It’s not you, it’s your plants and it’s time to break up with what you’ve done in the past. HydrOasis™ live plants are grown different than normal aquarium plants. Most aquarium plants are grown in a way that means there is a period where you put the plant in your tank and it either dies or loses all its leaves and comes back as a fraction of what it was when you fell in love with it at the pet store. HydrOasis™ live plants are grown in systems that mirror your aquarium at home making the transition from nursery to your home aquarium as simple and stress free as possible. It’s more difficult and labor intensive to grow plants this way which is why it’s uncommon to see plants grown this way, but we give the growers extra snacks and nap time every day to help offset these challenges.

THE WORLD IS ENDING. Kidding. Hopefully. Yellow leaves can mean a variety of things when it comes to aquatic plants, but almost always, the plant is going to be perfectly fine. If they’re plants you have just received or just added to your aquarium, it’s entirely possible that these leaves yellowed as a response to transport and it’s entirely normal. If they’re plants you’ve had for a while, it could be due to a nutrient deficiency or lighting issue, see this graphic to help troubleshoot:

It is best to remove the plant from both the pot and the soft, spongy material as these are intended to aid in propagation and transport. This will allow your plants to fully root and establish in your substrate.

Generally, yes, you should plant your plants fully to the base of the plant with all roots under the substrate. When planting plants like swords and crypts, make sure you do not cover the crown of the plant (the base of the plant where the leaves come out from).

Loose stems can be caused by a couple of different issues from simply not establishing in substrate to a fish or invertebrate uprooting it. The best course of action is always to replant the plants as soon as you seem them loose. To remedy the issue moving forward, make sure the plant is secure in the substrate and that you don’t have any rogue critters pulling up plants when you’re not looking.

The answer to this question is almost always no. Most of the time when you see a fish “biting” at or on a plant leaf, it’s eating microorganisms or algae off of the plant. It’s possible that in this process a leaf or two will get damaged, but it’s usually minor damage that the plant will recover from quickly and easily. However, there are some species of fish that will actively eat plants such as goldfish, silver dollars, African cichlids, and Buenos Aires tetras.

We take every effort to ensure that the plants you receive are snail and algae free while providing a quality, healthy plant. In the grow out process we use primarily biological controls to prevent snails and algae on our plants. However, because HydrOasis plants are grown in a fully aquatic ecosystem to help transition to your aquarium and not a sterile environment, it’s entirely possible that our preventative measures miss a snail or algae spore. If you find that you have a snail or algae on any plant, here are some great plant safe fish and invertebrates that can help rid you of any pest;

Algae Control

Snail Control

The single most important thing to do if you see a plant that you think might be stressed is to not panic. The plant may already be stressed enough for the both of you, no need to add any of your own stress to it. In almost every scenario when you see a plant that you may think is stressed, it’s completely (and usually easily) solvable. Use the guide on page 1 to help troubleshoot and resolve any issues you may see.

THE WORLD IS ENDING. Kidding. Hopefully. Yellow leaves can mean a variety of things when it comes to aquatic plants, but almost always, the plant is going to be perfectly fine. If they’re plants you have just received or just added to your aquarium, it’s entirely possible that these leaves yellowed as a response to transport and it’s entirely normal. If they’re plants you’ve had for a while, it could be due to a nutrient deficiency or lighting issue, see this graphic to help troubleshoot:

The single most important thing to do if you see a plant that you think might be stressed is to not panic. The plant may already be stressed enough for the both of you, no need to add any of your own stress to it. In almost every scenario when you see a plant that you may think is stressed, it’s completely (and usually easily) solvable. Use the guide on page 1 to help troubleshoot and resolve any issues you may see.

It is best to remove the plant from the pot that comes with the plant, that’s just there to keep the plant comfortable during transport. Once you have your plant at home, remove that plastic pot and plant your new plant either directly into the substrate on the banks of your pond or in a larger clay or plastic pot that you can add your favorite pond-safe plant substrate to and submerge just below the pond’s surface.

Simply plant the base of the lily at an angle in the pond substrate with any offshoots or lilies facing towards the surface. If you do not have substrate in your pond, using a water safe pot such as plastic or clay can be filled with your choice of substrate and sunk into the pond.

If you have koi in your pond, the answer is probably yes. Koi are known to enjoy the occasional lily snack. However, there are a couple options to help keep your koi from treating your plants like an all you can eat buffet:

• Keep your koi well fed on a high quality koi diet. Koi that are well-fed and are getting the necessary nutritional balance in their diet are less likely to mow down your plants.

• Protect your plants with koi cages or rock stacks. A simple PVC and plastic barricade between your plants and the koi are a simple solution with the added bonus of giving your husband a task to keep him busy while you have some much needed me time. Alternatively and for those who say PVC ruins the aesthetic, you can build up large rocks around the base of a lily or marginal plant that will make it more challenging for the koi to get to the plants for a quick snack.

• Either overload your pond with so many plants that your koi couldn’t possibly eat them all or simply provide extra space in your pond so that your koi are physically around the plants less often

In general, pond plants are some of the lowest maintenance plants around. It’s a good idea to have a regular fertilizer regiment appropriate for your pond size and climate and fortunately there are a wide number of commercial fish-safe pond fertilizers available. Simply search “pond plant fertilizer” or “pond plant food” and you’ll fine multiple options available. Otherwise, with lilies pull dead lily pads a couple times per season helps keep water clear and trimming your marginal plants to your desired sizes is all that is needed.