# First ever live plant! Tips?



## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

So I went to Petco today to check on some of my favorite fish and I realized they had a few plants. I had been thinking of picking up one so I could maybe plant my whole tank and have some shrimp. I picked an Amazon sword, and the guy pulled it put of the gravel and it was actually TWO, but he gave it to me for the price of one because they were too tangled to bother separating.

Did anyone have any tips as to keeping it healthy?

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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

That looks to be java fern, not an amazon sword. And it looks to be planted a smidge too deep as you dont want the rhizome buried. 
What kind of lighting are you using?
And ferts like root tabs or liquids being used?


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## Fishybitty (Dec 29, 2012)

You might want to switch it to the left side, I see more light there. Also 6500k (i think it is if I remember correctly) daylight spectrum bulbs if you don't have it. (Desk lamps too with that bulb are cheap idea also)


Ugh, I want live plants. Lol


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

You are correct. It was the only one in the tank and it didn't have a label so I just guessed the best I could. I don't have anything yet, but I am running to a LFS tomorrow so I can pick up whatever I may need.


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

I am using a desk lamp now, I can pick up one of those bulbs tomorrow. I'm using a very similar bulb (looks identical) but it's not the same (different brand and type).


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

Here's a picture after I adjusted it so it's only just barely held down. Let me know if I need to move it again.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

It would look really nice tied to that wood ornament on the left! Just a suggestion :-D


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

I think I'm going to be anchoring it to a rock of some sort just so I have the option of removing that ornament if I want to in the future.

Should I buy a fertilizer? And if so, which one (liquid or not, brand, etc)


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Java ferns don't need ferts but if you want one I would get seachem flourish liquid fert.
Also replant it so only the roots are in the substrate or let it float until you gets rock to tie it to.


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

I got some smaller rocks today and tied the java fern to them (it was actually 5 really small rhizomes)! 

I don't live very close to a LFS so when I showed up at work in San Diego, not knowing I wasn't supposed to come in today, I just headed to a LFS close by and got some Flourish... and the guy I was talking to showed me to the plant section and I picked up a small marimo moss ball... and one of their Cryptocorynes. I got a Lutea because it was the healthiest looking out of their tank. They had a HUGE selection and I figured that if I'm going to take care of one type of plant, might as well pick up a few others!

Mogar absolutely loves the real plants, he can't stop swimming through them and hiding in them. Hopefully my order from Drs. Foster and Smith will be here soon so I can fill up the rest of the tank with silk plants soon (before I buy a whole bunch more live ones and get myself into trouble). 

Thanks for all of your help!


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Cool, the lutea will defiantly appreciate the ferts.


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

Update pictures!


















I really love these plants! If they survive I will definitely be buying a LOT more (until my tank is 100% planted). I can always keep my silks for another tank... like my critter keeper that's currently empty... :-D


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Just in case you didn't already know, crypts melt when moved to a new tank. So don't be alarmed when the leaves rot and fall off. They will grow back after a while.


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

I knew it was possible, but I did not know it was usual. Thanks so much for the warning!


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## EmilyHuskyWolf (Sep 1, 2015)

Yeah that's not Amazon sword, it's Java fern. Careful not to bury the rhizome or the plant will die. Tying it to a rock would be nice.


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## dannifluff (Jul 5, 2015)

lilyrazen said:


> I knew it was possible, but I did not know it was usual. Thanks so much for the warning!


Plant melt is frustrating but tends to happen with all but the hardiest of plants. When adding new plants to a tank, I have the following process:

- Quarantine for two weeks in a kritter keeper or bucket filled with dechlorinated water. If they are known to be sensitive to water temperature changes I add a heater and heat the water to the same temp as the tank. I change the water completely four or five times over the two weeks and dose with ferts.

- After two weeks I remove any melt or rotting, trim the stems at the bottom, and float the plants in my aquarium. If there isn't enough floating space, I roll a small lead plant weight into a circle and tie it to the bottom of the stem gently with thread, so the plant is floating but weighted down a bit, without smothering the stems inside the plant weight.

- For the first month or so I monitor the plant and during water changes trim any melted leaves etc. I also keep an eye on ammonia, since if a plant really doesn't take it can rot completely and cause an ammonia spike. If I'm not seeing any ammonia but a plant is really suffering, I check the stem. If it's still firm then I keep it in there. If the stem is going mushy, I take the plant out.

- Usually after a month of being in the tank I'm seeing new growth, the plant putting roots into the water column, and the melt has stopped. I then either plant it, anchor it or leave it floating/weighted as required.


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## wildmountainthyme (Jul 13, 2015)

A warning about PetCo: they have a huge tank in my store crammed with plants. The majority of them are not aquatic and I didn't find out till after I bought a bunch and they rotted. I was able to save the dracaena by planting it in a regular pot, had to throw out the rest.


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## dannifluff (Jul 5, 2015)

wildmountainthyme said:


> A warning about PetCo: they have a huge tank in my store crammed with plants. The majority of them are not aquatic and I didn't find out till after I bought a bunch and they rotted. I was able to save the dracaena by planting it in a regular pot, had to throw out the rest.


Aw, man, this is such a bugbear of mine and a huge problem in the aquarium hobby. The first time I ever set up an aquarium I managed to stuff it with a whole bunch of non-aquatic plants due to my LFS, and then had massive problems with rotting/ammonia. Most of the plants weren't labelled either so I had no way, as an amateur, of knowing. I just trusted them, as you do. I know better now.


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## wildmountainthyme (Jul 13, 2015)

Exactly, now I know because I have done research, but the first time I went in I thought _surely_ they must know what they are doing..... 

Edit: and most of them were unlabeled as well. :I


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

That's why I only bought the one plant I had seen before in people's aquariums on this forum, since people had mentioned that sometimes they sell non-aquatic ones in the tanks. And then when I bought my second one I googled it really quickly to make sure it was aquatic. I wasn't up for dealing with a bunch of rotted plants.


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## IrishWhisky (Aug 25, 2015)

Oh awesome, a local like myself. Your tank is beautiful. I will be putting some live plants into my tank as well and this threat had some very useful information! I'm not sure where in SD you are at, but on University Ave. there is a Tropical Fish store. They have a huge selection of aquatic plants and the people seem to be pretty knowledgeable. I had plan on getting my tank and most supplies from petco but get my plants from them.


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

I live up north closer to Camp Pendleton, however I go to school at UCSD and like there 75% of the year. I went to Aquatic Warehouse to get my moss and my crypt and they were really nice but they're definitely more focused on selling fish (and some plants). What's the name of the store? Maybe I can stop by there soon!


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## IrishWhisky (Aug 25, 2015)

The one I am thinking of is called Fountain's Aquarium. I've gone in a couple of times, they are down the hill from me.


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

Whoa! My dad used to get ALL his fish stuff there when we lived in east county! (He had a 120 gallon community) I'll definitely be going there soon to check it out.


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## IrishWhisky (Aug 25, 2015)

Aw, I'm jealous. 120 gallon community, that would be really cool to have. I'm going to get a 10 gallon tank and I am going to try aquascaping. Seen some beautiful aquascaping tanks.


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

I'm getting a couple new plants (mosses) and some desert driftwood the end of next week and my brain is churning trying to figure out what I want to do with this tank.


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