any ideas on removing

[NickT]

i have a crypt that i may have killed trying to remove it from the foam like stuff they plant them in ... if you've seen my tank picks i have all my plants in pots, but when i was cleaning the gravel i decided to inspect the roots of my plants and noticed the crypts roots where trying to spread out of the hole in the bottom of the pot. so i decided to "help" it out by planting it in my gravel with a small amount of sand for its roots...... never actually got to putting it back in the tank because of the c*ap they plant them in!!!! as i removed the plant allot of the stuff came off instantly clouding my water to the max! i was actually afraid for my fish it was so cloudy.. so i guess the stuff decinegrates overtime but how do i remove it without damaging the root system while trying to pick it off the crypt i pulled a main root out and broke the biggest nicest leaf off. so i think its near the end anyhow... i may be able to save some of the young undergrowth but thats about it.

 

[Joviella]

I leave my plants in their pots. The pots have holes that the roots can easily grow out of as they spread.

 

[Slyspy]

Aparantly leaving them in the pots can restrict growth so in my little tank I've left the pots on.

 

[rick999]

could always just cut most of the pot away

 

[Dwarfs]

try rinsing it of , either under a faucet , or by moving it back and fourth through a bucket of water .

either way be gentle


also those pots can harbor many unwanted parasites [and snails ], plus they usually contain fertilizer[ usually nitrates ] , that may not be good for fish .

These pots are generally meant to be discarded [ esp if you have fish ] .

 

[NickT]

not the pots.. i cut those off .. im talking about the median they are grown in that resembles green fiberglass...... i pot all my plants in teracota in my tank after removing the black thing this crypt was the first one i was gonna plant in the ground... and i guess carfuly is the only way to remove the stuff...

 

[NickT]

also i gotta ad , the whole plant is turning brown..... thats a quick death.... guess im gonna go get anotehr one tommarow

 

[SarahBravo]

I find it's not too difficult if you take that stuff off right away. I start from the outside just pulling little bits off, and work my way in. If you hold it under a running tap and pull the stuff down in the same direction as the roots grow, you should get away without doing too much damage to the plant. If you can't remove it all, rinse it really well as it is full of concentrated fertilisers, and then plant your plant.

Sarah

 

[suspectdebbie]

I just did this today. Under running tap water not full force if you have good water pressure, You just have to slowly and gently pull it away. I did so straight from the store.

 

[gaya]

I use tap water as well and find that it's easier when the water is pretty warm.

 

[maestro]

when moving or replanting crypts its better to trim the roots before you replant them , this will avoid the die off

 

[Def]

It's rockwool, and it's harmless to your tank. I pull off as much as I can (it seems to peel away in layers better, like peeling an orange rather than pulling it all off at once) then put the plant in water and slide it out.

 

[Lateral Line]

I always take plants out of the pots and planting material. If any of the roots looks dead, I cut them off. Crypts, and many rooted plants often die back when moved, but leave them, as long as your water and lighting is right, they usually grow back once they have settled.

 

[NickT]

i trimed all the dieback and today theres some new shoots coming out... so i think pulling teh dead leaves helped save some energy and got the crypt looking better.
only the oldest growth died.

 

[clutterydrawer]

don't give up on it, crypts "melt" when their roots are disturbed cos they think the water conditions are changing or summat...often the whole plant will melt away then return from the dead a few weeks later.