Need creative ideas for attractively potted plants

[Larry Grenier]

Didn't put this in the biotope section because I'm not talking about a heavily planted substrate tank. I think flowerpots in a tank look ugly. Anyone done some nice looking alternatives to flowerpots? Pics would be nice.

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Glass vases filled with multi-colored gravel...or just normal gravel would work too.

-Ryan

[tpl*co]

I got those aquarium pots that look like rocks from bigals, they look pretty good (haven't taken a picture of it yet)

[tpl*co]

a picture of them is located here:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=28665;category_id=3145

not much planting space in them though, especially the smaller sizes. It comes in 4 sizes, small, medium, large and corner. I also got a corner planting rock from them too but I don't see it coming up.

[DarkDiscus]

I always thought that the planted log look was attractive. I don't have any pics, but a nice piece of driftwood with plants growing from it is definitely sharp!

John

[Larry Grenier]

DarkDiscus - The driftwood with anubias, java fern, java moss is definitely kool. Wanted other plants as-well.

tpl*co - Thats what I'm looking for maybe.

I guess I could also get a fat stumpy piece of driftwood and bore-out a "pot" in it.

Any others?

I want to get one of my discus tanks out of the basement and into the den :-)

[kjmillerfw]

This tank is in my den so I tried to give it a little bit of a planted feel without going with fully planted. I previously had a different piece of wood in the tank, but the fish kept trying to hide behind it so I decided that piece wasn't going to work. I found these two pieces and screwed them together to make an arch (of sorts) which made everybody happy...they like the security, and I can still see them. :D

Some of these plants just arrived and were attached last night so they look a little rough. Here's what I have planted on this piece:

1. Coffeefolia (Anubias barteri)

2. Nana (Anubias barteri)

3. Crypt (I think?) Don’t know what variety

4. Anubias Afzelii

5. Bolbitus (Bolbitus heudelotii)

6. Caladiifolia (Anubias barteri)

7. Java Fern (which doesn’t grow or thrive worth a crap in my water)

8. I was told it was a narrow leaf Java fern when I bought it from the LFS, but I don’t think that’s right.



There’s also Christmas moss tacked on here and there but it keeps getting pulled loose by my clown loaches or plecos at night.

Kathy

[keith_cny]

Kathy
That's really sharp looking. What size tank is it? How did you attach the plants? How do you plan on handling the roots when they grow longer? trim them?

Thanks and nice job.

Keith

[kjmillerfw]

Thanks Keith,

It's a 125 gal. tank. I attached the plants with black elastic thread. I tried dark brown cotton thread first and it was breaking in just a matter of days. This elastic thread is great and it makes it easy to tuck the moss back under when it gets torn loose. ;)

So far, the only root pruning that I've done is when I first got the plants and attached them, and that was the anubias...my clown loaches or plecos seem to do the rest of the pruning for me. I can't seem to catch which one is doing the pruning, but they seem to like the white tubular roots. So far the plants don't seem to mind the pruning. None of the other plants have needed any pruning yet.

The thing I like about these plants is they don't need co2 or any special lighting. Only thing I add to the water is Seachem's Flourish Excel.

Kathy

[ricmod]

I don't have any pic's right now but you can use Bonsai pots. Glazed or natural. sometimes they can be pricie. Try looking up Brusselsbonsai.com. They have some of the best prices for pots that I have run into for mail order and lots of sizes and colors.

Rich

[fshngal]

Larry,

Here are some pics of the glass vase potted plants that we have used in the past.

[fshngal]

Another of potted plants in an angelfish spawning tank.

HTH,
Mary

[Larry Grenier]

Thanks folks! Kathy, that is sweet! That must be one huge piece of watchamacallit root wood!

[limige]

well, i thought this looked great until algea took over. use gravel and you won't get the algea inside, then just clean the outside now and again, they are just glass bowls from a craft store. we put candles in them before.

[limige]

ps: the wilds ate up the sword, that's why it looks so bad! at first it was great.