June 2009 - Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society

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J U N E 2 0 0 9 are looking for and you don’t see it you can ask if it might be ordered. There may be limiting factors involved such import/ export regulations or what their main suppliers themselves carry or have available. Sometimes demand can lead to stock being ordered. Communication never hurts. Look at the lighting and tank conditions that the plants are growing in. If plants are under very high light and are being fertilized or injected with CO2, don’t expect the plants to look as lush and healthy after a few weeks in your tank unless you can provide similar conditions. leaves may die off in the process. The plant may not look like the one you purchased, and I have experienced some that have a high rate of expiry while acclimating. Cryptcorynes can often be grown in an emmersed state. They are also sometimes sold as a stock with most of their leaves removed to avoid the “crypt melt” that often befalls them when acclimating. Check and compare the maximum size of the plant you are interested in. Is the plant being offered a full grown specimen? How large will it get in your tank? Will it grow out of control was acclimated? How fast will it grow? You might want a nice foreground plant and later find out that the 3 inch plant you bought is growing 12 inches or more high. Or you might put in a nice grassy plant only to find that the runners and roots have taken over half of your tank and nothing else will grow in the dense tangle of weeds. Choose good healthy specimens. Look at the roots – they should be white and strong. Blackened roots are not a good sign. Leaves should be solid and lush. Avoid plants that seem slimy or weak with stems that are soft and mushy. Check for brown dying leaves. Sometimes these occur naturally and can be simply trimmed but if the majority are looking like last week’s old salad, then you should probably pass. Look at the tank the plants are in. If there is a lot of mulm or residue it might be from leaves shedding from plants. Fine leaved stem plants will often drop their leaves like Christmas trees in January if they are unhealthy. Bunched stem plants are often bunched close together and may not be getting enough air between them. Check the bottom of the bunch for rot and decay. Often these can be simply trimmed off a bit and planted with fresh stems and they will start to root. If you are looking at plants with red colouration then consider your lighting source. Most plants with red in them require at least medium light to do well. Some may grow in low light conditions but will turn green and lose their brighter colour. Green plants should have a consistent solid colour pattern Some plants are grown on farms in an “emmersed” state. This is a means to grow plants quickly and in larger volumes partially out of water. If you see a plant labelled as something familiar to you, but the plant seems to have thicker, heavier leaves, then it may have been grown emmersed. The plant will have to acclimatize to being fully submerged again and the original Many plants are sold as bulbs. Some lotus, lilies and aponogetons are sold as leafless bulbs. Choose solid, heavy feeling bulbs. They should be somewhat hard. If they are soft or mushy or smell a bit off, they are not healthy specimens. Remember that most aponogetons go through a dormant phase in which they lose their leaves and seem dead for a few months. Many people will think they have died and throw them out but they can sprout back to life if given the chance. There is also the ever so popular snail to consider. This little creature seems harmless at first sight but from one little rascal piggybacking his way into your aquarium on a plant you can end up with hundreds of them and they may be unwanted. Some people hate them, some people work to get rid of them, going to various lengths, while some people don’t really care if they are there or not. If you do not want any snails in your tank then you should be wary on each and every plant purchase. You may wish to dip plants in a bleach bath for 15 minutes (and rinsing well) before adding them to your tank. You can inspect the plant for snails or eggs and remove them by hand, but this is tough to do with fine leaved plants. 16
J U N E 2 0 0 9 found that some parts of the GTA seem to have a higher price structure than others. Pricing One of the all important factors in your decision making when you are buying anything is price. If money were no object most of us would have a Mercedes instead of an Escort or Chevette (do they still make those or am I dating myself?) and the same can be said in a much smaller scale when it comes to plants. Most LFS will set prices based on the market but there are other factors. Sure, the more that can be charged for a product the more profit that can be made which is the basic principle of capitalism, but most LFS will try keeping prices fair and at a level that will keep their product moving. Plants are a perishable item and pricing has to cover losses in shipping and handing over time. Seasonal growing conditions may affect prices that suppliers charge which in turn have to be charged by local stores. Even the original source of a supplier makes a difference. Plants shipped from Denmark will normally incur more costs than shipping from North America or certainly finding product from local hobbyists. Many aquarium plants are restricted by various government regulations or bans which means they are harder to find or acquire which drives the price up. Even the local market trends seem to affect pricing. I have Now, I will say that there are other places to find plants besides your LFS. Most club auctions have a good variety of plants to be found and there can be some good buys. I have also seen prices go through the roof and be double what you would pay at your local shop. There are also hobbyists that are keeping and growing plants and as room runs out people need to do something with them. Many people will sell, trade or give away extra plants and it is often a great way to meet other fish keepers. Well, that brings to an end this season’s shopping trip and plant talk (Okay… those people silently cheering, I will hunt you down) and enjoy your summer break. I have some topics planned for the fall that I hope to follow up with such as a beginner’s guide to planting your new tank for those that took the summer to decide on taking the plunge and hopefully a recap of some experiments I want to work on with some outdoor ponds and flowering aquarium plants. Take care all. - PlantED Calling All Junior Jar Show Enthusiasts... Hi to all you Junior Fish Hobbyists, Here is some encouragement for you to take part in our monthly show jar competition. If you show your fish this year, you will have a chance to win this 16 gallon Tetra Water Wonders Kit. So come on out to our next meeting and show off your fish. Looking forward to Seeing You, An"ony, Jar Show Chair for KWAS 17
Page 1 and 2: J U N E 2 0 0 9 Fins & Tales Servin
Page 3 and 4: J U N E 2 0 0 9 KWAS Mission Statem
Page 5 and 6: J U N E 2 0 0 9 The Minimalist Aqua
Page 7 and 8: J U N E 2 0 0 9 construction as wat
Page 9 and 10: J U N E 2 0 0 9 The weekend closed
Page 11 and 12: J U N E 2 0 0 9 June Tank Draw for
Page 13 and 14: J U N E 2 0 0 9 • the Denisoni ba
Page 15: J U N E 2 0 0 9 source to grow anyt
Page 19 and 20: The newsletters featured in this co
Page 21 and 22: Treasurers’ report read by Brad.
Page 23 and 24: J U N E 2 0 0 9 May Name That Fish

June 2009 - Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society

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