"Tube" plants from Petco...

[FireDancer7905]

Does anyone know, offhand, the brand name for these things? I am trying to id a plant I was given a while back. I susoect that it is not an aquatic plant, but plantgeek.net didn't have a picture of one. The "tube" I am asking about is clear and has "aquagel" at the bottom to keep the plant wet. The plant I am trying to id looks a bit like a pineapple plant, but is darker green with stripes of varying degrees. Thanks for reading! ~brandy

[livingword26]

I'm no expert, but i have been researching plants for about a month because I am setting up a planted tank next week. I went into Petco today, and they did not have 1 plant that I recognized. I don't think any of them were aquatic.

[Kamryn]

Aqua Plants is the brand name, but beware. I purchased plants from petco on several occasions and twice returned plants because they turned out (after research) they were poisonous to fish. They were ment as terrarium plants only.

[Rex Grigg]

Just based on your description I can tell you that the PIQ (plant in question) is not aquatic.

[Pagan]

I work at Petco, and the only aquatic plants I've seen in those tubes are Amazon and Brazilian swords. Almost all of the rest are terrarium, or semi-aquatic plants.

[FireDancer7905]

Thanks for all the replies. I was guessing that the piq was not aquatic, but still can't find a decent pic of it. Anyway, I'll be going to the lfs tomorrow to find some plants that might actually thrive in my tank. I'll let you know what I end up with! :)

[GenoET]

I work at Petco, and the only aquatic plants I've seen in those tubes are Amazon and Brazilian swords. Almost all of the rest are terrarium, or semi-aquatic plants.

Thanks for the insight......... I just bought two from Petco this week. On the "Aqua Plants" label I saw printed "Live Aquarium Plant" in bright yellow on the side of the label so I assumed it was for the home aquarium. Will these create a problme in my freshwater tank? Should I remove them?
One is Kyoto (Ophiopogon japonica)
The other is Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)..........

Thaks......

[Sammie7]

"kyoto" is mondo grass and will die and pollute your tank if submerged indefinately. Wisteria is an aquatic plant.

To the OP, it sounds like you have a form of white ribbon or dracaena sanderia, which is a form of lucky bamboo. It will not last long submerged and will pollute your water.

[GenoET]

Sammie7........ Thanks

[Sammie7]

No problem. Here is something you might find useful: http://www.aquahobby.com/garden/e_difformis.php

[FireDancer7905]

Hi again! Thanks for all the info! I am hoping to get to the lfs today (not Petco) to restock my Prime and will look around for some better plants. Look for pics soon! :dance:

[TommyR]

I'll add that I've bought java fern in those tubes (they call it another name for some reason) and they are doing gangbusters! Growing baby plants all over the place. You have to know what you're doing before buying these, some ARE aquatic. Don't trust the sales droid.

Tom

[DebbyS]

For my then-new 10 gallon tank, back in September I got PetCo's mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonica), amazon sword, and java fern. I found out the mondo grass is terrestrial, so after overnighting it in the aquarium, I stuck it in a pot with some cacti; it will go out in the sun in the spring. The amazon sword was actually easily divided into two and they are still going strong; one even put out a runner with a baby on it not long after being planted. The baby is now in another container (I put all the swords in glass "pots" in the aquarium to contain the roots). The java fern I tied (using a strand of dental floss) to a craggy rock and within a few weeks it was having babies, some of which are now growing in another tank. So two of the three buys worked out fine, and maybe the mondo grass will, too.

[Pagan]

The aquatic plants in the tubes are amazingly strong considering how their packaged. I personally have no luck with the terrestrial ones though.

[TommyR]

The aquatic plants in the tubes are amazingly strong considering how their packaged. I personally have no luck with the terrestrial ones though.

Oh I have a HUGE green thumb with regular plants. I have a TON of them IN the house. Once last frost date has past I get even MORE crazy!

I even grow carnivorous plants. Venus fly traps, American Pitcher plants, Nepenthis. I'm a plant freak!

Tom

[ededh11]

I also bought some of these "tube" plants, hehe.

I had luck with the java fern - divided one tube's worth into several plants.. all of which are doing great and reproducing all over.

The wisteria I bought, however, continually gave me grief with the stems all seemingly rotting from the bottom up one section at a time. I assumed that this was because the required high amounts of CO2 and at the time I wasn't adding any into the tank. I eventually threw them all away.