plant problems

[luvmydiscus]

I am having troubles with my plants. My Java fern is just fine, but my amazon sword plants are not. My gravel is not very deep, they will not stay in the gravel if I put them in there. I have a bristlenose whom roots around at night and I find them up at the top in the morning.

I took a bunch of the amazon and attached it to a rock with an elastic band, the plant is fine but the roots look like something has been munching on them :evil: mr. bristlenose?

I have lots of babies coming from the sword plants I would like to know how else I can anchor these to stay in place?

I have tried the flower pot thing and had a nasty rotting odor from them. Lost my fountain plant from this and they were not planted very deep nor with lots of gravel either.

[kevkoi]

If your gravel is not deep enough, try plants like Anubias and bolbitus fern. Don't go for plants (like swords) that require a deep gravel bed and root fertilisation to thrive.

Errrm.... fountain plant? What's a fountain plant? Make sure that this plant is trully an aquatic plant before purchasing it. Too often bog/marsh plants are sold as aquatic plants. These will die and rot if grown submerged, and should never be purchased.

Know your plants. From a quick google search, i could not find any true aquatic plants known commonly as "fountain plant".

[kalebjarrod]

swords love the deep gravel, they also love fert and co2

anibus, java fern, java moss tied to logs works well

always try to get Botanical names of your plants, often different LFS will call plants by a different "common name" just to give them the selling edge.

[jim]

since luvmydiscus bring out a plant question, I would like to ask a question on java fern as well...I tried java fern few times...but leaves alway turn black then die....is it because lack of iron in the water??

[Mattzilla]

i have some java fern at the moment as well doing the same thing. it's attached to some driftwood with some anubias which is doing really well.... i am adding fert but the fern looks like it is starting to die

[luvmydiscus]

I have had my java fern for quite some time. It does turn black on some of the leaves, but i have been told that is normal and there is always new ones coming up. Also sometimes on the black leaves there will be a baby coming on it.

All I do is prune my black leaves off and the new ones are always popping up.

I did a search a while back about fountain plant, I have to find it again and will post the "real" name.

:D

[luvmydiscus]

kevkoi, I just did a search on google. I put in "aquarium fountain plant" I went onto the first site there and halfway down the page you will see fountain plant.

:D

[kalebjarrod]

Fountain plant is also called Ophiopogen japonicus also know as mondo grass

this is not a aquatic plant

unfortunatley it will die in the aquarium

and if you take it from the aquarium to the garden it will die from shock

sorry, enjoy it while you can :cry:

[luvmydiscus]

Thanks for your reply and info. That is why it turned yellow so fast and fouled my tank horribly. Thankfully it did not hurt any fish, especially my swee discus... :lol:

I did a water change when I took it out and threw out the pot, gravel etc that it was in. Man did it stink.

Guess I have to learn about my plants before going to the LFS, just like the fish you have to know what you are buying as many of the workers there are just there for the work and the paycheck.

Season's Greetings