Gardening

Today I decided to do a bit of gardening in the tank. The three Ophiopogon 'Kyoto' (Dwarf Fountain Plant) had turned yellow and was starting to rot, so I removed them from the tank. They only lasted one month, which was a pity as they provided a nice wall in front of the bogwood. While I had my hands in the water, I decided to prune a few of the other plants that had a yellow leaf or two and did a general tidy up. The fish seemed to love having their environment invaded, as they were darting around, trying to see what the giant hand was busying doing. I think they were a bit disappointed when I had finished as their fun had left.

The Great Rip Off

Due to not doing any research before buying my plants and the rip off culture of fish shops the world round, I have ended up buying some non aquatic plants. What this has taught me is to do my research first and to always question the snotty nosed assistant. The following plants are sold under the guise of aquatic plants as they can survive weeks or months under water before they die.

Fittonia 'Superba Red' - Lovely looking plant, but will survive for only a few weeks in the tank. The ones I have planted have already started to rot away, so I give the remaining ones no more than 2 weeks.

Dracaena sanderiana (Red Striped Dragon Plant) - will survive for up to 3-4 months underwater. It is currently looking sorry for itself, but hopefully it will improve. 

Chlorophytum bichetti (Pongol Sword Plant) - Another lovely plant (L's favourite), but will only last for a couple of months.

Ophiopogon 'Kyoto' (Dwarf Fountain Plant) - Will survive for many months underwater. This would make a great low grower if it could survive longer. 

So over the next few weeks I will have to do more shopping to replace the plants I will end up losing, but this time I will go prepared with knowledge and attitude.