# can i keep the metal bands on the plants i put in aquarium?



## jazzlvr123 (Jul 16, 2007)

you can put the metal in your tank however the plants will do better if you take it off and then plant the stems evenly apart from one another. the roots will develop more quickly rather than being bunch against one another, its really your choice though


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

I agree with jazzlvr, one note though, if you do choose to keep the band on, make sure it's not too tight or you'll end up with a nice dead rotten section under the band, possibly the whole plant below the band and then you'd have to cut the tops off and plant them separately anyway.


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## ER9 (Aug 2, 2008)

ok thanks for the advice. i think i will remove them then and plant them individually. after researching it appears foxtail grows fairly quickly anyways so it should make a nice dense area soon enough.


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## Robert H (Apr 3, 2003)

It is lead, and always has been. There were rumors that they switched to zinc some years ago, but that never happened. Even though it is lead, the chances of it causing any harm is debateable. I have tanks that have lead bands buried in the gravel for over ten years. I have never seen it to cause any harm.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

As robert said, I don't (or have never had) a problem. I use them to anchor anubias down near the substrate and have done so for a few years now.


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## sadielmorris (Oct 3, 2007)

The problem with foxtail, or hornwort, is that it doesn't really grow roots. It's a floating plant. I've always kept the metal band on our foxtail. It grows like stink so beware. Usually the stem will rot where the metal band is, and the whole plant with float up. Reband it, plop it in and repeat. 

I also keep the metal bands on my other stem plants until they grow sufficient roots then I carefully remove it. When I do a trim I bundle up the clippings and grow them out in my 10 gallon and give them away or shift them around to the other tanks.


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## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

To hold stem plants down, I cut the strip weights into ~ ½" pieces with my tin snips. Then I fold each of them into a "U" shape. I put the bottom of the stem plant inside the "U". I gently squeeze the "U" until the stem is held snuggly, but not crushing it. Then I plant it.

This works really well. The stem doesn't rot. It grows roots and it stays put. When you want to remove it, the small "U" shaped piece comes up with the roots so that it can be reused.


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## ER9 (Aug 2, 2008)

thanks for all your replies....good advice, thanks....good to know it is lead though. i actually used a piece to hold my carbon bag shut thats in my filter. think i better remove that one.


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

I'm a bit concerned about this. Can anyone verify one way or another that these weight are, in fact, made from lead? I am one of those people who thought they were made from some zinc alloy. Could they be made from lead, and then coated in something else, like scuba diving belts?


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## schwarkie (Aug 7, 2008)

I use the metal bands as well, and unfortunately, I put all the stems together which might be a reason why my stem plants do not grow as quick. My question is for everyone, how do you keep your stem plants down then? Every time I stick it in the substrate, it eventually floats up. I have a little convict who is a nuisance once and a while, but I completely redid my tank, so she really can't pick at them as much. Also, every time I try to plant any type of plant , if I disturb the substrate my tank gets a little cloudy (flourite substrate is what I have). Just wondering if anybody else has these problems. Thanks.


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