Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Need help! How do you keep stem plants from rising out of the substrate? Everyday I get home to find there are stem plants floating at the top of my tank.
Stem plants
- Thread starter Bdonaldson
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spiketooth
Aquarium Advice FINatic
What kind of fish do you have?
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have juvenile angels, gouramis, neons, mollies, Plecos, kuhli loaches and Cory cats.
Do you think one of them is digging up my plants?
spiketooth
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Possible the pleco, are all the plants floating or just a few? Also how deep is your substract?
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just two right now. I was thinking of getting some type of anchor like he ones you use for fishing. Do you thing that would be ok to put in the tank?
spiketooth
Aquarium Advice FINatic
They sell these weights at most lfs. Made for plants, they wrap around then stem to keerp them down. If your substract is not deep enough then can be the problem as well
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
One of the plants floating has that type of weight on there. I may need to add some more substrate.
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok I am definately going to need to add more substrate on both sides of my 125 tank. Do you all think I can do this without removing the plants again?
spiketooth
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yup, give the new substract a good rinse put it on little by little, were it is needed. What kind of substract you have
I was having the same problem. I was told I wasn't putting them in farther enough and with stem plants you can put them as deep as you need to. So I have 3 inches of eco complete and I put them down about 2 inches and they are staying for me.
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have Seachem fluorite on one side and Caribsea floramax on the other side.
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks. Don't have 3 inches of substrate. I will be adding some as soon as I can pick some up.
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well I received my substrate today. Hopefully when I add it to the tank this weekend there will be 3 inches after I am done. Hopefully enough to keep my plants down.
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Didn't get a chance to add my substrate in over the weekend it will have to wait until I get back from Texas.
My plants need trimming especially the hornwort. It has grown so much since i out it in there. They are floating on top of the water. All of my mollies are having babies. It's a good sign when your fish start reproducing, means your doing something right.
My plants need trimming especially the hornwort. It has grown so much since i out it in there. They are floating on top of the water. All of my mollies are having babies. It's a good sign when your fish start reproducing, means your doing something right.
spiketooth
Aquarium Advice FINatic
thats good, good luck with the babies
Just so you know the angels, gouramis, and mollies, all like nibbling on plants which can pull them out of the substrate. Pleco's can pull them up, not on purpose usually, but just because they are usually bulls in a china shop. Overall pushing the stems into the substrate deep enough usually works. One last thing... don't know if you know this but Hornwort is considered a floating plant.
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hi Rivercats, Thanks for the reply. I have had a problem with my stem plants coming out of the substrate so I am planning on adding some more substrate which I have but I just haven't had the time to put it in the tank. The last time I stirred up the substrate I lost a couple of my baby angels. I may just remove them first this time and put them back in when everything settles down.
Yes I know that hornwort is a floating plant but I think it looks great planted to. I suspect that maybe some of them may have been pulled up by the little rascals. I am going to try and trim them tonight so I will see then if they have been pulled. I read the trick that you gave convict about the peas and zucchini to keep them from nibbling on the plants. Good to know thanks. I will pick some up today and give it a shot. Do you use frozen peas? Do you put the peas in frozen and let them thaw in the tank or do you thaw them out first?
Thanks again, I really appreciate your help.
Barbara
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thank you so much.
Since I use them daily I use a 2 cup heavy glass measuring cup and fill the bottom so it's covered in frozen peas. I add a cup of tap water and microwave 3 minutes. Once done I remove it and let them sit in the hot water for about 30 minutes. Then I sit and remove the shells and pop out the inner pea as that is all you want. I first feed the fish almost their normal full meal of whatever food is on the menu that day then I take out a pea at a time and lightly squish so the fish can eat it. Depending on the amount of fish you may only need 3ish to about 10ish peas. All my fish eat them now, even the cardinal and rummynose tetra's. It took them awhile but now they gobble the smaller pieces up. Then all I do is keep the rest in a ziplock in the fridge and feed them right out of the bag each morning. I only keep the peas 4 days total. You may have to figure out how many to cook so you don't throw much away. I have the grandkids a couple goldfish tanks so they eat them too and I have no left overs. Angels really like the zucchini and broccoli to nibble on through the day also.
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Bdonaldson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks so much for the advise. I will do that when I get home and see how it goes.
