bare bottom plants

[Gold Finger]

Have removed my substrate and will keep my goldfish tank bare bottomed from now on. most people pot their plants in this kind of setup, but I don't really want to because I don't like the look of the pots. My plants are just weighted down or tied to driftwood. I don't know how much, if at all, some of my root feeders may suffer from having no substrate around their roots. Anyone else try this? Will they all be fine with no substrate?

[Patriot]

If they are root feeding plants you will most likely have to supply the roots with the needed nutrients. Just get small clay pots with gravel inside.

What plants do you have? Most root feeder will need iron of some sort.

[Kathyy]

They would grow better being able to anchor using roots but the nutrients in the water should be just fine. The roots would be in the water after all.

What about looking around for large pieces of wood you could drill out to make your own pots? Or glue rocks atop slate to make planters?

[Gold Finger]

Thanks. I will let them stay unpotted for now and begin fertilizing. If they don't seem to be doing well I will drill out my driftwood and pot them into the holes. I will avoid it if possible because I have grown accustomed to being able to move the plants around independently from moving the wood around.

[BruceF]

I have a bare bottom tank with driftwood and java fern. I've been thinking recently of planting in some moss held together with netting. Little islands if you will. Right now I have a few stems that I tie together and tangle in the driftood. They seem to do fine.

[Gold Finger]

thanks Bruce. I thought they would do ok since I have never heard of a plant which can't be grown hydroponically or foliar fed. I have noticed, though, that certain species of my stem plants are sending out lots of unseemly adventitious roots.

[chemjab]

Thanks for posting this. This is exactly what I needed to know. I have a bare bottom Discus tank and recently tide some plant to wood and rocks with fishing line.

James

PS How are the plants doing 3 months later?

[CPDzeke]

Floaters.

[Indian fern]

Technique is hide the pots behind rocks and DW. If you still dont like that, watersprite can grow so huge even if you just weigh it down.