Keeping Plants in Substrate

[Squatchmen]

I would absolutely love my aquarium, not just 2 times or 4 times, like a hundred times over again if somehow I could just keep my plants in the substrate. These are the plants I bought:

- Taxiphyllum sp.
- Glossostigma Elatinoides
- Nasea sp. Red
- Rotala Wallichii
- Alternanthera Reinecki Roseatolia
- Cabomba Paleafformis
- Dwarf Onion plant
- Hygrophila Corymbosa
----------------------------------------

Now what I did to at least greatly reduce the amounts of plants still uprooting, is I gathered all the same kind of plants together, got them out of the water and took sewing thread and put all the stems lined up and then wrapped the ends of the stems up tight, then I took a small rock, like 1" to 3" in diameter put that on the bundle and then used the thread to wrap the stem bundle to the rock itself like everyone else's advice. Then I put the bundle with rock attachment back in the water and position it in the tank that I want and with my cupped hand holding the bundle, dig into the substrate pretty deep, I have 3" substrate and then make a tiny mound on top of the root bundle/rock combo. And then repeat for every other plant.

What do you know, somehow, I don't know how, they are still coming loose and being uprooted, most of the plants are actually ok, not perfect but for the most part they stay in the substrate, it's these Houdini plants that don't want to stay in.

- Rotala Wallichii
- Cabomba Paleafformis

I've heard of some people taking larger rocks like slate that would be larger than the rocks that I tied the stems to and the larger rocks would be there to lay on top of the stems underneath as a last ditch effort.

I don't know, I'm kind of in desperate mode right now.

Thanks

 

[Mebbid]

What lights are you running on the tank? When there isn't enough light its common for some plants to rot away at the base so they can float somewhere more suited to their growth. With tying then to rocks it seems that the stems would take a lot of punishment in the process and probably break.

I found that a pair of tweezers works best for planting things. You can use the tweezers to push the stems 1" into the substrate. That should be enough to keep them down.

What kind of substrate do you have?

 

[aqua_chem]

And how deep is your substrate? How much flow do you have?

 

[flitabout]

Most of my plants I have had no issues with. With carpeting plants like hair grass gave me fits in the beginning! Same with the Alternanthera Reinecki when I planted it last week. But all of the plants should be able grow new roots fairly quickly so they can hold on to the substrate. Remember it's ok to trim off bottom leaves so you can get more of the plant into your "ground" Some plants are a bit slower to grow but here is a pic of my dwarf hairgrass and Alternanthera Reinecki that I have close to the glass so that I could watch root growth the dhg had been in it current position for about 2 weeks and the cardinal for right at a week.

 

[Rivercats]

Also what stock is in the tank?

When plants are first put in it's not too uncommon for ones not planted deep enough to float. When this happens I make sure to plant them deeper. I've never weighted plants down except in the large fancy goldfish tanks. Certain fish like to dig around the base of plants which can uproot new ones and some fish like to nibble, thus pulling on plants which can cause newly planted ones to float. Stem plants need to have each stem planted individually so their leaves almost touch leaves of the other stems planted around them. Bundling them can cause problems with light and water flow not being able to penetrate in and around them. Also too much flow in the tank can make them pull up and float. I try to have my plants sway gently. I also use planting tweezers.

 

[Squatchmen]

What lights are you running on the tank? When there isn't enough light its common for some plants to rot away at the base so they can float somewhere more suited to their growth. With tying then to rocks it seems that the stems would take a lot of punishment in the process and probably break.

I found that a pair of tweezers works best for planting things. You can use the tweezers to push the stems 1" into the substrate. That should be enough to keep them down.

What kind of substrate do you have?

I have one Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Plus 48" and that's medium light, so I'm planning on getting two because they were only like $115 - so I'm like why not?

Second thing, I hate using the tweezers, I even have them and scissors just for planted tanks and I don't use the tweezers because they kept crushing the stems in half. I just use my trusty O' hands

Substrate - Carib Sea Eco-Complete African Cichlid Ivory Coast Sand that and the other half is eco complete for a 50/50 mix and it's like 3" thick

 

[Squatchmen]

And how deep is your substrate? How much flow do you have?

I have a C530 Marinland canister filter, the outtake and intake aren't super strong, it's not a pool filter is what I'm getting at

 

[Squatchmen]

Also what stock is in the tank?

When plants are first put in it's not too uncommon for ones not planted deep enough to float. When this happens I make sure to plant them deeper. I've never weighted plants down except in the large fancy goldfish tanks. Certain fish like to dig around the base of plants which can uproot new ones and some fish like to nibble, thus pulling on plants which can cause newly planted ones to float. Stem plants need to have each stem planted individually so their leaves almost touch leaves of the other stems planted around them. Bundling them can cause problems with light and water flow not being able to penetrate in and around them. Also too much flow in the tank can make them pull up and float. I try to have my plants sway gently. I also use planting tweezers.

2 Red Spotted Severums
1 Uaru
1 Geophagus brasiliensis
1 Bolivian Ram
4 Boesemani Rainbow
3 Cobalt Gaouramis
2 Blue spotted Gouramis
8 Cories
3 Plecos

 

[Rivercats]

Well some of your stock could be a lot of your problem. My guess is the pleco's, Red Spotted Severums, Uaru, and Geophagus brasiliensis are helping the plants out of the substrate.

 

[Squatchmen]

Well actually it's only my Uaru that being a ***** - the others are actually fine surprisingly