Using plastic "planters" in the background ...

[HoomHow]

I was wondering if people ever remove foreign objects from their tanks after the plants root and become established? Specifically, if I embed small plastic containers (i.e. film canisters) in the background for later planting, do the plants just grow out of the containers and spread? or does the container serve to limit the plant growth? would it be best to use an open "basket" type planter half embedded which would allow the roots to grow out of the container?

Along the same lines, if you use plastic (or worse, metal) clips to pin vines and such to the background, do you guys make sure to remove the clips once the vines are established? or do you leave them as is?

Thanks for your comments!

[Cindy Dicken]

HoomHow,
we usually film canister for egg deposition sites with the thumbnails. They are really too small to be used as planters, and the do not provide any drainage increasing the chance of root rot for the plants. We have use the open mesh planters in the background for panting, more often we use the tree fern fiber pots.

We usually use toothpick to pin up plants. They are natural wood and will deteriorate overtime, no need t remove.

[joshsfrogs]

We usually use toothpick to pin up plants.

Can you post a picture of this? It seems dangerous having toothpicks sticking out, but I assume you have done this many times before.

I use green plastic coated paper clips bent into "U"s. I remove them when the roots establish.

[brettlt]

I used some toothpicks when I first did my planting. It is not dangerous at all, since the tank grew in for 3-4 months before I added the frogs, I simply removed them after the plants had become established.

[Cindy Dicken]

I don't have a picture handy, but picture this. We just criss-cross the toothpicks at the base of the plant, or along the stem of vining plants, and poke the toothpicks in the background. We will snip off the sharp points that are exposed. This process is difficult to do in corkbark, but works great in tree fern panels, and coco covered backgrounds.