Boston Aquarium Society Message Board

I am looking for Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis and other warm watered plants that can go in a discus tank. I have 2.8 wpg and pressurized co2. If anyone knows where I can get some lilaeopsis brasiliensis or a very similiar foreground plant, let me know please. Anyone know of any stores nearby with good selections? I've visited both Uncle Ned's and Tropical Isle. (Don't get me wrong, they both have great plants, I'm just looking for maybe a plant dedicated or larger selection).

Tropic Isle has the largest selection of plants I've seen in Mass. There is a store in New Jersey that has a very large selection of plants, but that's quite a hike. I think you'd be better off purchasing exactly what you're looking for online.

http://www.aquariumplants.com/

These guys are very reputable, and they ship nice stock.

PJ's in Saugus, on occasion, gets in some really nice plants.

I picked up a hunk of microsword a few weeks ago from there. It's random what they get from time to time, but check them out.

There also should be a place or two online that you can order from - there's a place called Florida Driftwood (not sure what their web site is) that has a lot of plants for sale.

-Amy

Alex,

where are you located? Your profile doesn't list a location. If you're near R.I., Rumford Pet Center has a nice selection. Call first to see if they have the Lilaeopsis. I actually prefer Ehinodorus tenellus, either the broad leaf or the narrow leaf forms as a foreground. For some reason, I've always found Lilaeopsis to be an algae magnet. Also, check out Aqua-Life in Providence. They get nice plants in, but sell out rapidly, so I'd suggest calling ahead there, too.

Other online sources include:

Aquabotanic
http://www.aquabotanic.com/

Excellent customer service, and the owner, Robert, is very knowledgable, and has been growing, importing and selling aquarium plants for a very long time. He gets some very unusual stuff imported from Asia now and again.

Arizona Aquatic Gardens
http://www.azgardens.com/
I've been pleased with plant orders I've placed with them. They get some of the more unusual stuff in, and are very good to deal with.

Also, Aquatic Plant Depot.
http://aquaticplantdepot.com/ind.html
Their list of "unusual" stuff is "Out" in perpetuity, but for standard plants, the prices are good, shipping quick, and all around a good experience. Do watch out for terrarium plants, which will not survive submerged, as I found a few listed in with the aquatic plants.

This should be more than enough to keep you busy!
-Jane

Oh, one last thought on the Lilaeopsis - I think its an easier plant to propogate (grown emersed) and sell. The E. tenellus is actually really tall when grown emersed (more efficient for commercial nurseries, as its faster growth) and so folks always balk that this 5-6" tall plant they buy will become a good foreground, but once it sheds its emersed grown leaves, and is all 1-2" tall submerged growth, its a lovely foreground plant. Also, once transitioned from emergent to submerged growth, I find the E. tenellus to be much faster growing than the Lilaeopsis (which could be why its less prone to algae in my experience, too).

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Dec. '09 - 10 gal Planted w/ Black Bar Endler's Livebearers, 10 gal Planted with "mini Mystery snails", shrimp & dwarf cray tank, 5.5 gal Planted w/Celestial Pearl Danios (and hopefully breeding soon!). 20 H planted temp housing for Danio choprae, Panda Cories, Dwarf Crays, Shrimp. 30 gal Planted community tank - under De- and Re-Construction. 10 gallon planted awaiting new shrimps!

I haven't been there in a while, and I'm definately in the "brown thumb" plant keeper category (if it has Java in the name I can keep it alive, if not, good luck) but I used to buy alot of plants at Paradise Gardens in Whitman, MA.

While they are mostly a pond store, they used to have green houses full of plants, and rows of tanks loaded with swordplants, anubius, etc. -- for a guy who's used to stores with one row of "plant tanks" on the floor beneath the fish, finding a store with plants in every single tank (lots of plants - dozens of pots per tank) was a breath of fresh air.

ok, not fresh per se - but definately fishy and green and humid and

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Rich
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Part-time fishguy at Uncle Ned's Fish Factory (saturdays)
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Species I am currently keeping/breeding include :
Copadichromis borleyi "redfin"
Labidochromis caeruleus yellow labs
Aulonocara sp. "Lwanda"
Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus "Super Red Ancistris"
Xiphophorus montezumae Montezuma Swordtails
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(I'm in the middle of resetting and redesigning my fishroom - so things are kinda quiet)

Hey Rich, thanks for the heads up about Paradise Gardens. I thought they were exclusively about Pond Plants! Nice to know...... I sense a mini road trip in my future, LOL!

Mmmmm.... humid fishy air! I'll have to go just for a good whif of that!
-Jane

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Dec. '09 - 10 gal Planted w/ Black Bar Endler's Livebearers, 10 gal Planted with "mini Mystery snails", shrimp & dwarf cray tank, 5.5 gal Planted w/Celestial Pearl Danios (and hopefully breeding soon!). 20 H planted temp housing for Danio choprae, Panda Cories, Dwarf Crays, Shrimp. 30 gal Planted community tank - under De- and Re-Construction. 10 gallon planted awaiting new shrimps!