# What got you into keeping live plants?



## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Are you new to aquarium plants? What made you decide to go with live plants instead of plastic?

Was it your local fish store employee? Amano's books? A friend's tank?

What was it?


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

For me it was Nanne de Vos' Cameroon biotope. I've always liked the way plants made even a pile of rock look natural and natural is what I like. I think I had more money invested in plastic plants than I did fish at the time... 

After seeing that tank I started researching plants and got more and more into it. That summer I got a job working at an LFS that had what I now realize to be an awesome live plant section for the time. We always had a lush live planted discus display that I would stare at when not cleaning tanks. Of course, Amanos books were in stock too so I spent my fair share of time looking at them. After that it was a foregone conclusion, I was hooked and have never looked back.


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## fishmaster#1 (Apr 10, 2005)

My love of nature got me to keep plants. I am way too addicted to growing plants. I have always been since I was 7 yrs old. I will probably keep plants till my dying day. I just love to watch them grow. They are so pleasing to the soul.


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## |squee| (Feb 3, 2005)

My first sight of Takashi Amano's books got me hooked.


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

For me it all started with the gf wanting to set up an old ten gallon we had lying around. Once we did that I started searching the web trying to learn everything I could. Came across George Booth's website, then learned about APD, through that I heard of a new place called Aquatic Plant Central and I was hooked! Permanently!


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

Even when I was a child and kept guppies, I would buy Anacharis to put in the tank -- I just feel that plants and fish go together. It creates a more natural environment for the tank occupants.


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## SnakeIce (May 9, 2005)

I think it goes back to the prefferance I had as a toddler. Only books with real pictures, not drawings were good to look at. 

First Grandpa's and then passed to Dad, the tank I saw as a child had either an air driven action something or plastic plants. I have wanted a tank since I can remember, only I wanted real plants.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Back in ancient times when I got my first tank and guppies, I looked through Axelrod's book and saw the pictures of the planted tanks, usually with swords, and always wanted to replicate it. Of course, it took me about 30 years to discover the internet plant forums to actually be able to do it. BTW, I don't like swords much anymore.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I have always wanted a planted tank since I was a child. I would see them setup in stores and say, I have got to have one. I waited so long to setup one because I thought that it would be messy and to difficult to do/maintain. Then one day I said I'm going to do this and I did. I'm so very glad I did!


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## bensaf (Jun 20, 2005)

Well the wife decided she wanted an aquarium in the living room. We realised later she meant pretty saltwater fish but at the time neither of had a clue about the difference.

She got a twenty gallon with nice wooden stand and hood. Filled it with fish (2 of this 2 of that etc) and a castle and sunken treasure chest and neon pink gravel :-s 

Well the fish kept dying and I couldn't stand having such a tacky monstrosity in the living room. Did some research on the fish and how to keep them alive. Decided that plants would look better in the living room then bright pink stones and a bubbling castle.Bought some plants which gradually yellowed and melted. At first thought that's what was supposed to happen and you had to replace the plants every few weeks. 

Got tired of that did some more research and an obsession was born. 

Long story short the 20 gal was dumped for a much bigger tank, followed by lights, Co2 etc. I am now hooked for life, but am trying to find a twelve step program that may help.  

As a side note I sometimes have to put down my pruning scissors and console my wife who occassionally will be in a corner quietly sobbing. I can't quite make out the words but it sounds like "why, oh why, did I say anything about wanting fish in the living room". I explain quietly at least it keeps me out of the bars.....at which point I wonder why I ever got into this hobby. :-s


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

> I am now hooked for life, but am trying to find a twelve step program that may help.


Did you mean a twelve tank program?


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## skinns (Apr 8, 2004)

Had 2 tanks in the living room when I was in highschool with alligator gars, freshwater eels, and large catfish, something about watching a dozen feeder fish get eaten in minutes could keep the whole neighborhood entertained. That was 12 years ago.

As the internet goes, I did some researching before jumping back into the hobby and found APC. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the tanks and being a plant lover myself I had to dive in..


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## Plattykins (Apr 3, 2005)

I used plastic plants and air-powered objects for years. Finally, I just decided I wanted a natural environment. The fish just didn't seem to care about swimmng between the stems of plastic plants and by the feel of them, I can see why. So I started with a sale on plants from an online vendor. I got 8 bunches of anacharis, bacopa and pennywort. I was amazed at how the whole look and feel of the tank changed, like it was a living thing. I noticed the fish acted more natural and seemed to enjoy being around the plants. Next thing I knew, I had fry for the first time.


