rethinking potted plants

[fishorama]

A few months ago I added 2 clay orchid pots with crypt spiralis to my BB 55g. I used small gravel with a root tab & a few larger stones on top. I vac the pots each water change as there's poo & food, especially carrot bits. Kind of a PITA but I like them & the discus seem to too.

Yesterday I found stylaria in the pots :( I'm pretty good about cleaning filters & wiping the tank but the pots need to change or go. Maybe plastic pots with pool sand? Or possibly new driftwood & narrow leaf java fern &/or anubias I already have.

A couple of my juvies like to pick at the plants & gravel, probably hiding carrot :p so I'd like to have something easier to clean. Suggestions appreciated, I have stock 40w fluorescent bulb but quite a bit of indirect morning light, so very low light.

Less cleaning of leaves would be nice too or is it time for a baby BN plec? Or I saw some parotocinclus like Larry, Apistomaster suggested, spilosoma I think. I'm a little scared to added fish even with quarantine, I worry my 4-5.5 in babies will be frightened or worse, infected.

[kush]

The cool thing about pots is that you can take them right out of the tank, take out the plants, trim the roots, wash the pot, change the substrate, stick in a new root tab, replant the plant, and put it back in the tank.

Anytime you have plants, water and warmth, you're going to have little creepy-slitheries. Its inevitable.

I use those clay orchid pots, too, with the holes stuffed with peat moss and filled with eco-complete. I've never noticed anything in them but, then, I have discus because I can't see the little fish anymore.

Another thing I've used that you might like is those dark green plastic pots you get at the garden center for, like, a dime a piece, filled with straight gravel and planted with vallisneria. I can't imagine anything much cleaner than that and, besides, its a zip to take the whole thing apart and rinse it.

[Jhhnn]

My tanks now have planaria, the only thing left from my attempts to grow supposedly indestructible floating plants... At least, I can't figure out where else they came from... No big deal, just one of those unintended consequences sort of things... I know they're harmless, so I haven't tried to eradicate them...

I, too, have contemplated bushynoses, but chickened out... I kept 'em in quarantine for months, finally gave 'em to blkrob, where they're thriving with his discus... who are completely nonplussed by the bushynoses...

I've seen pics of tanks with pothos or money plant roots in the water and the leaves outside the tanks, of course... and I have a sunny east window where I could easily put a trellis, right between 2 tanks... anybody have experience with this technique?

At least watering the plants would never be an issue...

[kush]

I tried it once - years ago - in a sunny window location, and the sheer quantity of algae I grew was staggering.

[joanr]

Just curious, what's the difference between Planaria and Stylaria, the latter I've never heard of. When I feed too much BH I get these tiny squarish white flecks collecting on the front glass, they don't look like the pics of planaria I've seen. They look more like dandriff. They go away with a wipe down and discontinued use of BH. I've often wondered what the heck they are. I'm not even sure they are alive???

[Eddie]

Just curious, what's the difference between Planaria and Stylaria, the latter I've never heard of. When I feed too much BH I get these tiny squarish white flecks collecting on the front glass, they don't look like the pics of planaria I've seen. They look more like dandriff. They go away with a wipe down and discontinued use of BH. I've often wondered what the heck they are. I'm not even sure they are alive???


Stylaria are actually larger and I believe they can free swim. I have only experienced the occasional planaria.

[Jhhnn]

Just curious, what's the difference between Planaria and Stylaria, the latter I've never heard of. When I feed too much BH I get these tiny squarish white flecks collecting on the front glass, they don't look like the pics of planaria I've seen. They look more like dandriff. They go away with a wipe down and discontinued use of BH. I've often wondered what the heck they are. I'm not even sure they are alive???

If they're planaria, they'll crawl around on the glass- grazing, I think, on microscopic flora and fauna. It's not like they're fast, but they definitely move around.

I've never seen stylaria in person, but from the pics and descriptions, they're longer and thinner. Some offer that they're larger than planaria, but I really couldn't say for sure...

[joanr]

Whatever collects on my glass is very tiny and not elongated. More square in shape. Next time I see some, like after feeding some BH, I'll try to snap a pic of it and post it here. Maybe it's just some sloughed off slime with tiny particles of scale or something. Hard to describe it. But now that my group are young adults I'm also getting the urge to decorate the tank with a little something. I'm thinking of a small clay pot or two with some big rock to hold down some of those pretty silk flowers/fauna. The tank is in my living room and really needs something, although it will always stay bare bottom.

