plants die..!!??

okay tanx.. well ive been thinking , i might asswell try the pfp method , but just as a side question , how long do you think it would take to do thid and have the fish back in the tank? And what can i expect to pay? Oh i forgot to answer one of your questions vis.. the filter is at the back of the tank , so no filter in the hood.. il try adding another light then.. tanx

 

Skaapietjie you can ask, but take a list with you because it sounds like you LPS have no clue.

 

Looks like the only true aquatic plant you have in there is Vallisneria and it will not appreciate pfp. Try some dolomite under the sand where you want the Vallisneria to grow and keep an eye on your water parameters.

 

@Vis
@shihr
Tropica,probably the best and most respected aquarium plant nursery in the world,propagate and sells the very same plants in Skaapietjie's tank.
To distinguish between the plants you can use in your tank and the plants that belong in a terrarium,do some research.Educate yourself.
No use rushing of to confront the LFS.There's no way they can know everything about every fish or every aquarium plant,is there?

 

@Rudi agreed but most LPS's only keep about 3 different plants and they at most times do not know what they are.
Educating yourself is probably the best way of doing it.

But do they propagate as an bog plant or full on submersable plant?

 

LFS around here (Pretoria) love selling terrestrial or emmersed plants to us uninformed newcomers (a store attendant told me so himself) because they keep on dying and we keep on buying... On a different note, do your research and you should do just fine in differentiating between submerged, emmersed and terrestrial plants in future. Correct me if this is not valid, but I usually handle the plants before selecting them and as my rule of thumb anything that stays upright (doesn't droop) when you remove it from the water is not truly aquatic. Seems to have worked fine so far.

Good luck!

 

@Vis,
Let me put it like this,no aquarium plant nursery will ever propogate plants,submersed.Not Tropica,in Denmark,nor Amatikulu,in KZN.
Too expensive,too dificult.
I'm pretty sure I explained this before.
@Ansu,
That may work,sometimes.Have a look at these plants.I'm growing them myself,emersed.And I can guarantee that they can stay submersed indefianatly and grow.

 

@Rudi I meant do they sell it as a submersable plant.

 

@Vis,they are sold as aquarium plants.A terrarium is aquarium as well.
Tropica sell all their plants properly identified with the scientific name.It is for the hobbyist to use the plants correctly.They don't specify, this is a aquarium plant to be planted under water or this is a aquarium plant to planted in a terrarium.What I mean is,it's not written on the pots.
They do have a good web site where all the plants they grow are shown and the conditions the plants require.
That is where research come in.

 

@Rudi yes, correct Tropica names their plants scientifically and i agree that reasearch is meant to be done by yourself..but most pet stores in sa dont name their plants properly. how is a newbie going to be able to do any research without a proper name nevermind proper information from the petstores?

look, we all been there and done that.. thats the reason why we have forums like this. hell, i rem the days b4 these forums etc where i didn know any better, buying mondo grass month after month not knowing why it doesnt grow and trying to use different substrates etc.. i just thought it was a hard to grow plant

 

@Rudi yes, correct Tropica names their plants scientifically and i agree that reasearch is meant to be done by yourself..but most pet stores in sa dont name their plants properly. how is a newbie going to be able to do any research without a proper name nevermind proper information from the petstores?

look, we all been there and done that.. thats the reason why we have forums like this. hell, i rem the days b4 these forums etc where i didn know any better, buying mondo grass month after month not knowing why it doesnt grow and trying to use different substrates etc.. i just thought it was a hard to grow plant

 

@shihr
All I can say to any newbie is,welcome to the real world.Nothing is ever easy and just fall into your lap.
And this "in S.A. this" and "S.A. LFS that" really is getting old.These plants are sold all over the world,not just in S.A. All over the world newbies are buying these plants and plant them in the belief that they are meant to be completely submersed.

@Skaapietjie
All this was a serious high jack and I apologize for that.
The best advice I can give to you ,if you are serious about planted tanks,is to buy a good book on aquarium plants.You will get pictures of all the popular plants,how to keep them successfully and some aqua scaping inspiration.
Then when you visit the LPS,you'll be able to I.D. the plants yourself,buy what you want and keep plants suitable for your tank conditions.

 

Tanx rudi , can you recommend any books?
Then , does anybody know where to get hydraphonic chemicult? Ive been all over town today , i can find palmfibre peat , but the chemicult seems to be unheard of..
Tanx to everybody for the input , i really want to have my tank planted , it just looks better and more natural..

 

@Skaapietjie,
I have a few books but I recommend:
Encyclopedia of Aquarium plants by Peter Hiscock

Easy to read,great photos and covers all the basics you need to do it right first time.I bought mine on Kalahari.

Chemicult is made by Starks if I'm not mistaken.

 

www.take2.co.za is cheaper (Just looked) however from past experience, their shipping is often slower.
Just received an email as well that on Monday (14th Feb) they are offering free shipping. Might be worth taking advantage of guys!

 

Cheaper paperback version

http://www.take2.co.za/books-aquarium-plants-paperback-1190745.html
http://www.take2.co.za/books-aquarium-plants-paperback-1094125.html

Just check release dates for newest.

 

@Vis... the second link is a GREAT book. I've actually got a copy that I borrowed from someone. It gives a pretty good BASIC understanding of a planted tank... but also only really covers the easy to grow plants.

 

tamx ll for the friendly and helpfull advice.. Il try that book and c if i can get it right this time..

 

I asked the LFS to get me some java moss , and it arrived today though.. but i feel overcharged , it cost me R95 for a bit of moss in a rock.. Was i ripped off , or is this normal? Oh , and by the way , im going to build a new hood and try putting four 40W lights on it.. Maybe 3 with 1 night light , would this be sufficient?

 

dude.. u got Ripped off.. u should try use the classified of this forum.. usually members are willing to post some to u for free.. (postal charges apply though)..