first time planter

[steeledarren]

hi there i recently bought some plants on ebay, fountain plants they are called, says they are low light and hardy. what i am asking is i have decorative gravel about pea gravel size, will the plants be k in that? also when gravel vac,in do you do the planted areas of ur tank? will i need to add anything to the water?

 

[dskidmore]

Is this the plant you have?

If that's it, it won't last very long, so no point investing in it's care. Enjoy while it lasts, like cut flowers.

Plants in general:
Plants with very strong root systems can do ok in gravel, but most prefer sand or soil. (Look for a soil meant for aquatic use or you'll have a lot of prep work to remove things that will float or decompose too quickly in the aquarium.) Don't vac around plants, they can use the mulm as fertilizer, and deep vacuuming will disturb the roots. You can wave the siphon around above the gravel to pick up surface dirt that appears unsightly. Low light plants grow slowly enough that you generally don't need to add anything to the water. The plants break down fish waste just like your bacteria do.

 

[steeledarren]

thanks a bunch, yeah thats the plant. i added som e densa to the back of the tank, will the roots get a good hold, scared i didnt bury them too good

 

[dskidmore]

Elodea densa - I never had much luck with it rooting, but boy did it grow anyway! I'd every now and then pull it up, trim off the icky bottom, and re-plant the lush tops. This one will probably do well for you.