# Water Sprite



## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

I have some water sprite that's been floating and growing for a few months now. I Think it looks super messy now and want to plant it. I understand that sometimes this doesn't work out (floating w.s. vs planted w.s.). I don't want to kill it, but I was hoping someone else had experience with going from floating to planted. I also want to know if I would have greater success with small gravel or with sand.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Cannot offer any solid advice as I _just _got water sprite recently and planted it in sand last Thursday so not sure how it will do yet.


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## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

I did have it planted for a week when I first got it, but it all melted. I had to grow it from a rotten stump to what it is now. There are multiple plants floating around and I don't know if they can be bunched together or planted individually...


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## savagebeautymnl (Apr 16, 2015)

Mine were floated in quarantine for a good 3 weeks before I had time to do a proper scape. 

They're currently flourishing after I planted them about 2 weeks ago. Almost 4 inches vertical growth on some of the stems! But that might be due to the fact that it's an NPT with an abundance of organic waste. 

I literally just pushed the firm stalks into my substrate (2in soil, 1.5in gravel cap). No idea if the old stalks set out new roots, but all the new roots above the soil have slowly been creeping down.


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## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

Update:

Success! My water sprite has really taken to being a planted plant. It has sent up new shoots/stems from the gravel and really looks nice. I even have roots coming from one leaf's top.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

When you plant it, just plant the roots. Do not push it in very far, you'll end up suffocating the plant if you do that. Try not to bury the crown (that's where the leaves grow up from).

For the longest time, I couldn't plant my Sprite, recently I've had it planted it in my 45 without much issue since December. So as long as you don't push it in very far, it will be good to go. Sprite can also grow on driftwood if you give it time ^_^


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## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

lilnaugrim said:


> Sprite can also grow on driftwood if you give it time ^_^



Do you attach it the same way as java fern and anubias? Does it take much longer than them to attach?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yep and yes, it does take a little longer to fully attach and it can come off easy since the roots are very delicate. But if you have a tank that you hardly ever touch minus some water changes, it'd be good to try in that tank ;-)


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