Aaak! Terrestrial plants in my tank

Julie's Julies

I bought several plants from the LFS for my 10-gallon tank. Two of them are slowly dying, no matter what I do to them, while the others are just thriving. I thought it odd that any photo of them on the web showed terrestrial plants, but I just assumed I had a related water-happy version.

WRONG!! They sold me terrestrial plants!!!!! If I pull them out and plant them in my back yard, will they be okay? The poor things....I wish I had known this sooner. The odd thing is that I have seen these plants at other pet shops, too. I've attached a photo - it is old and the plants are tons bigger now, but it will show the terrestrial plants. They are the two long-leaved ones on the left side with the white edges.

Why would they do this to me?

soco1125

put 'em in a flower pot and set it near a window. most pet stores sell houseplants that they just label as aquatic. they do it only to make money, just like dyeing fish. it's all about the bottom line, not the customer or the living thing that they are selling. the best way to combat this is to do a lot of research and be the most educated consumer you can be. you can't depend on most pet stores to be honest with you or even give you reliable advice, so you have to be able to see through their tricks and be proactively knowledgeable. haha, i'm done ranting now... good luck :)

fish_4_all

http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2139

That topic will help identify some of the other terrestrial plants that are often sold in the hobby. All of them will grow emersed or in flower pots but you need to get it in a pot soon before all the roots have died or it may be a gonner.

Johnny Relentless

Oh, man! I have those in my newly planted tank, too! Bought em at the pet store. I've been hornswaggled! I'm going to take them back, but first I'm going to print out some pics off the web to prove they're terrestrial, in case they try yo deny (or just don't know any better).

mgamer20o0

big chain stores often do this too. you really have to watch out and know what your buying. even if it is aquatic it could need higher light and or co2/ferts then you have.