# Planting aquarium plants...in pots



## windy (Feb 21, 2007)

I've had my 10g set up with live plants(anacharis, java fern, wendtii crypts) for about six months now and I absolutely love it - so do the fish. I would like to start adding some live plants to the 30g now but still keep my layout the way it is. Right now it is various fake plants in some decorative ceramic pots. Cheesy, but I like the look aside from the fake plants. Also, I'm not interested in changing out *all *the current gravel to something more plant-appropriate like teeny pebbles or soil or anything. 

What I would like are some suggestions(tips and experiences welcomed too) on low maintenance plants that wouldn't mind living in a pot. I would enjoy some crypts but I don't want them to feel cramped since they shoot out runners. I also like the look of the Willow Leaf Hygro as it's an easy, non-demanding plant from what I have read. But, I'm up for pretty much anything that won't require daily maintenance.

The tank info, nothing fancy:
_Residents_: 1 Clown Loach, several white cloud's and neons(~6 of each), 1 Gourami, 2 paletus cats.
_Lighting_: 17watt florescent - I assume I'll need to change this
_Filtration_: Penguin 200 biowheel and small corner sponge filter


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

yeah, you can do it. Why not.. some people use an inch of potting soil/top soil in the pot as well then cover with gravel.. That'll give rooted plants a nice boost.

Choose the soil wisely, no extra fertilizers & not a lot of wood chips/bits. Soil sometime become anaerobic. You can mix in sand or gravel into the soil to not make it so rich.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Why not just use a aquarium plant substrate in the pots? Using potting soil for example can cause issues quickly if not treated with care. This method can keep swords and crypts from growing out of control as well.


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## windy (Feb 21, 2007)

kzr750r1 said:


> Why not just use a aquarium plant substrate in the pots? Using potting soil for example can cause issues quickly if not treated with care. This method can keep swords and crypts from growing out of control as well.


Thanks! I was thinking about mixing some EcoComplete with fine gravel in the ceramic pots, and topping that off with a few of the larger stones already in the tank to keep the Clown Loach and cats from dipping in and possibly stirring up the soil. Either that or, if I can find it, some Aquasoil topped with the current aquarium stones. Hopefully that won't be overkill.

I figured that if potted plants work in ponds, they ought to work in aquariums too  I just need to find out what plants would be best for that sort of living arrangement now


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