About removing metal band of bunch plants

[Lady Hobbs]

Hey, I just copied this from Arizona Gardens. I'll be!


Lead Weights on your bunched plants: Leave them on or take them off.It doesn’t matter one bit. They are actually made of a zinc/magnesium metal that is completely harmless to fish and other plants. If you have the time, you can individually plant EACH stem or if you want our opinion just plant the whole BUNCH as a group. Please note that you should snip just the end of the bottom of the stem, about a quarter inch of the base of the plant before installing your bunch, kind of like if you just got fresh roses, you would snip the ends before placing them in a vase. You can then rewrap the weight around the bundle.

Hey Chrona.......see what they say about planting all together.

[Chrona]

Meh, guess I was wrong? My first batch of stems that I didn't take the weights off of all rotted from the bottom. Thus, at the very least, I'd recommend getting a few more weights or a plant plug and spreading them out a little (making sure to clip the damaged ends off) and putting them in groups of 2 or 3 instead of the 6-8 they come in. I never said the lead weights were dangerous or anything, just that I noticed they tend to cause the plants to rot if you have a bunch of stems pressed together.

[Chrona]

Some varying opinions, but they all seem to agree about the individual or 2-3 cluster thing.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/40706-bunched-not.html?highlight=lead+weight

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/general-planted-tank-discussion/23615-methods-anchoring-plants.html?highlight=lead+weight


Hey I can't always be right eh? :ezpi_wink1: And stop gloating! :P

[Lady Hobbs]

I didn't trim the bottoms off as they recommend either. OOPS. I have them all potted in groups in pots. I didn't stick them in the Fluorite like that. I will separate them when they go in a different tank.

[Lady Hobbs]

Oh, I wouldn't plant them like this for real. I'd had one huge heavy glob of plants and then nothing anywhere else. I couldn't keep them in the Fluorite so pulled them up and just potted the whole slew of them. It would take 20 pots to do each one individually goof.

The bands this company talks about may be something different than this rum-dum on Ebay used, as well. But what the heck, you wouldn't pot them with that band on them anway. The plants couldn't grow all jammed together that tight.

I do wish I'd have trimmed off the bottoms now tho.

[Chrona]

Oh, I wouldn't plant them like this for real. I'd had one huge heavy glob of plants and then nothing anywhere else. I couldn't keep them in the Fluorite so pulled them up and just potted the whole slew of them. It would take 20 pots to do each one individually goof.

The bands this company talks about may be something different than this rum-dum on Ebay used, as well. But what the heck, you wouldn't pot them with that band on them anway. The plants couldn't grow all jammed together that tight.

I do wish I'd have trimmed off the bottoms now tho.

Sounds like you got a job to do tomorrow ;)

[Abbeys_Mom]

I was looking this up the other day. My loach swims around and has been uprooting my wisteria. I recalled reading something about glass weights or rods, but I couldn't find anything. Anyway, I found one site that said those lead weights can cause angelfish to die. It claimed they were lead sensitive. I don't know if it is true or the guy had other problems and was looking for something to blame. Just thought I'd pass the info.

[Lady Hobbs]

Wow. So glad you posted with the heads-up. It could well be true since angels are sensitive to many things and rather delicate.

Thanks for the info!!

[Abbeys_Mom]

No problem :)

[xoolooxunny]

I think the weights you buy yourself specify whether or not they are fish safe. I only use them if i dont have time to plant them, and then take them off when it comes time to do so. As for the rotting, I've experienced that too, like Chrona has. With all the metal wrapped so tight around the bunch, waste gets in, and fresh water doesnt!