Anubius on driftwood - How to?

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Mystroe_TheMyst

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I've kept plants a long time ago without much success,

Currently my tank has got a dozen or so fakies.

I've got some good pieces of driftwood in my tank now I want to fix anubius on them, how easy is it to do? Also my tank gets fluro light 20/24hours a day since it's in the living room and everyone likes looking at it.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=214808&d=1418531707

If it's not easy, like super easy, I won't bother, I will stay tropical-understocked and then move back to american cichlids eventually.
 

FreshyFresh

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I use black thread to affix rhizome plants to objects (anubia and java fern). You don't see it and eventually it rots away or just gets grown over. Eventually these plants grab hold of hardscape more than you want at times.

I assume you have T8 fluorescent lighting on your tank? You are super lucky the tank isn't an algae mess with the lights being on that long. Typical lights-on time is 8hr/day for a tank with plants. Plus fish need to rest too! 20-24hrs/day is very unhealthy.
 

savi

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I used blue thread, bright but after a week or two noy noticeable really. Just what I had laying around. Was super easy I just tied in a not and trimmed the excess thread.
 

discuspaul

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I try to find notches in the driftwood which are large enough to implant & hold the roots in, &/or part of, or the entire rhizome. Otherwise thread, fishing line, or rubber bands will do the job holding them in until the root system attaches itself well to the wood.
These anubias either fit into crevises which held them or were rubber-banded until they became more or less permanently attached. It took as much as 2 months or so for that to happen.

http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/Anubias
 

Mystroe_TheMyst

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Awesome thanks guys! I will give it a go with some sewing thread when I get a hold of some. Do they need to be upright or can I have them on a lean? either 45'-60' to the horizontal....

My tank light is also just a household fluro fixture which I mounted onto my hood - for $30 it's pretty sweet deal, it's not a UV or marine tube just a normal household white.

Will the light be an issue for the plants, because I'd rather not turn off the light during the day because the wall it sits on in the house isn't well lit, ever.

Cheers.

BTW those photo's are awesome, nice tank.
 
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FreshyFresh

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My tank light is also just a household fluro fixture which I mounted onto my hood - for $30 it's pretty sweet deal, it's not a UV or marine tube just a normal household white.

Will the light be an issue for the plants, because I'd rather not turn off the light during the day because the wall it sits on in the house isn't well lit, ever...
Yes, it will be an issue. A warm-white type fluorescent tube (~2700K) won't do much for you but support algae. 6500-6700K for color/temp is the typical for freshwater planted tanks. Assuming this is a T8 or T12 tube, you can get them in 6700K. It's a bluish-white, daylight type color. Typical lights on time is 8hrs/day. Any more = algae, unless you're taking actions in terms of CO2 and fert adds, very light feedings, etc.
 

fwiffo

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It's very easy. You know those black plastic ties that wrap around power cords for electronic gear? Use those to wrap the plant's long stem below the leaves to the rock. You can make long ties by wrappign small black ones into each other. Another way is to go to a garden center or shop. They sell green plastic ties on a spool. They're quite cheap. USe the green tie the same way as the black ties. As a side idea, if you want a tropical effect, try attaching the anubias to lava rock with twist ties. It's quite lovely that way. That's my advice. Good luck!
 
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