# Potted Plants



## greatalbu (Apr 6, 2007)

Hi.
I have a UGF, not getting rid of it.
I'm goint to use epiphytes. I have learned of potted plants in aquaria.
I would like to learn more.
How do you feed the roots?
Rock wool as a rooting medium in pots?
Do plants become pot bound?
Not perforated baskets but actual little solid pots so roots stay contained?
If so what about current over and through root system?
Would roots rot in stagnant water in solid pot?
These and many more questions I can't even think of yet.
Thanks for your input.


----------



## freydo (Jan 7, 2006)

you can use pots, but i would remove the rock wool and add either potting soil or your favourite substrate. if you provide sufficient nutrients into the water column, there shouldn't be a worry as most plants will absorb this through the leaves. but you could also insert root tabs into each pot.

for the potting soil, i would look at the el naturel forum for more information.

going this route shouldn't pose any problems regarding water circulation. at least nothing significant that i can think of, but others may provide more information.


----------



## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Most plants will take up nutrients via their leaves from the water column, so don't worry about root feeding. Some of the larger rosette plants might give you problems with 'root bound', but I wouldn't worry about that until the time it became evident. Current should not be an issue for the roots, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to put a power head in the tank for added circulation. 

An idea for you - if you have a lot of stem plants, potting them will get old quickly due to their fast growth rate. Have you considered just using weight strips to tie together 2-3 stems and letting them drop into place? After they get too tall, just pull up the clump, top or trim and drop the clump back.


----------



## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

Check out this thread: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/32897-the-reason-for-using-pots.html

and try this for more detailed instructions on how to pot the plants and what to use:
http://thegab.org/Articles/PottedPlants.html

I hope this helps you. I've never done pots myself, but it certaily looks like a viable way to get some healthy plants into your tank.


----------

