New to the hobby, hi everyone! I've finally got my planted 38g running however I'm extremely short on plants at the start. Unfortunately the only LFS within an hour is PetSmart, so I'm looking online to purchase some plants and really get started.
Basically, I'm clueless on how to go about this. I've seen tons of variation in prices, shipping methods, availability, etc. on numerous sites. I'm curious if there's a site that's popular with the community here that would be recommended. For what it's worth, I'm looking at Ludwigia repens, hygrophila polysperma (though this may be illegal?), water sprite (although I keep seeing this listed as water wisteria, which I think is different?), amazon frogbit and maybe some amazon swords.
So yeah. I'm a bit lost on where to get started. Any feedback would be appreciated! :wink2:
The for sale forum here is a great place. You can find just about anything at cheap prices from actual hobbyists. Just scan the latest threads or use the search function for what you want.
I bought all of my plants from this site OR my local fish store. My LFS only really carried amazon swords and a few anubias nana. So, basically, I got all my plants in the forsale section of this forum. A great place to go.
If you need a lot of plants it is best to buy on line in bulk or from members of forum, APC forum. Buying on line you can get more variation. Buying from member you get more for your buck.
Definitely buy from members on here. LFS and big chain stores like Petco and Petsmart are expensive in comparison and have "common" plants, while members on here have much more variety and great deals at that.
Only thing to watch out for is if your set up is up to par (no pun intended haha) with some of the more demanding plants (some require high light, co2, additional ferts, etc). But still there are plenty of low demanding, beginner friendly plants here.
There are other sites (HANaquatics, bamaplants, the one smackey listed above) that are nice to order from, but still the members here usually have better deals. The sites might have more species available so you can order from one source though. But I've saved a ton of money getting plants through members here so I highly recommend here.
Mention your tank dimensions, lighting, substrate. Planning on fertilizers or co2? How do you envision the tank to look?
I also agree that buying in the forums here is your best bet. You'll get exactly what you're looking for and a lot of the times the seller sends extras as a bonus. The plants are always healthy and full.
FYI, get yourself a PayPal account because it's the most-used payment system here.
Buying here is a good option. And I've done that several times It's also a good idea to support your local LFS if there is one around with healthy stock and a reasonable price. I expect to pay a little more there,a there is a lot more overhead to a brick and mortar store front. Most plants aren't a very big dollar item anyway and you make up for some on shipping. Plus you get to see the actual item you're buying. I've driven 2 hours to Sacramento to purchase plants. Folks that buy strictly on line or from overseas shouldn't be surprised when there LFS goes out of business!
Occasionally I find plants at Pet Supermarket and Petco. Petsmart has some which grown in gel. Overall not many plants at LFS in my area. When I drove home from Florida I stopped by a place which sold plants on line.
Buying over sees I found can be illegal and buyer would be fined.
Before this website, I bought all my plants from Petsmart and Petco. They're pretty good, but not of variations, depending on your local store. Then I discovered bamaplants.com which is pretty good. I've bought a few of my plants there and I recommend the site. Another one I recommend is hanaquatics.com. Ebay is also pretty good, there are specific sellers I recommend, but I'm not entirely sure if I can name them on threads?
But in all honesty, many members here sell plants in the For Sale section. I recommend buying here as the plants I received from the members were beyond amazing. ROAK are also very generous.
As said before, a PayPal account would be very helpful.
I've bought plants at petsmart and multiple vendors on ebay and online. But the best prices and selection would be here. Plus I've never had to deal woth DOAs like i have with other sellers online.
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