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## An t-iasg (Jun 3, 2005)

The hatchery that I go to has many beautiful plants. At first, I just bought fish, but then the plant tanks caught my attention. For my first plants, I got two crypts, one for each betta tank. The crypts were very small, only about two inches tall, and 2 or 3 leaves each. Those plants were like "betta magnets" -- the bettas stuck to them! :lol: Even though the crypts were small, the bettas squeezed themselves under the small leaves. The crypts did very well, and I soon upgraded my lighting, and began to try a wider variety of plants.


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## mattyboombatty (Jul 5, 2005)

A tank full of living decorations intrigued me and it was a new challenge - that and I think any planted tank looks way better than colored gravel and mermaids and what not.


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## Simpte 27 (Jul 16, 2004)

For me it was trying something more challenging and trying to create a more natural look. I went to my LFS and said I can do better than that while looking at their tanks with plants in them. Been hooked ever sense. Still learning the aquascaping ideas. I can grow them, but it still doesn't look natural.


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

Wal-Mart "Wonder Bulbs." 

That's right - those Apon bulbs were the first things I was able to grow. Then they seeded. I was so excited that I was able to not only grow something, but propagate it. I had about four of these giants filling up my 10-gallon tank and I decided to start a 5.5-gallon tank in which to grow the seeds. This 5.5-gallon was my first real attempt at a planted tank, and I got Flourite, set up a DIY-CO2, got a good strip light, and I was so excited to see my plants growing and pearling... Boy - did I go overboard. I had Ozelot swords, R. rotundifolia, pearl grass, Crypts, all those Apon seeds, at least ten other species of plants in this one small tank, and pretty soon, I realized that it was nuts. 

It's too bad that people make the mistake of starting off with Anacharis. It was discouraging that it always kept dying on me, so naturally, I thought keeping plants in tanks couldn't be done. Yet, those plants that are truly low-maintenance are some of the most expensive (like Anubias) so a beginner wouldn't even think to make that purchase. 

-Naomi


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## travis (Oct 5, 2004)

I have to agree that plants can't do anything but make a tank look better. I've always kept African cichlids and had been told over and over again that plants and Africans do not mix and that I should just get some fake plants and be happy. So for me the challenge of growing live plants with African cichlids and doing something I'd been told would not work got me started. What an amazing experience it has been learning how to keep plants and watching how they change the dynamic of the entire aquarium.


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## clay (Jul 3, 2004)

let's see. was 7 and bought 2 pregnant mollies in those tank deathtraps. they died, and i was very irritated, so i bought a couple blue and gold gouramis. went to my parents marble queen (pothos) and cut a few pieces and placed them in the tank. 

about 11 yrs later, worked in a cool store in charlotte that wanted to specialize in them. none of us really knew anything, and since we were commissioned and the town at the time was not known for their plant enthusiasts, there was no need to learn. 

i quit, got another job, and came back a year later, and this guy (i curse his name every day) named phil edwards showed me a 80g bow that he just designed. the rest is history (and the unfortunate depletion of my bank account). 

so, in conclusion, stupid phil edwards is the reason i continue to put plants in my tank and make a fool of myself. thanks for nothing phil!

clay


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

> and this guy (i curse his name every day) named phil edwards showed me a 80g bow that he just designed. the rest is history (and the unfortunate depletion of my bank account).
> 
> so, in conclusion, stupid phil edwards is the reason i continue to put plants in my tank and make a fool of myself. thanks for nothing phil!


I'm dying laughing!


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## DiPpY eGgS (Jun 3, 2005)

I was hanging with my wife one night, and she said, dang, your tank is boring!! I agreed and bought some anacharis, LOL and it died. Then she said, plants really spiced up the tank, get some more!! I said "not without learning how to keep them so they don't die"

then I spent hundreds of dollars on the aquarium.. lights, new filter, new substrate, CO2--- then I was an algea farmer.. now I'm getting along pretty well! :^o


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

clay said:


> about 11 yrs later, worked in a cool store in charlotte that wanted to specialize in them. none of us really knew anything, and since we were commissioned and the town at the time was not known for their plant enthusiasts, there was no need to learn.
> 
> i quit, got another job, and came back a year later, and this guy (i curse his name every day) named phil edwards showed me a 80g bow that he just designed. the rest is history (and the unfortunate depletion of my bank account).
> 
> ...


It was my pleasure Clay! I wanted to be sure you would be as miserable as I am.


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