Hi I am new here and question:)

I like sand look too, I actually want sand for my next aquarium but how do you clean your tank, do you still use gravel vac? Do you put it on the top of the soil or mix it with the soil? Thanks!
 
Wisteria does fine as a floating plant. As a matter of fact, it will eventually completely cover the top of your tank.
 
How do you plant your stem plants? I use a pair of tweezers, grab the stem by the end and insert the plant deep into the gravel. Then I carefully release the tweezers. Usually that works pretty well.
 
I like sand look too, I actually want sand for my next aquarium but how do you clean your tank, do you still use gravel vac? Do you put it on the top of the soil or mix it with the soil? Thanks!

You just float the gravel vac over the sand so it picks up the poop that was left on top of the sand. You can mix it with the soil if you want to, but if you choose to seperate it, it will eventually settle and mix with the sand.
 
Thanks again everyone, I do use tweezers and put stems deep into the gravel, then couple of days later wisteria and blue bell are floating again, steams break when I try to re-plant, very frustrating. I have 2 gal planted tank with some blue bell and anaharis and never had this problem, I think snails have something to do with it:)
 
For my anacharis, I put one end of it under a big rock I have in the tank (only about 2 inches or so). It grew a lovely root network and has happily grown there ever since. I started with about 6 inches, and now have about 4-5 feet of plant. It still floats, but instead of taking up all the space at the top and hogging all the light, it curves nicely around the edges of the tank and makes a border. There's a picture in my signature if you'd like to see (the "10 gallon" link).

Other than that, I don't have any plants rooted in the gravel. Good luck!
 
I usually just shove the plant in the soil with my finger, harsh, but it works for me. The soil/sand mixture goes under the sand, and with pool filter sand, its heavy enough that the gravel cleaner doesnt suck it up.
 
For my anacharis, I put one end of it under a big rock I have in the tank (only about 2 inches or so). It grew a lovely root network and has happily grown there ever since. I started with about 6 inches, and now have about 4-5 feet of plant. It still floats, but instead of taking up all the space at the top and hogging all the light, it curves nicely around the edges of the tank and makes a border. There's a picture in my signature if you'd like to see (the "10 gallon" link).

Other than that, I don't have any plants rooted in the gravel. Good luck!

Thanks Lucky, what a beautiful planted 10 gallon tank you have there:) Please, tell me what are these blue flowers on the right..and that tall grassy looking plant in the middle? Do you use CO2? WOW!
Strangely my 2 gal with watt incadescent light plants are thriving and Eclipse 12 is not so great, lighting is low of course, but at least it is fluorescent and plants that I got there are all low light anyway. Now I also have problem with brown algae (I think) covering the leaves. What can I do to get rid of it?

Thanks again for all your inputs.
 
I usually just shove the plant in the soil with my finger, harsh, but it works for me. The soil/sand mixture goes under the sand, and with pool filter sand, its heavy enough that the gravel cleaner doesnt suck it up.

Thanks:) I tried that, stems break and plants become shorter and shorter, finally I just let them float. Rocks are so smooth, plants just slide right out of the gravel. I got very smooth gravel for my favorite albino cories.
Next time I am definitely goign to try using the sand.
 
Thanks Lucky, what a beautiful planted 10 gallon tank you have there:) Please, tell me what are these blue flowers on the right..and that tall grassy looking plant in the middle? Do you use CO2? WOW!
Strangely my 2 gal with watt incadescent light plants are thriving and Eclipse 12 is not so great, lighting is low of course, but at least it is fluorescent and plants that I got there are all low light anyway. Now I also have problem with brown algae (I think) covering the leaves. What can I do to get rid of it?

Thanks again for all your inputs.

Thanks, I'm rather fond of my setup. :)
Hahaha, those are actually the only two plastic objects in the tank. I got them from Petco. That big gray rock is plastic and has the flowers and some ivy-looking leaves attached.
I use snails to keep my tank algae-free. They're wonderful workers, and fun to watch!
I don't use any CO2 or ferts - just water, light, and snail poop.
I hear bad things about incandescent lights, but my java ferns grew like wildfire when I used them before getting CFLs.
 
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