Regular Member soupmonster Posted May 2, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted May 2, 2013 I'm getting curious with all this talk about banana plants on Koko's. Some people manage to do well with them... some end up with a lot of die-off. I think they're super cute and might want to try a banana plant or two. Is there a trick to being successful with banana plants? How much gravel do you need to have? I only have a fine layer of gravel, not enough to truly plant something inside. Can they be tied to river rocks, anubias-style? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Goldenhero Posted May 2, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted May 2, 2013 My banana plants are in mediocre shape at best so I can't give many tips but I would love to hear other members' advice! They're one of my favorite aquatic plants, they look really cool. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member soupmonster Posted May 2, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 2, 2013 My banana plants are in mediocre shape at best so I can't give many tips but I would love to hear other members' advice! They're one of my favorite aquatic plants, they look really cool. Yeah~ one look at those little green bananas is enough to fall in love! Well we can sit tight together and wait for someone to shower some wisdom on us. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Chai Posted May 2, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted May 2, 2013 (edited) My banana plant looked really bad for quite some time. I did notice that when I switched from gravel to sand, it really seemed to do a lot better. I'm now using Petco white aquarium sand which is not sugar fine like Caribsea but not quite a gravel either. I keep it in the middle area of the tank where it can get direct light and make sure to not slack on my water changes since it seems to be a really persnickety little plant and will begin to change its leaf colour if its "unhappy".. Upgrading my Fluval (even though I did use the same media from the previous) managed to "upset" it and one of its leaves turned brown. Picky little thing. Cute, but pickyyyy. Eta: I should mention that it's not free floating or tied. I have most of the longer roots buried into the substrate. Edited May 2, 2013 by Chai 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member soupmonster Posted May 2, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 2, 2013 Ahh okay. Looks like it would only be happy if I had deeper substrate with finer gravel/sand? Darn. I was hoping to achieve a sort of meadow effect with my 20 anubias... maybe with another 10-15 banana plants. XD 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Chai Posted May 2, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted May 2, 2013 Oh I'm just posting my personal experience. I'm sure there are other substrates and planting methods that work well for it. My lps has some of them free floating and some planted in gravel but I'm sure those tanks are aerated to death and also have several filters per tank. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member yafashelli Posted May 3, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted May 3, 2013 Best tip that I can give you is to not let the fish eat it. Lol! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ashlee18 Posted May 3, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted May 3, 2013 I have two plants that just made 6 baby plants. I have them in both sand and gravel. A few of them are even just floating plants because the goldfish uproot them. They have smaller roots that form from the "banana" looking root that need to be buried in a substrate. My plants are all in 2 watts of light per gallon tanks or greater though. Sent from my SCH-I535 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member soupmonster Posted May 3, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 3, 2013 Oh I'm just posting my personal experience. I'm sure there are other substrates and planting methods that work well for it. My lps has some of them free floating and some planted in gravel but I'm sure those tanks are aerated to death and also have several filters per tank. Ahh. If they can survive free floating and planted, I wonder if in between like attached to a rock would work. Best tip that I can give you is to not let the fish eat it. Lol! Oh no! DIdn't you tell them the little bananas aren't fruit?? I have two plants that just made 6 baby plants. I have them in both sand and gravel. A few of them are even just floating plants because the goldfish uproot them. They have smaller roots that form from the "banana" looking root that need to be buried in a substrate. My plants are all in 2 watts of light per gallon tanks or greater though. Do they grow fast enough while floating to make babies too? How's the growth in comparison of floating vs. planted? Would it die if I couldn't properly bury the roots? Sorry for all the questions!! You're rekindling my hope to use banana plants. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Hidr Posted May 3, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted May 3, 2013 (edited) I have 3in my dirtied tank. I put the bananas/roots half way in my substrate. I don't have any sand. Two are putting out all th way to the service. The other one is not but still putting out a lot of new growth. I did try one in the goldfish tank. Never did well. Think the water was to cold. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Edited May 3, 2013 by Hidr 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ashlee18 Posted May 3, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted May 3, 2013 (edited) They have only been floating for about a month so I haven't seen any real changes in growth. But the parent plants are both buried in substrate and produce many babies. So I think that burying them is better for nutrients but they definitely survive floating. One that is floating is putting out more pads. Sent from my SCH-I535 Edited May 3, 2013 by ashlee18 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member soupmonster Posted May 3, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 3, 2013 I have 3in my dirtied tank. I put the bananas/roots half way in my substrate. I don't have any sand. Two are putting out all th way to the service. The other one is not but still putting out a lot of new growth. I did try one in the goldfish tank. Never did well. Think the water was to cold. Ah, okay. Good thing summer's coming up. I'm going to try it! They have only been floating for about a month so I haven't seen any real changes in growth. But the parent plants are both buried in substrate and produce many babies. So I think that burying them is better for nutrients but they definitely survive floating. One that is floating is putting out more pads. Okay, I'm glad to hear the floating ones did grow. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member goldfishy1122 Posted May 24, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted May 24, 2013 (edited) What I noticed with mine:After getting substrate- when gently sprinkle some on the roots, about 1/3 coveredAnd if had lights off for like 10-15 hpurs straight with around 6-8 or around 10 hrs straight of light,.. everytime when it was lights on time I noticed it'll be way bigger then when last saw it with lights on (and I think I read somewhere the plant is more nocturnal type?)I dono but seriously on a 1-3 day basis when see it lights on I will easily notice plant is wayyy bigger, either leaves grew taller or more roots. After having the banana roots gently slightly covered with substrate I noticed white chunky roots formed too (like outdoor plants in soil garden).I use Seachem Flourish plant food too, once every week after i do weekly 25% water change for my goldiesMine even made a baby too, like a leave broke off and then the end of the leaf short stem where broke off has small stringy white rootsm I looked their reproduction up, & thats how they make babies.Mature leaf break off mother plant, floats off then makes rootsHopefully the baby grows big and banana roots lolOh and my tank is at 23 degrees celscius with heaterI also use a plant anchor and gently fold it around like 3-5 of the banana roots so it stays sinking Edited May 25, 2013 by dan in aus I merged all of your posts since they ran consecutively and were posted several minutes apart. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member soupmonster Posted May 29, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 29, 2013 Wow, thanks for all your experience goldfishy!! It's given me more confidence in owning those cute little plants. I'm just looking for a reliable place to buy plants now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member goldfishy1122 Posted June 4, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted June 4, 2013 Haha no problem Sorry about the typos, on my phone in the am lol (1-4am )... hope made sense lol 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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