Looking for some Anubias and Java Fern. I dont want hitch hikers, diseases, parasites. What is a great US based site for that?
Best place to buy plants?
- Thread starter johnwduncan
- Start date
Many places sell hydroponic plants, including most of the big chains, they come in sealed plastic bags. They won't have snails & have never been exposed to fish. They are a bit pricey...
Well, there's the big 2, Petsmart & Petco. They sell hydroponic plants, I assume they ship too. But there may be others...Shop around
Your concerns are not an issue. Typically diseases/parasites are on the fish, not on the plants. If in doubt they can be dipped in potassium permanganate, bleach, salt... But most often LFS's have a separate tank for plants, you can just buy from that. I would also not hesitate to get cuttings from hobbyists, as long as they are from an aquarium, not a pond. The only hitchhikers you typically have is snails, but that is because I and many other hobbyists see them as beneficial. Unlike terrestrial snails, they do not eat plants.
Now for the real issue; most plants sold by LFS's or nurseries are either not aquatic plants or are pretty demanding "high light" plants. The fact that they are growing them out of the water does say nothing about your ability to grow them, I still would recommend getting plants from hobbyists, who have grown them in their tank. Often given away or just for a $ or something.
Now for the real issue; most plants sold by LFS's or nurseries are either not aquatic plants or are pretty demanding "high light" plants. The fact that they are growing them out of the water does say nothing about your ability to grow them, I still would recommend getting plants from hobbyists, who have grown them in their tank. Often given away or just for a $ or something.
Your concerns can be an issue. But lets not argue that.
Tropica, the worlds largest and one of the oldest, aquatic plant producers, has been using tissue culturing to produce plants in a sterile environment. This means from the start there are no snails or snail eggs, no diseases, no problems at all (especially no duckweed hitchhiking into a tank). Many places from box stores, to online stores to smaller home based fish businesses sell these.
And yes, there are some snails which eat plants. I got one last year. IT trashed my anubias until I got rid of it. I never knew I had it until it got big. I was told it was an Apple snail.
Tropica, the worlds largest and one of the oldest, aquatic plant producers, has been using tissue culturing to produce plants in a sterile environment. This means from the start there are no snails or snail eggs, no diseases, no problems at all (especially no duckweed hitchhiking into a tank). Many places from box stores, to online stores to smaller home based fish businesses sell these.
And yes, there are some snails which eat plants. I got one last year. IT trashed my anubias until I got rid of it. I never knew I had it until it got big. I was told it was an Apple snail.
I looked on that site and coulnt find any way to actually buy from them. I could only find UK dealers and an option to become a dealer. I am in the US so wouldnt the plant die on its way here?
Yes apple snails do eat plants, but who keeps those in a planted tank? How did you get that snail ? Unlike ramshorn and malayan trumpet snails, it is a commercial snail.
Like with any hobby, you can choose to do the most complicated and expensive thing and order from Tropica. Still I don't see the issue, before you get plants from a hobbyist you could ask if they have snails in their tank if you fear them so much. It is impossible for snails to come out of nowhere.
Like with any hobby, you can choose to do the most complicated and expensive thing and order from Tropica. Still I don't see the issue, before you get plants from a hobbyist you could ask if they have snails in their tank if you fear them so much. It is impossible for snails to come out of nowhere.
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First you state no snails eat plants, Now you state that some snails eat plants. I buy almost nothing live from brick and mortar stores. I buy mosty online for hard goods. Live things I get from breeders, wholesalers and now and then as direct imports.
The tank in my picture is a 15 gal. in my bathroom. I have had planted tanks for 18+ years. I have not had to buy plants in over a decade+. I move them from one of my tanks to a new one if I need plants. Everything you see in that tank came off my shelf or out of one of my tanks. I have never had an apple snail. The tank was initially stocked with 5 young white clouds I bought at my club auction from the person who bred them. There were no plants in the bag. I think this is likely how the snail arrived in the form of an egg? The bag was emptied through a brine shrimp net and the contents put into the tank. No other fish/creatures were added to the tank until I added assassin snails after the apple was removed many months later. It was taken by the white cloud breeder.
I prefer to buy quality at a fair price. I have a saying re getting fish delivered. "One healthy fish is worth at least three DOAs." Another is, "In the long run, the cheapest solution is usually the one that initially costs the most."
I do not believe you can buy plants directly from Tropica, at least not in the USA. They are sold via dealers. This includes fish stores, pet stores and home based sellers. I also believe that everybody pretty much sells them for the same price. Again, not certain of this but I think it is the case.
I do not ask hobbyists if they have snails or duckweed. I operate under the assumption they always do. Just because one asks, No doesn't mean they are not mistaken or even may not be telling the truth. A lot of prevention of things in tanks involves good common sense. "What makes the common person uncommon is common sense." (Yes, I made that one up myself. Try Googling it.
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The tank in my picture is a 15 gal. in my bathroom. I have had planted tanks for 18+ years. I have not had to buy plants in over a decade+. I move them from one of my tanks to a new one if I need plants. Everything you see in that tank came off my shelf or out of one of my tanks. I have never had an apple snail. The tank was initially stocked with 5 young white clouds I bought at my club auction from the person who bred them. There were no plants in the bag. I think this is likely how the snail arrived in the form of an egg? The bag was emptied through a brine shrimp net and the contents put into the tank. No other fish/creatures were added to the tank until I added assassin snails after the apple was removed many months later. It was taken by the white cloud breeder.
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampullariidae#Ecology
I prefer to buy quality at a fair price. I have a saying re getting fish delivered. "One healthy fish is worth at least three DOAs." Another is, "In the long run, the cheapest solution is usually the one that initially costs the most."
I do not believe you can buy plants directly from Tropica, at least not in the USA. They are sold via dealers. This includes fish stores, pet stores and home based sellers. I also believe that everybody pretty much sells them for the same price. Again, not certain of this but I think it is the case.
I do not ask hobbyists if they have snails or duckweed. I operate under the assumption they always do. Just because one asks, No doesn't mean they are not mistaken or even may not be telling the truth. A lot of prevention of things in tanks involves good common sense. "What makes the common person uncommon is common sense." (Yes, I made that one up myself. Try Googling it.
)