New Plants

[Raven_24]

Hi I just purchased my first two real plants yesterday - Java fern... only thing is because I've always used plastic as I was nervous about snails & bugs, I'm not entirely sure how to plant the ferns in the tank. I've had a look for articles on plants but although they tell me ALL about the plant I haven't found anything explaining how to put them in. I know it would seem like a fairly obvious process but I wanted to make sure I know what to do incase I kill the plants or stress out the fish.

I got the ferns yesterday from fintasia aquatics on ebay:

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...DME:B:TB18:UK:5

they're in a bag and a little pot with what I think is wet cotton wool wrapped round it so what I think I'm meant to do is take it out of that rinse it in dechlorinated water and then put it under the gravel with some kind of weight? I don't really have anything to attatch it to rocks as I don't have many in my tank. Only a large lump of blue coloured glass, a long peice of slate & a sort of rocky bridge archway...

Can anyone give me some pointers here?

 

[Raven_24]

Sorry I hate to be a pest but can somebody advise me with this quickly - my plants are drying out.
I don't have any wood or anything in my tank.

 

[phlawed]

Sorry I hate to be a pest but can somebody advise me with this quickly - my plants are drying out.
I don't have any wood or anything in my tank.

first just drop them in the tank, its not going to hurt them to float around in water lol. Leaving them to dry out is not a good thing.....to plant them stick them under some gravel and leave the main stem out some. Otherwise, get some bogwood and jam it up in the wood and drop the wood in. Something like that.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Jave ferns grow from a rhizome- the long hard part from which the leaves grow up and the roots grow down. They are primarily leaf feeders with the roots mostly for attaching. The ideal way to plant them is to attach the rhizome to rock, wood etc. This can be done using waxed dental floss, fishing line, nylon wire ties or even a staple or two (be careful not to damage the rhizome when using staples). They can also be planted in the substrate, but you must not bury the rhizome or it will rot and the plant dies. Just push the roots into the substrate and let the rhizome hand just above it.

These plants are very hardy and easy to grow in any light levels and need almost no fertiolizers etc. Another easy group of plants which needs similar care are the anubias.

And yes you are correct the rock wool should be removed from the roots before you plant. BTW- cutting off all the roots will not harm the plant as they regrow.

 

[Raven_24]

thankyou thankyou thankyou! Dental floss - I never thought of that! It would be perfect except mine is waxed and minted I would use string but I think that would erode pretty quickly oh well I'm away to have a rummage.

Just thought would garden wire be ok to use, you know the kind you keep plants upright with attached to a stick?

 

[Luke_e]

Not sure about garden wire but if you have cotton thats fine (i use it for my java moss).

 

[LucyHurst]

Fishing line?