Quick planting Question

SMB · 10-30-2012, 04:24 PM

Starting a new planted 90 gal. tank after decades with reef tanks. (Time for something different.) The tank has been up and running for almost 6 weeks and I have a question about planting specimens.
Most plants arrive in small slatted plastic post in a wool like medium. With the larger Sword plants it is pretty easy to remove the medium from the roots and plant the specimen. However with plants like micro swords and Baby Tears the roots are imbedded in the wool and it seems difficult to free the roots without destroying the mat of plants. What is the best way to plant these small foreground plants? (My first efforts with Baby Tears look like an experiment at Hair Club for Men gone bad!)

EnigmaticGuppy92 · 10-30-2012, 04:58 PM

separate them as much as possible into clumps if there is some wool left its not an issue just make sure t not damage the roots too much

askindc · 10-30-2012, 08:14 PM

The way I've seen experts do it is to gently agitate the embedded plants in multiple small volumes of tank water or dechlorinated tap water, in order to gently separate the plants from most of the wool. Then, they use a small tweezer to gently pick up each separated plant or a small group of plants and gently push its/their roots into the tank's substrate. That method requires a lot of patience because it's tedious and time consuming, but it seems to be quite successful.

SMB · 10-30-2012, 08:43 PM

Thanks, so my plant "plugs" may work. The micro swords seem to have fared better, as they are already spreading.

10-30-2012, 04:24 PM	#1
SMB Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Virginia Posts: 49	Quick planting Question Starting a new planted 90 gal. tank after decades with reef tanks. (Time for something different.) The tank has been up and running for almost 6 weeks and I have a question about planting specimens. Most plants arrive in small slatted plastic post in a wool like medium. With the larger Sword plants it is pretty easy to remove the medium from the roots and plant the specimen. However with plants like micro swords and Baby Tears the roots are imbedded in the wool and it seems difficult to free the roots without destroying the mat of plants. What is the best way to plant these small foreground plants? (My first efforts with Baby Tears look like an experiment at Hair Club for Men gone bad!)

10-30-2012, 04:58 PM	#2
EnigmaticGuppy92 Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: England Posts: 525	separate them as much as possible into clumps if there is some wool left its not an issue just make sure t not damage the roots too much __________________ 40 gallon dirt tank 1 Baby Bearded Dragon Abberant Hypo Tangerine Leopard Gecko Normal Leopard Gecko Super hypo tangerine baldy carrot tail leopard gecko Exoterra planted terrarium 2 whites tree frogs

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10-30-2012, 08:14 PM	#3
askindc Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 62	The way I've seen experts do it is to gently agitate the embedded plants in multiple small volumes of tank water or dechlorinated tap water, in order to gently separate the plants from most of the wool. Then, they use a small tweezer to gently pick up each separated plant or a small group of plants and gently push its/their roots into the tank's substrate. That method requires a lot of patience because it's tedious and time consuming, but it seems to be quite successful.

10-30-2012, 08:43 PM	#4
SMB Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Virginia Posts: 49	Thanks, so my plant "plugs" may work. The micro swords seem to have fared better, as they are already spreading.