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Tropica | Guide to Planting Aquarium Plants
Tropica | The Guide to Planting Aquarium Plants
The easiest way to plant in the aquarium is at a water level of just a few centimetres from the bottom. Many aquarists traditionally plant their plants when the aquarium is full, but this way it can be difficult to orient yourself in the water and to plant properly in the gravel.
Carefully pour the water down a saucer when refilling in order to avoid stirring up the bottom until the water level is approx. 2 cm above the gravel. Have a spray-mister ready in order to keep the plants damp while you are working. The plants can easily get by when they are kept wet!
Stem (Egeria, Hygrophila, Ludwigia…)
If necessary, cut off the overgrown roots so that the pot and stone wool can be removed and the roots trimmed to approx. 4 cm. In case of bundle stem plants with a ceramic ring, remove the ceramic ring and the bottom leaves. Plant the stems one by one in a group.
Rosette (Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne…)
If necessary, cut off the overgrown roots so that you can remove the pot and mineral wool. Trim the roots at approx. 4 cm. Divide into single rosettes and remove the oldest/outermost leaves. Plant alone or in a group.
Carpeting plants (Eleocharis, Glossostigma…)
Remove the pot and the excess mineral wool. Cut off the mineral wool chunk at approx. 2 cm under plant level to use it as an "anchor" when planting. Divide into 4-10 portions and plant evenly over the area you wish to cover.
Rhizomes (Anubias, Microsorum…)
If necessary, cut off the overgrown roots so that you can remove the pot and mineral wool. When planting in, do not cover the rhizome or the plant will rotten. The plant can be tied on or squeezed between stones or roots.
Floating plants (Limnobium, Ceratophyllum…)
You can cut the very long roots and Ceratophyllum can be divided into small pieces. The plants are placed on the surface. Note the shading effect they have further down in the aquarium.
Moss (Taxiphyllum, Monosolenium…)
The portion can be divided into smaller portions. Used "loosely floating" in the aquarium or attached to stones/roots. Very small moss tufts can be inserted into the bottom layer to cover the bottom.
Bulbs and tubers (Crinum, Aponogeton…)
Remove the pot and the mineral wool. Cut any strong roots at approx. 4 cm. If there are several plants in the pot, separate them from each other. Plant Crinum with approx. ½ of the bulb over the bottom layer. Tubers can be covered completely, but the shoot must be above the bottom layer.
Stolons (Vallisneria, Lilaeopsis…)
Remove the pot and the mineral wool. If applicable, trim the roots at approx. 4 cm. Remove the ceramic ring from the bundles. Plant the stems one by one in a group. Lilaeopsis, however, in small portions.
In-Vitro Pots
1-2-Grow! is a plant range including stems, mosses, rosette, stolons, carpeting and floating plants. These plants are very small, supplied in closed cups with growing medium.
Small plants with great success. Tropica's 1•2•Grow! are very young plants cultivated and delivered directly from their laboratory. The plants are guaranteed to be free from snails, algae and pesticides and therefore are totally harmless for sensitive shrimp and fish.
The range offers several mosses and specialties such as Rotala macrandra, Rotala 'Bonsai' and mini versions of traditional varieties such as Alternanthera and Eleocharis.
1. Carefully take the plant out of the cup and rinse off the growing media under the tap.
2. Split the plant in 6-8 portions using your fingers or sharp scissors (for small foreground plants)
3. Plant portions into the substrate using tweezers. Then watch them grow!
Tips for Planting Success
Success with your aquarium depends largely on the proper plant choice. In a 1•2•Grow! cup you buy a myriad of plants which can be divided into small portions and cover a larger area. Plants are compact from the start so you will experience a dense and beautiful growth, if you give them the right fertiliser and CO2 from the start! The range is perfect for small and medium sized aquariums, and your patience will be rewarded.
For the Tropica PDF guide to Making your Aquarium a Success click the icon below:
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Photo credit(s): Tropica (logo) / Canva Pro Licence
