Weighing plants down

[MrKickalot]

I am putting plants in my aquarium... I didn't think about it but they came bumdled in what looks like plastic covered lead tape. I didn't take it off but now I am wondering if I should have. I don't like the arrangment of the plants anyway so if it needs to go I can take it off.. I must admit it made it much easier to put them in the tank...

Thanks!

Jason

[turbomkt]

Anything like that should be removed and the plants should (most likely) be planted individually.

What kind of plants?

[MrKickalot]

Wisteria & Anacharis, just a few plants. I put the Flourite in the tank and it fogged it up... I couldn't see what I was doing. I don't think I got enough around the base to keep them down. I don't like the arrangment anyway so I can pull them up and reposition them without the weights.

Thanks!!!

Jason

[turbomkt]

I think you'll have a hard time keeping anacharis planted anyway ;)

And, as long as you have some wide open spaces, each time you are ready to do a water change stir up some substrate (or gravel vac it) well and you can get rid of some of the "dust" with the water change. It may make it cloudy for a bit, but that will settle eventually.

[freshwaterfishlover]

I have read it is best to take it off or the plants will turn brown, but the people at the store keep telling me leave it on, so I have started leaving them on.

[turbomkt]

No. Don't leave them on. The stems need to be planted separately. Usually those weights are put on too tight and damage the stem. This is what causes the plant to die at that point.