Emergency! Temporary plant storage.

[Hookiethe1]

So last weekend my wife and I picked out plants for my new aquarium. Not realizing that the fluorescent lights that cam with the tank are grossly inadequate, she decided it would be super nice if she went ahead and ordered them for me. Now I have plants and my aquarium is all set, but I don't have good lights yet, they're ordered and should be here early next week hopefully.
So the question is, how to keep my plants on life support until then? Here is what I came up with from what I have lying around:



I stuck a little bit of clean sand in there, dechlorinated water and a tiny dollop of seachem flourish. I have no idea what the bulb is, only that it's a daylight. I'm going to go to my local hardware store tomorrow and get whatever I can find that's closest to 6500k. I left the paper wrapping on the bottoms of the plants because I figured there's probably good things in there. Most of them are still floating, but I'm hoping they will sink after they soak for a bit so I can arrange them a little better.
Should I unwrap them and try to plant them? (I can get deeper sand) Should I leave them wrapped, but stick more sand in there and try to anchor them? Should I leave them for a while and see if they sink?
Any advice appreciated, 100% newbie here. Thanks!

[madagascariensis]

As long as moist, they will be okay for a few days even without lights. I would not do anything special with them , since this is a temporary setup. Leave the plants as they are until you get your lights.

[Hookiethe1]

Thanks for easing my mind! I've since put some egg crate in between the container and the light to raise it a little, the bulb was only an inch above the water before. I was just a little worried since they've already spent several days in a box, and like I said, I know zero about aquatic plants (or regular ones, for that matter)!

[Strider199]

As madagascariensis said, keep them wet and near a source of light during the day and they will be fine for a week or so. I was re-doing my tank once and had all my plants in a 5 gallon bucket filled with tank water, for 5 days and nothing bad happened.

[SueD]

I'm confused as to why, if your aquarium is all set, you don't just plant the plants in the tank, use the tank lights you have and replace them when the new ones get there? A week with the original lights is not going to make much difference and may even be better than being crammed - still in the pots - in a container under a light of uncertain identity that looks to be too close.

[Hookiethe1]

Well as of my trip to the hardware store this morning they are in a white 5 gallon bucket with plenty of space, and a 23 Watt 6500K CFL over the top. The reason I thought putting them in the tank now would be bad is that the research I've done leads me to believe that inadequate light is no better than no light at all, and if that's the case, it could be as long as 2 weeks between shipping day and being in the tank with proper lighting.
I thought spending that time in a space with proper lighting and then being transferred to the tank when I have the lights would be better for the plants overall? The tank in question is a 125 gallon with 2 36 inch 32 Watt single strip fluoros.

[Goes to 11!]

I was going to +1 post #2 but post 6 changed my mind.

Your comparison doesn't quite accurately reflect the situation IMO If I understand it correctly. Correct me if I am wrong but: It's not light vs. no light - It's low light vs replanting.

I would plant them in the tank now.

My rationale for that is that IMO a week or so with substandard lighting will require less recovery than planting and replanting within a two week period.

In short: I think the replanting is harder on the plants than the temporary lower light levels and odds are you will get a bit of die off as they acclimate anyway, It happens.
YMV

[Hookiethe1]

OK, I'll put them in now then. I would like to get them in the tank so that they have as much time as possible to establish themselves before fish come along, I was just concerned because like I said, I had read that if light levels are insufficient then photosynthesis won't even start. But having said that, the advice of anyone here supersedes what I know.
My wife is going to walmart and I'm going to have her grab another clamp lamp fixture, so I'll have 2 of those with 23 Watt 6500k bulbs on top of the tank as well as the 2 strips. Hopefully that will keep them green until the lights get here next week!

[Hookiethe1]

OK, everything is planted. I've also been told that I can start a fishless cycle and it won't bother the plants any. Can I go ahead and do that right now, or should I at least give them a few days or a week before I start dumping ammonia in there?

[Goes to 11!]

The plants won't affect the cycle, The cycle won't affect the plants. You are go for launch