Hanging planters, have you used them?

8034 Views 17 Replies 6 Participants Last post by ghostsword, Nov 19, 2009

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · Oct 9, 2009

Been looking thru the web for a planter for a fish tank, something that I could hang on the glass either with suction cups or with hooks.

See a couple of items that could work, the ones from Riparium Supply have been the best ones so far, however Bean Pod is also good.

Riparium Supply planter is just too expensive, $10 for three planters, plus the shipping to the UK it is just too expensive, if it was manufactured in the UK, for sure it would take hold.

I guess that I have to look at using the Bean Pods as aquarium planters, at around £5 they are cheaper, and easy to use as well.

Obviously I do not have the trellis raft that Riparium offers, but that can easy be made using close cell foam, not a big deal.

The question is, aren’t all of these just containers with suction cups on them? A plastic container can cost as little as £2, and suction cups are also cheap.

Also, if one has plastic containers, one could silicone bark, wood or pebbles to it.

I have seen them for sale on three different sites, one in the US and two in Europe.

What do you think?

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bradac56

· #2 · Oct 9, 2009

I've got an order from Riparium Supply on the way so I'll be using them soon myself.

Yes you could easily make your own if you can find something as nice looking as Riparium Supply's containers but I'd imagine you'll need to drill holes in it for better water flow and that would mean trial and error until you find the best sized holes and placement for that particular container.

As always the reason to buy from a company is ease of use and professional quality equipment while the reasons for diy is cost and enjoyment of building it and not usually looks.

- Brad

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 12, 2009

It is true, Riparium Supply kit looks really good, and it seems to work very well with the Trellis Raft. It is a pitty that it is not as easy to get them in the UK, as after the payment of arround $10 for 3 planters, plust the rafts, adding shipping and maybe even custom charges, it starts to look expensive.

I have looked for some in the UK, and the closest I have seen was the Bean Pod planters. Bought 48 of them to try them out on my tanks.

First impression is good, but they do not look as nice as the ones from Riparium Supply. May have to start making my own.

Thanks,
Luis

Hoppy

· #4 · Oct 12, 2009

Luis, why don't you contact Riparium Supply and offer to set up an internet sales site for the UK and surrounding areas? Maybe that would let you get your own supplies cheaper, wholesale, and make some money on the side. Since I use those hanging planters and find them very well designed and made, I can see a good future for the product. Just an idea.

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 14, 2009

Hi.. I already did that, but they only want to build the items in the USA, making it hard for me to import. I even offered to contact shops here for them..

I am looking now for a European supplier of those planters, or something similar, I am sure that the hanging planters will sell just fine in the UK, the idea is really good.

Got a supplier in Holand, on negotiations to see if he can sell me arround 100 of them, so that I can resell.

If all fails, then I will contact a plastic moulding company and make them myself, just that the outlay will be higher.

The only people I need to worry about patents is the dutch ones, as they came up with the planters in 2006, and this is if they have one, all the others filled patents way after.

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 16, 2009

Hi, I got lucky.. Saw something very similar as Riparium Supply is selling for sale on a London high street..

Fantastic!
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/InterDesign+Small+plastic+suction+basket/604064248,default,pd.html

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/InterDesign+Large+plastic+suction+basket/604049434,default,pd.html

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 24, 2009

Even better now.. found this guys, this will sort it out, and at a good price:
http://www.blisshome.co.uk/product.asp?product=966

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scream-aim-fire

· #8 · Nov 17, 2009

i got some of these hanging pots from walmart they are made for holding soap or other things in the bathroom or kitchen, i paid less than $3 each for the larger size ones. havent had a chance to use the yet.

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #9 · Nov 17, 2009

The hanging planters are really a good idea, and one can get them cheap arround. I now sell them to friends, and on ebay. One can also use them for window herbs arround in the kitchen. I am sure that one day we will see them on aquascaping, especially as one can attach pieces of bog wood to it and let it fill with moss.

The floating trellis that Riparium Supply sells is the hard thing to obtain, so if you are in the US, give him a bell, as they are good value, and not so easy to get on the high street.

Hoppy

· #10 · Nov 17, 2009

Those plastic "baskets" look very good, except that they have too many, too big openings in the front. If you use something like Flourite as a substrate in them, the stuff will leak out the openings. The Riparium Supply planters don't have those openings in the front, just near the bottom. Of course you could use plastic screen inside the baskets to keep stuff from leaking out.

Any time someone comes up with a great product it is always just a matter of time before the entrepreneurs in China come up with a copy and sell it for one tenth the price. That seems to be a basic principle of business. And, that is where continued innovations can let the original designer stay ahead. I'm sure Riparium Supply will be coming out with even better products down the road. (Wishful thinking, perhaps?)

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #11 · Nov 17, 2009

Hi Hoppy, the kit that Riparium supply has is great, not so sure if the idea was his, as there are two patents on the UK for similar products, although for use in the kitchen, and not on tanks.

