Root structures for plants

[red devil]

I am going to begin my venture in plants in a couple of weeks. I have found some plastic boxes - about 1.0" x 1.0" by 1.5" tall - that i would like to drill some holes in the bottom and use as pots for plants. I am especially interested in using them to plant the back 3" of my tank with tall plants.

I would like to know about the root structure of "tall" (by tall I mean 12" +) aquarium plants, i.e. do they like to go deep or do they prefer to branch out. I still plan to have substrate under the pots. Is the 1.5" of soil/substrate in the pots enough? There will be holes in the bottom so that the roots can grow through. I plan to put some nylon scrubbee material (the non-soaped ones, cheap) on the bottom to keep the medium in the pot.

How close can this type of plant be placed to each other?

My hope is that by doing this, if a plant dies it will facilitate the removal and addition of another. Also, I hope to be able to make it easier to fertilize, etc.

[tanker]

What kind of plants??? Stem plants can grow that tall easily.

[coach_z]

there are plants that take up nutrients mainly from the water column and ones that take up nutrients mainly from their roots (aka, root feeders - example: variety of Swords).

This whole pot thing sounds rater tedious, complex, and a little unnecessary, IMHO. You can simply plant your plants into the substrate that you have. Fertilize with root tabs by sticking them into the substrate, and fertilize the water column by dumping fertilizer into the tank.

If they die, you can simply pull out the plant and any dead material that might come with it.

Stem plants might grow the fastest and tallest, but dont take up very much width. I just pulled out a 30" tall Rotala Rotundifolia and Ludwigia Repens out of my tank last night. it was about 3 weeks of growth from about 5". These two stem plants had a very very small root structure as comparted to my 5" amazon sword.

[jpappy789]

Most stem plants have little for root structures compared to the heavy root feeders (swords, crypts).

Certain plants will "spread out" by use of runners...vals and sags for example...

[customdrum]

why are you using the pots? i would think you have no substrate in the tank so you want to use pots.

alot of people use the small terracota pots in there bare bottom tanks. and if you dont like the color you can paint them with krylon fusion paint

[red devil]

Thanks! I was thinking the pots might make things easier to maintain but it sounds like it will make them more difficult. Also, I like to put a reverse undergravel filter into my tanks as secondary filtration. I have heard that root structures do not thrive with the RUG. Maybe I can get around that by putting an acrylic partition in the gravel, about 4" from the back of the tank, and putting the RUG in the front part? I will go to the pet market as soon as I get set up and see what they have to offer there.

[247Plants]

I would ditch the RUGF all together. The substrate will mineralize with the mulm buildup and will actually benefit your plants. Get a canister filter or two if you can. I have had some stem plants with some pretty amazing root structures.

[CEEEYE]

I got a red tiger lotus and it has more roots than grandmas tomato plants...kinda hate it