with water (letting it cure for a while before filling up.) When I moved it forward to put the bubblers in it just never quite looked the same again, having had some shifting etc. Some of the glue holding the sections together came unstuck in some spots and since it has water now I cant re-cement them. It is stable with support from behind. I can probably pull everything forward and brace it behind with a jar or something while I work back there and then move it back, I am just concerned about having to move the crypt that is right in front of them but maybe I can scoop the gravel and everything around it and scoot it roots and all??? It is doing so well I am scared of making it melt. I guess I painted myself into a corner on this one...lol. So thanks for the input....the long tweezers are worth a try before all the moving. And adding more gravel behind will probably help hold the plants in.