Saltwater & Reef

d1anonly22 · 05-12-2009, 01:45 AM

so i got my first plant today, a bamboo plant. is there anything special i need to do? i know nothing at all about live plants so please help.

HN1 · 05-12-2009, 02:09 AM

I'm sorry to tell you this, but bamboo is not aquatic. The roots will grow submerged, but the leaves need to be out of water or it will slowly rot.

mgamer20o0 · 05-12-2009, 02:54 AM

what a way to kill his fun. lol best in a cup in by a window then in a tank.

joy13 · 05-12-2009, 03:38 AM

Is it lucky bamboo or purple bamboo? Lucky bamboo rots but purple bamboo can be grown as an aquatic plant. Check out this link
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ils.php?id=258

trochilids · 05-12-2009, 03:41 AM

I almost bought some bamboo at "a large fish store" but thought better of it at the time. I still might, though. Some of it was pretty tall, with the leaves all at the top.

My idea: You know the holes that folks always punch out of the plastic cover of their tank -- to accomodate the old-style heaters -- before they realize that the heater they bought is a submersible and the only reason they punched out the plastic cut-out was "because it was there." Well, I'd considered setting the bamboo pot on a rock to get the top of the stem to poke through that cutout at the back -- the plant would then grow out of the water and the roots would be in it. And it would reduce the area my swords and other jumpers could launch from...

CrazyPlantLady · 05-12-2009, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joy13

Is it lucky bamboo or purple bamboo? Lucky bamboo rots but purple bamboo can be grown as an aquatic plant. Check out this link
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ils.php?id=258

'Purple bamboo' isn't bamboo.

d1anonly22 · 05-12-2009, 04:56 PM

so what kind of plants should i get? and now i pulled out the bamboo and used a string to hold against the tank with the roots in the water but the top half out. if it dosent make it it was only two buck so im not upset.

CrazyPlantLady · 05-12-2009, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d1anonly22

so what kind of plants should i get? and now i pulled out the bamboo and used a string to hold against the tank with the roots in the water but the top half out. if it dosent make it it was only two buck so im not upset.

Could you post the type and watts of light, tank size (I see you have 55gallon tanks, but didn't know if this is a new and different tank), substrate information and if you intend to inject CO2 or provide a liquid form of carbon? Also what fish you have in it and the type of filtration.

Tons of plants out there and it depends on what you have to work with.

d1anonly22 · 05-12-2009, 07:59 PM

well in not sure on the light watt. its an old light system that was given to me. and im not ready for anything that i cant just stick in the tank, there are fry in the tank, mooly fry and 1 jack dempsey fry, i also have 4 mystery snails and two different types of pleco, along with 1 kuhli loach.

CrazyPlantLady · 05-12-2009, 08:41 PM

Java moss works well in low light and can be tied to rocks/wood/deco. An Anubias does ok in low light also and is best tied to something instead of buried in the substrate (you didn't say what type of substrate you have, so can't advise further on that).

The watts of the light are usually printed on the edge closest to the pins. But if its an 'old bulb' it may be faded out so the information will not be much use. If you ever decide to replace it, look for one that has 6700K on the box, its the type of light most can grow plants with.

Plecos can tear up plants as they get larger, depending on the variety. The best for a planted tank is the rubbernose (or rubberlip) pleco and the bristlenose pleco.

d1anonly22 · 05-13-2009, 03:04 AM

so i got three new plant that i was told are easy and that dont need nothing special. one i a java fern, the other was a horn something i think and i dont remember the third one. i also got some decour in there that look just a real as the live plants, well anyways ill have a video posted soon.

d1anonly22 · 05-13-2009, 05:35 AM

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joy13 · 05-13-2009, 09:48 AM

Make sure your java fern and anubia rhizome is not buried in the gravel. I don't know what the other plant is for sure. Your java fern looks like it is pretty good size already.

mom2reds · 05-13-2009, 10:53 AM

you will want to attach the java fern to wood or a rock planting them under the gravel will make it rott. you can use fishing line to tye it or if you have a good creaves(sp) or crack in the wood sometime you can just stick it in there.

joy13 · 05-13-2009, 10:55 AM

I just super glue mine on wood or rocks. Let it set for a few minutes to dry and put it back in the tank. I have used with with both shrimp and fish without any side effects.