Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsGorgeous plant, great customer service from Greenpro
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2018
Beautiful, lush green. This plant is so pretty and such a visual statement piece in the aquarium that I wish I had more tanks for it!
Each pot contained three plants. I divided them into two aquariums where they have been planted for a week now. There is some melt and the loss of a leaf or two in the 40g, which is to be expected as they adjust to each aquarium's unique ecology, different to the grower's set up they had known. I have some regular val in the same tank and it melted away almost completely when first introduced, then grew back vigorously, so I expect similar for the new arrivals, especially as the newly shipped roots are so short.
Two of them had really short roots, about 1/4 inch, so they kept popping up. I had to resort to a tiny dab of Superglue to attach the escapees to an obliging small rock so the roots could nestle down into the substrate. The others had roots of about 3/8 to 1/2 inch so they did stay down, barely. I need to be careful not to jostle them or make too much current nearby when doing maintenance as the leaves are extra fragile while they semi soften due to change in water parameters and until they establish a deeper root system.
Note: Greenpro advised planting into substrate as soon as possible and not to just put it into the tank still in the pot. Apparently leaving the roots in rock wool puts them at risk of rot?
The first one I ordered arrived damaged as the rock wool root ball had popped loose from the plastic pot in transit and slammed around in the package, bruising and cracking the leaves beyond hope. I sent pics and Greenpro customer service was top notch, sending a replacement which I was able to piggy-back onto a second order. Successful shipping the second time around, all the way from CA to the east coast in May with temps in the high 70's, very low 80's F.
Two of them are planted in a 40g breeder tank which is 2/3 Walstad style and one third beach. The v. spiralis are in the beach area which has a one inch substrate of pool sand, sieved through a fine mesh sieve so that only the larger grains were retained and used (to increase beach aeration). Beneath the sand where the vals go there is some added Eco Complete substrate, a teaspoon of ground baked eggshells to add minerals, and a small blob of low fire red terra cotta clay to add iron.
The others are individually replanted, dirted Walstad style, in glass pots and are in a 29 gallon cycled holding tank.
Love them.
