Uh... Now What?

[Vegan Peaches]

I bought a couple plants today

And my question is... now what? Should I remove those little vases? Should I remove the gunk at the bottom of the roots? Should they be buried? What do I do? lol.

Sorry. also... can anyone identify them?

Thanks!
~Peaches

 

[IovaykInD]

Those are amazon swords. I recommend removing the vase, by cutting it with scissors. Don't cut the roots though. I always just put the roots into the gravel, and add fertilizer. Amazon swords are heave root feeders that need ferts to stay alive for a long time. You should use a root tab that contains iron. Also, do you have lighting in that tank? Amazon swords generally need a lot of light to have good growth.


P.S.
This should be posted in the Planted Tank section, so if a mod could move it.

 

[Vegan Peaches]

This is a general fish and aquariums forum, and my plants are decor in my aquarium, so I don't see why it shouldn't be here.

That said, I have a light, and a fetilizer with iron in it. What's a root tab? I removed the vases with scissors as per instructions and planted them in the gravel.

 

[_Cal_]

Those are amazon swords, but they do not need alot of light to live. You can leave them how they are plant them with the vase, or take them out, it doestn really matter. Amazon swords get to become monsters. You can sucessfully keep them with 1 watt per gallon, but I dont really think you would need ferts, with 3 plants in your tank. But if you have high light, then you will need co2, start doing EI, otherwise they should be fine.

 

[Bryan1957]

Your Amazon Swords don't need to have a lot of light to grow well. I have had them for quite a while. I only have one 40 watt fluorescent bulb in my 55 gallon tank. They grow quite well, a little slow but have been growning fine.
Root tabs are fertilizer tablets that you plant in the substrate, it is a fertilizer tablet that needs to be planted by the roots and occasionally replaced with a new tablet. I had one growing in a 5 gallon tank with a compact fluorescent bulb that got so big it almost took the whole tank. It is now in my 90 gallon tank with two 32 watt fluorescent bulbs. They are considered fairly easy to grow and don't need a lot of attention. The roots will spread through the substrate so make sure you know exactly where you want it before leaving it planted for very long. If you need to move it you will need to make a big hole to replant the roots.
I think this is the plant you have here.
HTH
Bryan

 

[Vegan Peaches]

Mine have taller stems then those, but look exactly the same otherwise. Is a 20 watt flourescent bulbs for a 29 gallon tank enough light to keep a few of these? My hood only has a slot for one light and I don't want to invest alot of money into a new hood / lights. I'll look for some root tab next time I'm at my LFS.

Thanks, much.