Ceramic planters

[beastie]

Hi guys

Because I am having some of my plants prior to tank remake still in their shipping pots, I have noticed my kuhli loaches like to hang out in the pots in the plants and I have not seen them do this to normally planted plants.

I figured I could put a small ceramic pot in the tank and at least have the top layer of sand and put some plant in. Not sure which plant, for sure not a root system one, but maybe a java fern on a smaller rock or something could work? That way they could have the sand around it and a sheltered place to hang out, if they wish to.

I am unsure though, do I fill the whole planter with sand, or the bottom with pebbles and the sand on top or how do you do it? I will have to test how it will look in the tank, I think I want to burry it a bit, but have a decent amount sticking out just so the kuhlis are sheltered from the other bottom fish.

Plants available for this that I have is a rotala, big pennywort, middle sized java fern, hornwort, egeria, some lotus plant sprouts, a small crypt and maybe some others.

thanks

[clownbaby]

I think this is a great idea! Bottom dwellers love to have hiding spots. I think the best thing to do here is to experiment! Try the terra cotta pot bare bottom, maybe later add some sand, add a plant on top or in front; just play around and see what makes your kuhlis happiest. 

For plants, you could use java fern but keep an eye on it to make sure the rhizome doesn't rot!

[Whitecloud09]

Yes my pandas love hanging out around my java fern, Val and other plants. This might work, best thing to do is try it and tell us what happens!

As @clownbaby has mentioned, do not let that rhizome rot and do not bury it! I am sure you know this but just something to keep in mind. Maybe put this in experiments and see how it goes. @beastie.

[Odd Duck]

I have plants in a variety of pots.  All the plants in my 75 G are in pots because the Jack Dempseys would uproot them otherwise.  They have a bit of sheet filter floss in the bottom, then baked, high iron clay, fertilizer granules (Osmocote - not really needed), then sand with plants in the sand.  I then piled large pebbles / small stones all around the plants to help keep them in place and in the pots.  I show this in my 75 G Jack Dempsey tank link below.

I also have many smaller pots, some with layers, some with just sand where I put assorted plants.  Mostly crypts and swords but I’ve done a few stems, too.  I have several tanks with foam as substrate over UGF so it’s the easiest way to grow them up from tissue cultures, or if they were heat or cold shocked in shipping, for instance.  I don’t like putting them in my main tanks if they are going to melt like mad.  So they go into plant grow out tanks in the small pots.  Epiphytes get stuck onto various rocks or small wood pieces.  The plants can end up growing a bit crazy looking if they are just floated for long periods.  They will survive, but they grow into round balls if they aren’t oriented somehow.  I also put weights on some to keep them oriented but strong rooted plants will grow roots right into the foam, then the roots rip / break when you move them to a different tank.  Roots pull easily out of sand.  Crypts have minimal melting for me if I grow them out in sand before they go into their final locations.

I’ve used old jelly jars, all sorts of plastic containers, and regular plant pots for the 75 G since I wanted a good bit of weight so the Jacks wouldn’t be moving the pots around.  Pots with drainage holes need the filter floss to hold in sand or fine gravel.