"Suzie-Q" wrote in message
...
Okay, so I bought a plant (oz-something sword?) and just dropped
it into my betta's 2.5 gallon tank. He liked it so much that I
decided to buy another plant (mini sword?). This time I read the
plant sign on the tank(s) at Wal-Mart. It said that I should
remove the plant from the plastic "pot" and then remove the
stuff that the plant is planted in -- some sort of fibrous stuff.
And then I'm supposed to stick the roots under the gravel to
anchor it and allow the roots to grow into the gravel.
When I tried to separate the plant/roots from the fibrous stuff,
I had the hardest time. Might have damaged the plant. It seems
that the sign/instructions also said something like that, by
removing the plant from the stuff, or by removing the stuff, there
would be less nutrients in the water (plant nutrients, which they
made sound like a good thing).

Okay, so should I remove the plant from this fibrous stuff or not?

I still have the oz-something sword in the plastic pot and fibrous
stuff.

Sorry if I sound like an idiot. I am where aquariums are concerned.

Thanks in advance.

(Note to Elaine: Looked at pix on your website and couldn't believe
how many plants you had in your old aquarium(s). I plan to buy many
plants when I set up my 10 gallon aquarium -- if I can figure out
what I'm doing!)
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/
http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/

I always remove the plant from the pot. I recently
bought a pot of micro swords from Petsmart
and, like you, had the devil of a time separating
the plant(s) from the potting medium. But the
plants recovered just fine. Of course, the loaches
keep uprooting them, but I just replant.

When choosing plants if you can find easy care
plants that's the best way to start. I bought some
cryptocoryne wendtii not even knowing what it was,
and it grew reasonably fast just in ordinary gravel.
My tanks now have a good substrate under
gravel and the c. wendtii still grows at about the
same rate.

I have another, broad leafed plant that grows above
the surface of the aquariums and occasionally
puts out small trumpet shaped lavender flowers.
It reproduces like mad and I end up throwing some
of it away. Still haven't figured out what it is but
I think it's some kind of sword.

I'm also inordinately fond of Java Fern and would
try Java Moss if I could even find some.

Gail