# false aquarium plant



## Greenleaves420 (Apr 26, 2008)

i forget the exact species of this plant it started with a p..... but from my late research i hear that it is not actually meant to grow under water more of like a marsh plant........ is this a big problem in my tank????? its gowing healthy and quicker than most of my other plants


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

Plant geek has a non aquatic species reference library which might be helpful for you in this situation.

www.plantgeek.com I think


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## Greenleaves420 (Apr 26, 2008)

the plant name is like peliosanthes sp(thai dwarf)or something like that....i have been to plantgeek.com before it actually doesnt list this species.....i am sure it is not a true aquarium plant but i am curious if i should like remove it right away....its very healthy....or should i just play this by ear


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I'd just keep an eye on it. If it's not a true aquatic, it'll eventually start to melt-out and die. As that happens you want to remove the dead material and eventually the whole plant.


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

+1 - best advise I can think of has been stated above


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## Greenleaves420 (Apr 26, 2008)

thanx....all my local stores are littered with non aquatics.....learned my lesson tho


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Many plants live under water for a while, but also spend part of their year out of the water (when the rains quit). They can live in the aquarium for a while, and may grow well as long as conditions are right, but may or may not survive underwater all the time. Some will grow better if they can get some leaves above the water. 
There are certainly a lot of plants being sold as aquarium plants that are not underwater plants at all.


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## jmontee (Feb 7, 2008)

I found this on the net. Just googled peliosanthes:

Peliosanthes sp. Thai dwarf 
This little plant was found in Thailand where it is sold as an aspidistra. It has now bloomed for Mr. Cedric Basset, and he points out, correctly, that it is a Peliosanthes sp. It only grows to about 6" tall. The leaves are very dark, almost black green, glossy, with a faint sheen. It is a very tough plant. The Thais use it in aquariums even though it is not an aquatic plant, and it will live for a long time under water. USDA Zones 8-11.

Grown in 2.5" pots.


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## thefishmanlives (Feb 15, 2008)

Greenleaves420 said:


> thanx....all my local stores are littered with non aquatics.....learned my lesson tho


the stores in my area are as well, but then again im not surprised as its next too impossible to find someone with a brain in their head working in any of them. The internet is the way to go for this hobby. At least in my area of the country. I cant tell you how much I wasted at my LFS before I found this site. I went in the "premier" aquatics atore in the area, recently to try to find a glass diffusor, so they directed me to the on site "plant expert". There was a nice plant tank in the store so I figured I was safe. Much to my dismay, the guy smelled like he hadnt showered in weeks and had the social skills of the unibomber. This would have been fine if he could help me out but he walked me to the back of the store where they kept the planted tank stuff and he found two broken glass diffusors out on display for customers to buy. He looked at them and said "ooook" and proceded to walk away from me with no further words. I could already tell that human interaction caused this guy physical pain, but he could have apologized for the inconvenience or even informed me when they will be getting more stock in, or even, possibly offered to order it for me but he didnt. I shouldnt have been shocked as I have never had a good experience in that store, nor has anyone who i have referred to it for supplies but it seems everytime i venture in their just to check out if they have anything new or any decent fish my disappointment with the place reaches a new level and this isnt even taking into account that their prices are astronomical. Do yourself a favor and never take the word of anyone trying to sell u something at a store, espeically in this hobby. Remember, unless they own the place or are a partner, there is a reason why they are working at the pet store.


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## Adragontattoo (Jun 3, 2007)

thefishmanlives said:


> Do yourself a favor and never take the word of anyone trying to sell u something at a store, espeically in this hobby. Remember, unless they own the place or are a partner, there is a reason why they are working at the pet store.


damn the man!

Only buy from the internet!

err wait what?

Maybe they are working at the pet store because it is a way to cheaply fund their hobby?(me)

Maybe because they want to?(me)

Maybe because they want a second job to build up the capital to buy X large item (house, car, boat, tank, aquarium,etc)??(me)

Go in knowing what you are looking for and you might get better results then just letting the store sell you what they think YOU need.

I have a full time job I have been at for almost 4 years doing IT work, the part time job is solely for me to fund my hobby and increase my bank balance so I can buy my first house. Guess I am there solely to rip you off huh?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenleaves420 
thanx....all my local stores are littered with non aquatics.....learned my lesson tho 
Qoute:
Originally Posted by thefishmanlives 
Do yourself a favor and never take the word of anyone trying to sell u something at a store, espeically in this hobby.


Don't let a few mistakes deter you from using LFS's. Sure, there are a bunch out there that don't know what they're doing or only have the most basic knowledge when it comes to aquariums. But many of them WANT to know more. Plus, there are a great many pet stores that are very knowledgable. You just have to ask around or go find them. And for the lesser educated places, I've been to pet stores where the folks working there welcomed the 'teachings' of new hobbyists who were studying and learning about plants and fish...

You have to remember, most of them are running a business; they don't have time to learn all about aquariums and aquatic life. They're usally worried about their building rent, re-stocking, bills, and paying staff. Only a few of the LFS's I've been to were staffed or owned by people who knew ALOT about the hobby. Most just knew the basics and relied on us enthusiastic fish-keepers to give them the latest developments and news.

If you want to get in good with a store owner, educate yourself about aquatic plants (and fish, etc...)and then start making suggestions and see if he/she is open to some fresh advice. You never know, you might make a new friend in the hobby. Plus, it's a great way to work on networking skills!

-Dave


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## dorhonda (Apr 15, 2008)

I also work at a LFS. Some of our staff is very knowledgeable about aquatics & some not ( we are a full service pet store). The thing is, if we don't know something we will get another employee who does, google it or pull out a reference book. Most of us are invovled in the hobby. We try our utmost best to be of assistance & if we don't have something we are more than willing to try to special order it or refer to another place in town where the customer can get what they are looking for. Some of the smaller shops are there because of their desire & interest, maybe not so much with larger chain stores. Shop around and you can probably find a place that will be not only a good source for supplies but friendly & knowledgable. Why would you refer someone to a store that you are not happy shopping at?


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## Greenleaves420 (Apr 26, 2008)

thnx for all the feedback.....it just seems around me there is no interest in plants...just my luck lol......what are the best online sites....and how do they ship plants/fish to keep them alive???


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## thefishmanlives (Feb 15, 2008)

sorry dude. didnt mean to bust your chops, i guess i was just venting my frustration with this one particular shop. Its especially frustrating because before it switched owners it was good. I am in the IT field as well, and also have 2 jobs so i feel you. Props to you for trying to get your money right. I never knock that. rayer:


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## thefishmanlives (Feb 15, 2008)

i guess i just wish there was a cool shop with some guys to talk plants with in my area


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