# The reason for using pots?



## Neptun (Dec 18, 2004)

I've read a few threads where people tend to use clay or plastic pots for their plants instead of just planting them directly into the aquarium substrate. What is the benefit of this, besides that the plants roots are bound to stay within the pot?


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## Marilyn1998 (Sep 13, 2006)

When I first put plants in my tank I used pots for two reasons. One, I was growing out discus which required 5-6 feedings a day and good clean water. Easier to clean the tank without the plants being in the substrate.
Also, young discus tend to disease easier, and I could pull the plants when I medicated.


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## bpimm (Jun 12, 2006)

When I set up a new tank the plant mass is not always enough to stabilize the tank quickly, I will add some plants in pots that I don't want in the final tank layout, they can be easily removed when the tanks growth kicks in and the plant mass gets large enough to sustain the tank. I keep several water sprite potted ready to go when I'm thinking of a new tank. I also have a tank just to grow plants for the other tanks and for trade or sale. all of these plants are potted for the ease of moving them around. It also makes it easier to plant a new tank as the plants are already rooted into dirt, just shake them gently to remove from the pot, set into a hole in the soil, cover with gravel.


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## dnrdarryl (Jul 23, 2006)

I use pots to grow cuttings for sale or for replacements in my planted tanks. I often keep fish or raise daphnia in the plant growout tanks so I need to be able to clean them easily.


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## Neptun (Dec 18, 2004)

So, as I understand it noone uses pots for their plants unless they have the intension of lifting the pots out of their tanks now and then.
I like the idea of bringing potted plants to a tank to boost the startup.


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## Tony65 (Jun 3, 2006)

This great use of potted plants hasn't crossed my mind either.

I'd be inclined to use clay pots - they have more surface area that plastic ones.


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

I haven't had any luck keeping my goldfish in a natural planted tank, so I use potted plants with them.


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## cwlodarczyk (Sep 18, 2005)

I know that a lot of the goldfish fanatics actually like to have bare bottom tanks for ease of cleaning and will use potted plants for this reason.


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## fishtk75 (Sep 6, 2006)

what is the setup for all of you that grows in the pots as first I put this in the pot and then I do this so the soil does not comes out of the pot and so on?


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## onemyndseye (May 12, 2006)

ROTFL...


ooooo,.... "Fanatics" LOL Betty - kinda makes you sound like a televanglist 

-Justin
One Mynds Eye


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

He's right. LOL
Goldies are poop machines and bare bottoms are easy to keep clean. plus being able to remove them to salt the tank is another biggie. I really don't use salt much with mine cuz there are salt resistant parasites out there. Also, goldies may eat plants, so being able to move them somewhere to recover is a good thing. LOL

here's my old 55 gallon goldie tank. 









I was running a UGF in the middle of the tank with pool filter media as the substrate along with a couple of HOB filters. The plants were all potted in soil cept for the hornwort and anacharis in the middle back. and some java fern. Here are some more pics of potted plants in that tank.

Here's a barebottom QT tank from back in July with some sick orandas I adopted. That anubias is very happy potted in soil.









Here's another little QT tank with potted plants, I had set up for a while.









There's a really old thread here where Diana posted pics of one of her tanks that was totally potted plants.


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

I have several reasons for using pots. Some of these repeat what others have said:

(1) Special substrates (i.e. soil) for certain plants don't mess up your entire tank, and this allows you to easily combine plants requiring different substrates in the ssame tank.

(2) Allelopathy. Certain plants secrete chemicals that inhibit other plants. If the roots are doing this, pots will provide shielding between the plants.

(3) Ease of maintenance. In emersed tanks, any mold on a plant can be quickly removed. In immersed tanks, any algae can be easily removed.

(4) You get better density and control if you are trying to propagate a large number to get HAP points. You can keep adding and subtracting pots from this arrangement without disturbing any of the other plants.

(5) Temporary show tanks can quickly constructed from potted plants and then the plants returned back to their original tank without the shock of being transplanted twice.

The main problem I have with pots are that they are aesthetically ugly and it can be a pain to cover up the pot with pretty substrate in the show tank.


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