# How do you get the plants to grow on wood?



## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

I've got a nice piece of driftwood in my 55 gallon tank, and i've currently got quite a few plants growing around it








but after seeing some of your amazing planted tanks i've noticed how good it looks when the plants grow right off of the log, so now i've actually pulled up one of the plants in my tank that seems to grow alot of roots downward from the stem and i've tied it up to the log with some thread, under the assumption that the roots will just continue to grow down until they reach the substrate. If that happens it will look very cool!
































Am i wasting my time? Am I putting this plant in any danger of not getting enough nutrients because the roots are not in the gravel? (i just have regular bulk gravel in this tank with root tabs and dose with Flourish Comprehensive and Iron and Excel, so most of the nutrients should be in the water right?) 
Also can anyone identify this plant? I bought it from island pets in Richmond i just don't remember what it was called.

As always, Thanks for the advice guys!


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

I only use java fern for planted logs, since they like their roots exposed. I used black zap straps and loosely strapped the roots to my logs.
that was about 6 months ago. Im not sure if the straps can come off soon. they are nearly invisible anyways.


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## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

Tailored Aquatics Aqua Glue works like a charm for tying plants to wood. Bonds the plant to the wood in about 10 seconds, even if the wood is wet.

That said, it looks like you are trying to get Wisteria to grow on wood and I don't think that would happen because its a stem plant. I suppose you could glue the stem to the wood and the plant will grow roots but mostly its plants like moss, anubias, ferns and sometimes babytears that are glued/tied to wood.

April and Aquariums West sell the Aqua Glue I believe


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

x2 for the glue, unlike black string, or fishing line you won't see it at all.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

theres ways to do it so you don't see the string at all, once you get most plants that are meant to grow on wood wedged against it, it'll root itself into the wood and then you can remove the string


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

you could glue them in the wood.

For me, its always been a surprise. I never glued anything to the wood, but I notice that some of the plants (which are close to the wood) start rooting itself in the wood.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Use Java Fern and Anubias. They are epiphyte which mean they mainly feed through the water column and need their rhizomes exposed. I use push pins, rubber bands, and even wedge them in with rocks and eventually they will grow onto the wood. You can also do it with moss.


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## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

cool thanks for the advice guys


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## silvciv888 (May 4, 2010)

are there any other rhizome type plants that can grow off wood attachments? i have fern and anubias. just want something different.


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## plantedinvertz (Apr 21, 2010)

silvciv888 said:


> are there any other rhizome type plants that can grow off wood attachments? i have fern and anubias. just want something different.


bolbitis heudelotii


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

Microsorum species actually have a lot of variety from your standard java fern or windelov variant.

other types of it:
Microsorum pteropus "Red"
Microsorum pteropus "needle leaf"
Microsorum pteropus "undulata" 
Microsorum pteropus "Tropica" 
Microsorum pteropus "narrow"
Microsorum pteropus "Phillipine" 

as for anubias, theres quite a variety too, far more than simply petite and nana
Anubias barteri 'marble'
Anubias minima 
Anubias barteri 'Coffeefolia'
Anubias Lanceolata (on of my fav's)
Anubias Congensis

reason i stated all of these despite you asking for something else, is because by grouping these seperately they do indeed look like different plants, its just when they are all grouped together you don't see much of the differences between them


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