real or artificial driftwood? fake or live plants?

DMasker

Feeder Fish
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Jul 6, 2010
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sweeed;4445433; said:
I absolutely hate fake crap. I say get some real wood and real plants. Get some java fern and jave moss or something that is really easy to keep.
:iagree:
 

aclockworkorange

Polypterus
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Jun 24, 2010
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drgnfrc13;4446590; said:
Put a few medium sized CA cichlids in there and see how long that lasts...
I'd rather keep no plants than plastic plants, and saying that you can't keep any species of plants with CA cichlids is simply not true... Java fern, anubias nana, any species of moss grown on wood, especially established on wood before it is added to the tank, should do fine in most cases.
 

buddha1200

Fire Eel
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Sep 22, 2008
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true but look at the length of time needed to establish the moss on the wood before adding it to the tank,and i have had ca's destroy anubias plants.
 

Cookie*

Jack Dempsey
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Jun 26, 2010
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Get some real wood with some java moss/fern tied to the wood. Keep it simple and don't go planting> but if you have to or want to plant- put the plant into a see thru deli container (drilled with small holes) filled with substrate and plant that into your tank substrate, and the fish should not be able to uproot it. At least my JD wasn't able to anymore.
 

Experiment397

Redtail Catfish
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Feb 26, 2010
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Probably the Poly section
ok, i will just tie them onto the wood, i will cycle it for about 4-6 weeks, will that be enough time to allow the plants to root onto the wood?during cycling the only thing in the tank will be a few swortails and the plants, and my jds have been kept with plants before, and they where fine, the pacu ate all my plants. so what plants to use? java moss, java fern, and what else? also can i float java moss on the surface? thnx
 

aclockworkorange

Polypterus
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Jun 24, 2010
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Experiment397;4447136; said:
ok, i will just tie them onto the wood, i will cycle it for about 4-6 weeks, will that be enough time to allow the plants to root onto the wood?during cycling the only thing in the tank will be a few swortails and the plants, and my jds have been kept with plants before, and they where fine, the pacu ate all my plants. so what plants to use? java moss, java fern, and what else? also can i float java moss on the surface? thnx
Anubias nana is probably the easiest plant to grow, anchor it on to wood or rock. Java fern is the same process, but the root structure is different.

Java moss will basically attach anywhere it can and grow, people make DIY backgrounds out of java moss.

Other plants that are easy to grows? Crypts, hairgrass... but these should be planted in substrate.

Get yourself a bottle of fertilizer like Flourish.

Found this article on having plants with goldfish, another fish that is hard on plants:
http://thegab.org/Plants/goldfish-and-plants-the-low-tech-approach.html
 

Experiment397

Redtail Catfish
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Feb 26, 2010
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ok ill grow the java moss on a piece of floating cork bark. and i will go buy some java fern and moss along with hair grass and anubias nana. thnx everyone, and i allready have some flourish, and i will be getting some root strenghting tablets, and more plant things. it is gonna be a kick A cichlid tank
 
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