The setting up of an aquarium is both a fascinatng and patience-taxing job. The greater the depth of the water, the more troublesome is the task. The boyancy of the plants time and again frustrate our efforts. Usually after several futile attempts, a root selection seems to be successfully pushed down into the sand. Before one can follow through with the rest, the plant becomes foot-loose, gracefully arising to the top, necessitating starting all over again.
Often when attempting to plant a beautiful live plant, it is easy to break or damage the tender roots of the plant. The challenge is to help the plant recover from the damage. If the plant can not recover, the roots will decay and the plant will die.
Many people use a very simple device to eliminate the danger of cutting or brusinging the roots occasioned by forcing them into the sand. Cutting a thing strip of tin and bending it into a square frame just large enough to accomodate the root spread of a beautiful plant specimen. This frame can then be pushed into the gravel holding the plant in place.
The beauty of using a plant weight to hold the plant is that the weight frame also provides a place that allows us to gently cover the parts of any roots that should be covered in gravel. Thus we can gently cover roots without worry about damaging or bruising the roots.
Lead weights are not actually lead, because lead is toxic and would release toxins into the water.
Plant roots grow much more naturally when spread out and protected this way, benefiting the plants and the aquarium.
About the Author:
About the author: Greg Everett is an avid aquarist active in the hobby, you can read more about Tropical Aquarium Plants here.
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