Also, for the users in the UK, why would one buy kit in the US when we can buy it here for cheaper? I got a lot of planters now, all purchased in the UK, not sure where they were made, maybe China, but they do the job.

The only piece I cannot find in the UK is the trellis planter, or anything similar, so I may have to make my own, to get it shipped from the US and past customs in the UK would be too expensive.

As I said, Riparium Supply items are fantastic, and how he is using them is really amazing, but it kinda leaves the rest of the world out, as one would have to get it shipped from the US.

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #12 · Nov 17, 2009

Also, in case you think that I am making up the existence of hanging planters in europe, check these out:
- http://www.ontwerpduo.nl/site/en/werk_windowherbs.html
- http://www.thegreenhead.com/2007/08/windowherbs-transparent-suction-cup-herb-pots.php
- http://www.beanpod.net/

Beanpod will soon start doing them in clear, and Ontwerpduo will soon have a retailer in the UK selling them. So why buy from the US?

Hoppy

· #13 · Nov 18, 2009

I think we all should buy from whomever we want, based on price, quality, features, etc. or whatever we want to base it on. And, I don't object to the Chinese entrepreneurs making things cheaply - it does save us money. My point is just that the only way a manufacturing business can have lasting success is to continue to innovate to generate new customers, so I really hope Riparium Supply is doing that.

JDowns

· #14 · Nov 18, 2009

ghostsword said:
The floating trellis that Riparium Supply sells is the hard thing to obtain, so if you are in the US, give him a bell, as they are good value, and not so easy to get on the high street.

In the UK you might try and locate anti-fatigue interlocking foam. If you want a design or smaller shapes use a cookie cutter and a torch. Heat the cookie cutter with the torch and push through the foam. Some experimentation will be needed there.

Just an idear.

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #15 · Nov 18, 2009

I am sure that Riparium Supply is inovating his products. In the US I do not think that there is a better product, and he does sell them cheap, so there should be no reason for people to choose other items.

Obviously one could buy the shower caddies from Wallmart, or other similar place, and then buy the trellis from Riparium Supply, or make their own.

But why isn't the hanging planters from Riparium Supply featured on a tropical fish magazine, or more websites?

To have a good product is not enough, he needs to distribute it, and advertise it.

Even a search for Hanging Aquarium Planters do not bring his website up, but instead some posts on Facebook, and the ones here.

Even this post http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=19091782888&topic=4063, comes above Riparium Supply.

His website is not even on the 1st page of a search, so how good is to have a good product if most people haven't heard about it. And this is even before some guy in china doesn't start building them for peanuts.

We all have heard of him, but he needs to reach to to the normal population, to the ones that does not know about lumens, par and what a riparium is.

The quicker he gets the product out there and gets the word out, the better it will be.

Maybe even setup a business building ripariums in shops, or offices, do a couple of free ones on doctor surgeries, just to get the word out.

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ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #16 · Nov 18, 2009

JDowns said:
In the UK you might try and locate anti-fatigue interlocking foam. If you want a design or smaller shapes use a cookie cutter and a torch. Heat the cookie cutter with the torch and push through the foam. Some experimentation will be needed there.

Just an idear.

Thanks Jdowns, good tip. I will check it tomorrow, and then hopefully I will manage to replicate the trellis, as they would be fantastic to use on a open tank.

Cheers:thumbsup:

limz_777

· #17 · Nov 18, 2009

have you started the set-up with the bathroom planters?

ghostsword

Discussion Starter · #18 · Nov 19, 2009

limz_777 said:
have you started the set-up with the bathroom planters?

Hi, I got them started. I am also using the beanpod planters (www.beanpod.net), they are fantastic with cryptos, and as they are green they blend nice on a tank.

The caddies I got them from Asda, a shop simmilar to your Wallmart, and from ebay, as they have various sizes. Look for the interdesign planters, they have them in various sizes, and even corner ones. Hard to go wrong.

I am also using clear pots, those used for orchids, with amazon swords on a planter. This allows me to use a large planter (28cm long) with a variety of plants needs, as not all need the same nutrient amount, I can then use fertilizer pellets individually.

The only thing missing were the trellis, but I was given a tip on how to make them.

Those planters are also good to use with other plants, such as kitchen herbs, orchids, etc, and would for sure work great on a tall paludarium where frogs would be kept, as one could have planters all the way to the top, allowing a more natural look for tree frogs.

The possibilities are endless, and it is very cheap to get them on the high street, or by buying in bulk directly from the manufacturers.

I bought 50 beanpod planters directly from the manucfacturer at a close to £1.50 each, and the interdesign large planters at £5.

For substract, I use Laterite mixed with some cocopeat and clay balls. At the bottom of the planters I place a layer of rockwool.

Should post pictures soon.

If you got more questions please let me know.

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