Home Depot has some real pretty glazed flower pots, small, but I was wondering if the glaze on them is safe for the tank?

[fishorama]

Stylaria swim in an S wiggle ~1/8 inch, this is the first time I've seen them in my own tanks. I know they're not really harmful but means to me the pots have too much yuck in them.

Joan, I don't know what the dandruff could be, probably not harmful. I think plastic pots might be better if weighted, the clay sometimes scratches along the bottom if I just nudge them out of the way when vac'ing. The orchid pots leak a few bits of gravel that the python can't suck up, another PITA. Plus they're just a bit too wide to fit easily through the hood opening.

I wonder if Barb, Disgirl, would know about the safety of the HD glazes. I'd be scared to try non food safe or aquarium safe glazes but don't really know.

Plastic plants get a lot of grunge on them too so pick something easy to clean LOL Or have backups to rotate them

[kush]

Vallisneria and water sprite in green plastic pots...

55774 55775

Fast growing and excellent for water quality.

[Jhhnn]

I tried it once - years ago - in a sunny window location, and the sheer quantity of algae I grew was staggering.

Sunlight doesn't shine on my 2 tanks in question, but rather between them. Algae isn't much of an issue beyond the ordinary, except when I try to grow plants, increase the lighting. It just overwhelms the plants, grows all over 'em, chokes 'em out...

I'm sure that the nutrient balance isn't really right for plants, but rather for algae, apparently because of frequent partial water changes. So I'm curious about rooting plants in the tanks, having the greenery trellised on the window... like hydroponics, with the tanks as the nutrient solution... I shouldn't hijack this thread, I apologize, so I'll see what I can find in the planted tank section, where I rarely venture...

[joanr]

Which brings up an idea for a thread. "Ideas for decorating a BB tank with the least amount of debris and clean-up" or something like that. I've seen Eddie's Annubis in his clay pots, and they look nice, but I think the pot should also be decorative if possible, not just plain green or clay color. Maybe Barb can make us some swirl glazed pots that would be safe in whatever colors? I also like the look of a long, low peice of driftwood with Annubis tied around it, but it's not always easy to find a piece that will sit firmly on the bottom without being burried in sand or gravel.

[joanr]

Vallisneria and water sprite in green plastic pots...

55774 55775

Fast growing and excellent for water quality.

They look nice, the pots could be anything that's food safe I would think, but what do put in the pots for the plants? Eco-Safe or what?

[kush]

I usually use Eco-complete, just because I have an open bag lying around, and that's what I would use for swords or crypts, with a root tab thrown in the pot. Vals or any stem plant would do equally well in plain gravel. For that matter, stem plants don't even need the gravel - just something to weight them down.

[Disgirl]

Regarding the glazes on store bought pots these days, the ones coming from China, Mexico and Southeast Asia countries can not be guaranteed 100% safe to eat and drink out of these glazes. Most potters will know if their glazes are safe to eat and drink from. If so, then they are safe for aquarium use. My glazes are all safe except for one that has metal in it and I don't use it for other than decorative wall art. I myself would not put a glazed pot from another country into my tank unless I could know for sure it is a safe glaze. And the cheap pots available these days are really suspect.
Barb:)

[Jhhnn]

Barb obviously knows what she's talking about, so it's smart to listen, imo. I'm very pleased with the breeding cones she made for blkrob and me- in a world of mass produced stuff, things made by hand with care have value beyond price.

Maybe she'll decide to offer pots as well...

[joanr]

Yep, I already PM'd her about it. She is real busy now fullfilling cone orders but when things calm down she is thinking about doing some pot designs. That would be awsome!

[fishorama]

That would be cool!

Kush, those potted plants look good! I've never had luck with vals, I think it may be my soft water. I bet you have more than 40w lighting too

[Disgirl]

Guess what? I just made a few pots for BB tanks and sand only tanks! I will have them finished and ready to show you all in a couple weeks. Stay tuned to my sponsor section :D!
Barb:)

[joanr]

Wow Barb, can't wait to see them, I bet you can get real creative with the designs also. Maybe little discus going around the pot for some interesting trim work?

[underwaterforest]

Guess what? I just made a few pots for BB tanks and sand only tanks! I will have them finished and ready to show you all in a couple weeks. Stay tuned to my sponsor section :D!
Barb:)

Awesome Barb. I really want to make my BB tank into a potted plant tank and I guess I know where to get the pots from when the time comes.:)