# Buyers Beware... :(



## sean117Ply (Jun 28, 2009)

So I came home from the lfs today with some great looking plants...

I asked the clerk if these were good aquarium plants and specifically asked him if they were terrestrial, "oh um no, those will look good in your aquarium" which they do. When I get home I pull them out the bag and wait, what's this? no roots, looks like a couple of rose stems and hang on... the plants are standing up and supporting their own weight? 

So I start searching them on the web and what do ya' know, they are terrestrial plants, well, 'bog plants'. And from what I gather, barely last a month submerged under water. 

So far I have identified two of them, ones an 'Aluminium plant, Pilea cadierei' and the other is a 'Purple Waffle, Hemigraphis alternata' but funnily enough I remember getting a Purple Waffle when I first got an aquarium and it did really well and lasted ages. I also found on another forum where some people believed it actually was a true aquatic plant and it lasts for years submersed, blahh who knows lol.

I'm going to ring the store tomorrow and see if they'll take them back or maybe switch them for a 'true' aquatic plant, although I don't think I can trust them. At Least it's not as wacky and blatant as the pet store that were selling palm trees as aquariums plants.

As for the others I still haven't identified them, it's leaves look very similar to that of bamboo and it's a very nice deep green.


-Sean :fish:


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## rhytemaker (May 29, 2008)

I had a purple waffle one time too. Same scenario, fooled by trusting the LFS. The leaves all dissolved after a month or so. But that was back when I had low lights and no co2. The roots can be submerged but I dont think the leaves will live long. It was dying pretty quick in the aquarium so just for kicks I planted it outside in a place in the yard where my sprinkler pipes leaked underground so its always wet and muddy. It grew like crazy untill winter.


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

Isn't there someone there in Australia that you can buy or trade with. A club or something?


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## Strick (Apr 6, 2009)

Sean, it seems like every time I go into my local PetSmartCo I get to talk someone out of putting a "aqua fern" in their tank.

Here's a list I made of some commonly found "aquarium plants" that should never, ever be put in an aquarium:

Aluminum Plant, _Pilea cadierel_

Aqua Fern, _Trichomanes javanicum_. Also Known As: Boreno Fernt

Arrowhead, _Syngonium podophyllum_ v. 'White Butterfly'. Also Known As: White arrowhead

Brazilian sword, _Spathiphyllum tasson_ 

Ribbon plant, _Dracaena sanderiana_. Also Known As: Lucky bamboo, Belgian Evergreen

Dragon flame, _Hemigraphis repanda_

Hedge, _Alternanthera ficoidea_. Also Known As: Green hedge, Red hedge, purple hedge, bronze hedge, cherry hedge

Mondo grass, _Ophiopogon japonica_

Neanthebella Palm, _Chamaedorea elegan_ 

Pineapple plant, _Dracena compacta_

Purple waffle, _Hemigraphis exotica_ 

Scarlet hygro, _Alternanthera sessilis_ 

Sweetflag, _Acorus calamus_. Also Known As: Sweetflag variegated;variegated sweetflag

I'd love to expand this list, if anyone would like to suggest some additions.


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## kotoeloncat (Apr 12, 2006)

do your research before buying any plant. There is a big difference between lasting a long time and multiplying(thriving).


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## smoq (Feb 19, 2008)

kotoeloncat said:


> do your research before buying any plant. There is a big difference between lasting a long time and multiplying(thriving).


 True. A lot of us, including me, made that mistake. Petco and petsmart are especially "dangerous", they sell many bogplants as true aquatic.


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## sean117Ply (Jun 28, 2009)

I rang them today, I told her that I found on the Internet the plants I purchased were not true aquatic plants, she said we get them from a supplier that says they are aquatic plants and that I can't switch them for different plants. I am going to ring tomorrow when the boss is there. I did not spend money for 'pointlessness'.

Another reason I HATE pet stores!


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## melauriga (Feb 19, 2009)

smoq said:


> True. A lot of us, including me, made that mistake. Petco and petsmart are especially "dangerous", they sell many bogplants as true aquatic.


Yes, you have to be careful of the plants they sell in those plastic tubes. The only ones I have found in them that are true aquatics are java fern, anubias, hygro compact and hygro difformis. All the others they sell are not aquatic plants.


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