Plants Won't Root

[andspenka]

My plants just keep coming out and floating around all the time, I don't think the Cory's help either.

It's Fluval Roma 200 tank with sand substrate, the plants are all held in ceramic rings with foam strips wrapped around the stems. I'm using API Leaf Zone liquid ferts.

Almost every couple of days some are floating on the top of the tank, when I go to re-plant the tiny bit left in the ring never has any roots on it, it's as if they're just not growing.

Am I doing anything wrong?

I don't know the names of the plants but you can see them in my signature, it's the ones that look like a cactus stood in the desert right in the centre of the tank.

 

[ShinySideUp]

My plants just keep coming out and floating around all the time, I don't think the Cory's help either.

It's Fluval Roma 200 tank with sand substrate, the plants are all held in ceramic rings with foam strips wrapped around the stems. I'm using API Leaf Zone liquid ferts.

Almost every couple of days some are floating on the top of the tank, when I go to re-plant the tiny bit left in the ring never has any roots on it, it's as if they're just not growing.

Am I doing anything wrong?

I don't know the names of the plants but you can see them in my signature, it's the ones that look like a cactus stood in the desert right in the centre of the tank.

I have tried these on and off for years. I have even tried to grow them in my latest tank which for the last six weeks has had no fish at all in it (cycling) and still they don't root, they break off and start floating all over the place. In my other tank with the clown loaches, cory's and kulhi's they stood no chance. I'm wondering if they would fair better just left to float around as I left one lot for weeks as they'd found a niche in a corner and were still green.

I don't think you are doing anything wrong they just aren't up to much. I tend to grow Amazon Sword plants as they'll root in anything given the ferts and micro-nutrients.

 

[gregswimm]

Try cutting up the lead weight that comes with stem plants and attach it to troublesome plants. Lead is quite soft and small pieces are easily wraped around a stem or wedged on top of a rhizome for easy removal. Select piles of pebbles around the base of some plants will also help, and can be removed once the plants develop strong roots.

Edit: and be very very gentle with water changes. When I have new plants I siphon new water into the tank to limit turbulence. It also takes forever, but you only have to do it for about 2 wks for the plants to do some rooting.

 

[FishFanatic04]

I think the ceramic rings and foams strips are the source of your problem. Using lead weights as stated above can also cause problems.

Separate all your stems and plant them individual or in groups of 1-3 without anything wrapped to them.

Push them in {gently} a little too deep and give a gently tug upwards, it'll help the sand settle around them. You may get a few floating but they will root better if they aren't wrapped with anything.

Lead weights and things can lead the stems to rot or suffocate. The same happens with crown plants.{like swords} If you bury a crown plant too deep, it will slow or stop the growth, but if the crown is exposed you'll see much faster growth.