Potted Plants in Bare Bottom Tank?

[Melsy]

Hi, I have a bare bottom tank,
as I have no substrate, I have no plants, however I really want to give my discus some plants... does anyone have any suggestions on this?

I was thinkin some potted plants, but wondered what do you put in the pot, sand? :scratch I cant imagine using dirt due to the bad stuff it could introduce.

I tend to have to keep my lights off during the day or i get algae buildup, is it right that water wisteria is good if you have excess algae, and can this be potted?

Any suggestions?

thanks
mel

[hvt200]

gravel works well in pot, but in my opinion plants in pot dont look good. Try some Anubias on diftwood or some moss.

[DiscusDave]

You can buy plants attached to driftwood, or do it yourself. Java Fern, Java Moss Anubius ann Bolbitus all attach well to driftwood (in fact they don't like to be "planted").

I've never heard anyone try potted plants. I guess you could use a small amount of a planted tank substrate as potting mix - i.e. ADA, Red Sea, Carib Sea, Eco Complete etc. You'd probably have to buy more than you really want though.

[ILLUSN]

i use to grow all my plants in pots, if you want to be cheep used crushed vermiculite with a topping of gravel, add a little clay to the vermiculite (bout 1/2 a handfull/L)

if you want to be lazy just fill the pot with a planted substrate, eco comnplete, dulpa ground red sea flora base worked best for me.

use a pot with good drainage holes and pack the base of the pot with filter wool before you add your plant and substrate, it can look really good.

if you use clay post your discus will spawn on them.

[Hollowman]

Just a point, and you probably all know this, but in the wild there are hardly any plants in discus waters. They primarily live amoungst tree roots, with a sandy/silt botttom.
IMO plants in pots are a fine combination in a discus tank, although I like the natural biotope if I am honest. Pity I only have domestics :roll:

[Benzo]

oasis (that green spongy stuff) works and sinks. check the ph before you use it by soaking it, test, drain, and adjust.

[ILLUSN]

you cant grow real plants in oasis, it has no nutrients.

[bartek]

I grew plants in ice cream containers and take away containers in a bare bottom dicus tank with no problem.

Used just plain gravel in some while in other I had ADA or ADA in the bottom topped with gravel.

Works well but its ugly. I had it up temporarily for about 4mths.

[Old Dave]

Mrs Old Dave's discus tank has some large anubias on driftwood and they look great but I had to get some plant food to help one of them.

What plant foods does everyone use? :?:
Mine was too expensive. :roll:

Thanks,
Old Dave

[SusieQ]

Hi there.. Quite a few of the simplydiscus forum members use plants in pots in their discus tanks. You can just do a search on their site SimplyDiscus.com. Some just use the orange clay pots. The most unobtrusive ones use those plastic food storage containers.. from Glad.. don't know if you have them there.. they are about 4 x 6 inches and about 2 or 3 inches deep. Then they hide most of the clear plastic pot in the sand or hide it behind some driftwood.. They used I believe, aquasoil or red sea flora base or ecocomplete and then topped it with small gravel.. some even used soilmaster. I like Illusn's idea about the filter wool and drainage holes. Those using the glad containers didn't do the drainage holes I don't think. It's been a bit since I read those threads.
I have tied anubias and ferns to driftwood as well. It all depends on the look you want.. You can also use floating plants.. Good luck with whatever you end up doing.. HTH Sue :D

[Benzo]

oasis absorbs water and therefore the nutrients in the water just like rockwool, vemiculite, or any other planting medium which holds water. i think its easier to work with than gravel or rockwool. i just hide it with a layer of gravel. im sure aquasoil or ecocomplete work better but its also probably more expensive. just soak the oasis or rockwool in a bucket of water which you have added some flourish or other nutrient solution to. sounds like you cant go wrong with all these ideas though!

[Hollowman]

I don't think you will get many roots pushing through the oasis as it is too solid

[rwel4809]

I would not put oasis in with my fish!

Click on this link to the chemical composition of oasis and its potential dangers for humans:

http://www.fdionline.net/Files/MSDS/SO-OasisFloralFoam6-05-05.pdf

[Melsy]

hmm interesting, thanks everyone for your input, much to think about....

[Benzo]

WOW! thanks for that.. im more worried for myself than my fish. do you think florist use gloves and goggles when using that stuff. ;)

but keep in mind that that the oasis root cubes that i was talking about are a different material than oasis floral foam. same company though... smithers-oasis. maybe ill switch back to rockwool!?

might i ask where you found that data sheet as i couldnt find them on the smithers-oasis site.

[rwel4809]

WOW! thanks for that.. im more worried for myself than my fish. do you think florist use gloves and goggles when using that stuff. ;)

who would have thought flower arranging was so high risk :lol:



might i ask where you found that data sheet as i couldnt find them on the smithers-oasis site.

Just did a search on google and found it there.

... I'd stick to the rockwool if I were you :wink:

R.