what about plant roots?

[glittergirl]

Hi, this is the first time I've really looked at this part of the site. I'm really a newbie!
My tank has been up and running for about 2 months now and I have had plants in from the second week. Most have done well, although I've changed some 'cos they didn't look right. Anyway, they have put out lots of roots, which are a bit unsightly. Should I replant them?
I have quite course gravel in the bottom of my tank and wondered if I need to get something a bit finer for the roots of the plants, but don't want to upset the rest of the tank, or the fish. Any suggestions?

[RENEGADE]

i remember a thread on this but i can't find it but i think you can cut them if you don't like them. will someone please conferm(sp) this.

[djlen]

What kind of plants? Exactly how coarse is your gravel?
Len

[glittergirl]

The gravel is about 5mm in size, with some a bit smaller and some a bit larger. It's really more for decoration than anything else (mostly pink).
I have 5 plants at the moment. I did have more, but they didn't look right. The only 2 that I have identified are a small 'anubias barteri var. nana' and a 'nymphaea lotus zenkeri' (which is starting to get a bit out of hand).
I can describe the others: One looks like a soft fern; another is quite low growing, which started out with green and reddish leaves but has put out leaves that are now all green(this is the one with masses of roots on it); another has reddish small leaves and is quite tall; the last one has light and dark spiky green leaves and is tall. That's not really very helpful is it?

[djlen]

You're going to need a finer substrate if you want to grow the vast majority of plants. Obviously, you can grow them as you have been doing, but they will do much better with a smaller dia. gravel. What is your tank size and lighting like, wattage?
Len

[glittergirl]

The tank size is 23" x 12" x 12.6" and holds about 13 gallons. The lighting is a 15w fluorescent tube along the entire length of the tank hood.
Is there any particular substrate I should look out for, bearing in mind that I live in the UK and might not be able to get hold of everything available in the US?

[Rocketman]

Oh yeah, you're screwed if you live in Britain.

Just kidding. I think the first plant you described is a Sword, possibly an Amazon Sword as they are the most popular.

Those roots you think of, in most cases, act as runners. They go down from about mid-height of the plant and bury themselves in the gravel to further stabilize the plant - in stem plants, that is.

In potted plants, I believe these roots are what you get if you have uprooted a particular stem of this plant. I'm not so sure though, and you may want to take a picture and check with someone who has more experience.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't runners those white roots that sneak out from mid-height? I wasn't sure if that's what they are called, or if runners are stems that branch off to form new plants.

[djlen]

Any fine grained gravel would be better. With a small tank like yours you might consider either SeaChem's Flourite or Onyx. They are the top choice of many of the people on this and other forums. I use Flourite and am very happy with it.
The reason I mention the size ot the tank is that both of the above substrates are expensive, but you'd only need one 15lb. bag and, IMO, both are worth the money.
Your lighting will inhibit you from buying anything but low light plants. If you can, you might think about bumping that wattage up to 30 watts as this will make plant growing much more rewarding for you.
Len

[125gJoe]

Your Anubias Nana should be tied to a rock or a small ceramic/clay pot. Someone might want to respond with further detail, but I've heard this plant should not be planted in the gravel.

[glittergirl]

The anubias nana is next to a rock, but not tied to it. Why does it need to be tied to a rock?
It's not doing very much, but it has grown quite a few new leaves since I put it in the tank. I think it is a slow grower though.

[125gJoe]

I've heard that Nana's do better if they are not rooted in gravel.

[odessa]

ImE A.nanna grows better with the rihzome above the substrate and the long thin roots buried, I get twice as fast growth this way.

[RTR]

I'm w/Odessa. A. nana grows much better with the roots in the substrate.