# Weird Idea - Aquarium "Pots"



## illiath (Mar 30, 2012)

Okay, long story short, when setting up the new tank a few months back, had to rush-move the fish and plants as the old tank was starting to crash on us big time, due to a massive Algae bloom that we couldn't control. Anyhow, the new tank wasn't quite ready, and we've only got about an inch and a half of largish gravel in the tank floor.

Things are now stabilized in the new tank enough I'm looking to add some more livestock, but I'm planning to remove the last major plastic decoration and replace it with a decent chunk of rock and more plants.

However, I'm tempted to "pot" the plants in the tank, using little plastic cups that hold a few ounces and just fill them with a decent substrate and stick that into the gravel.

Anyone tried that? I'm tempted by the idea as it's easy to plant then, however concerned about locking the roots in too much...


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## EdwardN (Nov 7, 2008)

*Pots*



illiath said:


> Okay, long story short, when setting up the new tank a few months back, had to rush-move the fish and plants as the old tank was starting to crash on us big time, due to a massive Algae bloom that we couldn't control. Anyhow, the new tank wasn't quite ready, and we've only got about an inch and a half of largish gravel in the tank floor.
> 
> Things are now stabilized in the new tank enough I'm looking to add some more livestock, but I'm planning to remove the last major plastic decoration and replace it with a decent chunk of rock and more plants.
> 
> ...


 
In the nursery business there are used 'net pots' ( neetly fitting in the tray). You can use such pots with ease since the roots won't be bound and will have water and nutrients available through the 'netting'.

I have just planted Crinum calamistratum in such a pot. By using small gravel the plant ...changed its mind about floating back to the surface.


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## KH2PO4 (Jul 18, 2009)

Have tried that with plastic cups. Worked OK. But some pots went anaerobic. 
Using net pots (as pointed up in the post above) should be better.


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

I raise my plants in clay pots with MTS in bare bottom tanks without issue.


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## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

The few ounce plastic cups (standard 2.5 oz cups yeah?) at restaurants etc) may be too small to provide sufficient root growth. Things will get all clogged up.


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

TWA has a valid point about small pots. I use 4" pots it might take most crypts a year to get pot bound, but a sword might just be a few months.

I' don't have anything in a pot over 6mos as I use them in my own tanks or sell/trade them off.

Another way:
You could put some MTS in a woman's nylon stocking about golf ball size. Use about 3 layers of nylon. Ie. fill the toe area, knot the end. Pull the sock over the ball, knot the end, repeat tie the end. cut off the excess. You now have 32 layers.

Wet the dirt and squeeze out the excess. Burry in gravel, place you plant over the ball. The roots will grow into the nylon.


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## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

I wasn't sure as my opinion was based on nonaquatic plants, things die when roots get to be too much.


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## illiath (Mar 30, 2012)

These sound like great ideas. I haven't used the net pots before, those look like just the sort of thing. Though the clay pot idea also sounds like a plan.

I figure in a year I'll re-substrate the tank, the original goal was just to enlarge the original "living" space for the other tank... then algae bloom and everything, and we decided to just re-home everything. However as we only moved these guys over a few months back, I want to let the fish and plants fully settle in before annoying them too much. But I want to get that ugly plastic "cave" out of the tank, and as such need to replace the missing hidey-hole, and was planning on using plants primarily, hence the idea of just potting the plants in the tank.

Glad to see I'm not completely insane with the idea. Heck, this will let me get them all placed so they're happy with the lighting too before planting them when we sort out the new substrate in a year or so...


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## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

Makes you feel better, A LOT of us folks with discus pot plants just to keep them mobile when cleaning the tank daily.


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

TWA said:


> I wasn't sure as my opinion was based on nonaquatic plants, things die when roots get to be too much.


You're spot on Pot bound roots will also affect plants underwater the same as above.

and +1 on moving potted plants. In my grow out tanks I can change up the MTS recipe depending on the pants needs. Those tanks double as q-tanks or to hold fish/invert as needed, so cleaning is also easier. people also want to see pics of my crypts on sales threads it's pretty nice to just pull a pot out.










I've considered building a large plywood tank in my unfinished basement. If I do I will only plant in pots to facilitate maint. I think I might raise the front glass up 4-6" so the clay pots are not as noticeable.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

The nylon stocking idea did not work for me. Too mushy, did not hold its shape. 
The other ideas, a firmer material, actual pots does work. The mesh pots are best. 

REALLY easy to catch fish in such tanks! Just take out a few pots at one end and chase the fish over there. Trap them with a sheet of acrylic so they cannot get back to the rest of the tank.


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## illiath (Mar 30, 2012)

Okay, so even better, it appears I'm not crazy, just late to the party 

Great!

Now to just actually get the plants, and get some driftwood to replace the rock cave... and maybe... just maybe the tank won't look as much like a reject from a bad 70's sitcom background :icon_eek:


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

Diana said:


> The nylon stocking idea did not work for me. Too mushy, did not hold its shape.
> .


The concept really isn't about the dirt ball bag holding shape, it's about the roots growing into the bag. 

I've found that with 3 layers of nylon I got a "bag" that was less prone to break if I was not careful and I was able to get tighter bag.


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## Daximus (Oct 19, 2011)

My 30 gallon is all potted. If you get smaller pots, deep substrate, and plan accordingly you can even hide most of the pots. :smile: It's the cleanest tank I have!

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals/169917-30-gallon-potted-tank-low-light.html#post1782983


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

Dax - I like using Mason Jars too.
:hihi: :hihi: :hihi:


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## Robert H (Apr 3, 2003)

Once you get a feeling for how long it takes the pot to become root-bound, you can remove the pot from the aquarium, pull out the plant, trim back the roots, and re pot it on a regular basis. If you use a medium in the pot that allows some flow of oxygen and gas exchange, this will help prolong the period before it becomes anaerobic.

You might find THIS interesting.


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

Not quite the same thing, but quite a while back I did a small planted tank with plain gravel, and I used those little peat-pots to hold a dirt/nutrient-rich substrate around the plant roots. worked fairly well from what I remember.


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