Hygrophelia (and goldfish digging them up)

[joncosmo]

My co-worker gave me some small pieces of hydrophelia. I planted them in the tank, but they barely had any roots, so they stuck in the gravel for a while, but my goldfish would always take them out. They have been floating around and around my aquarium for quite some time now (better part of a month) and so there a little roots and some new parts growing. Any helpful hints on how to keep these things in the ground and stopping those goldfish from digging them out! Thanks in advance!

 

[Lateral Line]

Ah, the perrenial problem with stem plants and fish that grub around the substrate. The standard approach is to put several stems together and bind them with an elastic band, or a small piece of lead wire. Once you have a bunch, the "cup" that is formed can have some gravel put into it to anchhor it, lead wire normally is heavy enough.

The problem is that ofted, heavy handed binding damages the stem, which then rots through and the stem float free again. The technique does work well if you are careful.

Another approach is to plant in pots.

 

[babyfish]

Let them float for bit longer until the roots are about 2 ins long... plant in the gravel....The important part;- put some small boiled pebbles around the stems....the goldfish can't get at them then.

 

[babyfish]

sorry... damn thing posted twice But you could try elodea densa as well