View Full Version : Need Plants

Rabid Glass Shrimp
12-07-2010, 03:29 PM
I would like some plants for a moderately to brightly lit aquarium.

I had some cabomba that grew rapidly but when i trimmed it it died.

:banghead: :banghead:

12-07-2010, 04:16 PM
I've had excellent luck getting plants from plantedaquariumscentral.com. They sell on eBay, prices are better than any I can find locally, they usually toss in some extra of whatever you buy, AND they discount shipping when you buy multiple items.

They are located in Arizona, so transit time can be slow, but (with ONE exception) all the plants I've gotten were beautiful, healthy and LARGE. The one exception was immediately remedied after an email to the seller.

They even have tank "packages" with an assortment of plants for different size tanks. You might be able to contact them directly and have them put a package together specifically for your tank. I haven't tried that myself, but my contact with them leads me to believe they'd be willing.

Research the different plants, figure out what you think would work, and give them a try. Check out the articles on plants here at the AC, for a start.

Rabid Glass Shrimp
12-09-2010, 11:47 PM
What are the advantages of plants?

12-17-2010, 05:17 PM
What are the advantages of plants?

At the most basic level, plants are part of a balanced eco-system. Fish take in oxygen and expell carbon dioxide, while plants take in carbon dioxide and expell oxygen. It is a balanced respiration system.

The same exists nutrient wise, some fish eat plants and poop, which is in turn broken down in to forms of nutrients that plants absorb through their root system and or leaves.

If one could replicate nature perfectly, all one would need to put in an aquarium is substrate for the plants, water, fish and plants. Nothing else, and it would take care of itself. But that does not work indoors or in a aqua-sphere evironment as we prevent other natural resources and cycles of nature in a closed system, starting with sunlight, plus other important things like rain, run off and wind. We disrupt, limit and prevent adequate, light, heating and cooling, water replensihment, aereation and filtration.

Live plants are natural, they look better than plastic plants. Ideally they grow and change. For many their is much satisfaction in being able to grow healthy and vigorous plants. Some will argue the merits of plastic plants or no plants at all, but the best, nicest looking, admired, desirable, award-winning aquariums have live plants. They are an underwater garden. Sometimes fish are secondary or not even part of the aqua-scape.

Growing plants is challenging and educational. There is an investment of time, money and research or self-study. Knowledge, understanding, pleasure and satisfaction are gained, through results, I did this and I now know how it works. Or as often is the case and along the way to success is, that did not work very well; how can I improve it?

Some grow and sell plants to off-set the cost of the hobby. A few make a business of it.