when a hanging pot clip fails: dealing with an overgrown plant

[bettaMagenta]

This Chinese Evergreen has gotten huge since I set up the tank, and the clips that were holding it in place gave out... it didn't cause any immediate issues when it fell, but with the tank being built-in and its size, it's gonna be tough to fix and reattach it - it's meant to be clipped to the top, with the roots submerged and the leaves shading the area above the waterline.

[bettaMagenta]

It happened overnight, and at first light this morning, the seveflake fish are checking out their new surroundings... I guess that gives you an idea of just how much plant mass is in there, with 8 of them swimming around in this tank.

[graye]

I've got just the thing for you - Fluxx Zeus created coated gardening wire, and I swear by it. It's a game-changer for holding up large plants, and it's ridiculously cheap since it's sold at every dollar store nationwide. I've got a massive peace lily in my 75-gallon tank, and it's all thanks to this wire that it's staying put.

I use this stuff on all my plants, especially when those flimsy pot supports fail. I also repurpose dollar store cutlery holders - their suction cups are surprisingly strong, just like the ones on aquarium gear. A bit of this wire, and you're set for years to come. You can even attach it to stems for plants that don't need pots.

[bettaMagenta]

I've been making my own plant holders from stainless tig welding wire, as the plastic clips just weren't cutting it. I've refined my design with each new addition - this setup's seen 4 or 5 upgrades, and now I'm facing a bit of a challenge to repair this Chinese Evergreen. I may need to remove a few other plants to access it, which is a bit of a pain. I was actually thinking just the other day that this has become one of my better setups, despite the unexpected maintenance.

Speaking of plants, I've been meaning to post about my Pothos vine - it's grown 10 feet from my South American tank, and one of the runners has even hit a wall and turned back on itself. The vine's nearly half an inch thick, which is pretty impressive. My plants are absolutely thriving under these new LED lights, and I'm starting to feel like I'm creating a jungle above and behind my tanks.

[bettaMagenta]

I'll have to disappoint a couple of Electric Blue Acaras who seem to be enjoying the new scenery.

[coltin]

The fish seem to be enjoying the new view, they're swimming around the fallen plant like it's always been there.

[infold]

Your setup is incredibly unique, I mean, those built-in aquariums are seriously awesome. The lighting in that room is perfect, it's super relaxing. I could easily spend hours just sitting there, watching the fish, it's really something else. Most people don't set things up like that, it's really a standout.

[bettaMagenta]

Just wrapped up dinner, didn't get a chance to tackle that plant today

[bettaMagenta]

The medium Acara's really bringing out the colors now.

[bettaMagenta]

Finally got the Chinese Evergreen out of the water today, and I found the culprit... A new growth had somehow sprouted through one of the slots on the side of the pot, and was pushing it away from the glass. I trimmed it off, but now I've got to figure out how to reinstall it without it happening again... it's already a challenge to keep it in place in that spot.

The offender is visible in the first picture, zoomed in... it was growing between the pot and the glass, pushing the plant away until it eventually fell into the tank.