Plants so expensive at LFS

[dattack]

I just wanted to say that I have been buying plants at 3-4 different LFS around my areas for nice affordable plants.  Most of the LFS only carry a few different species of plants, varying from one store to another.  I think the most frustrating part for me is trying to find a foreground plant such as microswords and hairgrass.  It's so dang expensive to even trying with hairgrass.  I bought 30 dollars worth of hairgrass (10 dollars a bunch) and it filled like only  3 square inches of my aquarium.  I am trying to fill up my 60 gallon aquarium with plants and can't really plant "all at once"  because I can't dish out too much money at once.  (I am a student on a budget).  I am actually waiting for plants to grow in my 20 gallon and transplanting it to the 60 gallons and this could take forever.  I have tried an online store called www.floridadriftwood.com and the plants they gave me were ok with half of them pretty brown and dying, especially the vallinersia.  Anybody have any luck with other online sites that give you a fairly good amount of plants for a reasonable price?

[scrimman]

I tried PetsWarehouse (not to be confused with pet warehouse) and I can't reccommend them. * > Screwed me and pissed me off royally.
Live and learn :-/
I'm going to be trying www.azgardens.com here shortly, and I'll let you know what happens. *They get fair to middle'n reviews at some of the other forums. Did my research this time.

[Matt Nace]

Well the best way ..is to get your plants you have in tip top shape. Then you take the clipping from that plant..or if it shoots you take the shoot. Some plants you actually cut in half, or they will seperate themselves. I usually buy 1 plant I like, and if it does good, I take the cutting, ect. from it.
If you buy like a sunset hygro or anacharis or hornwort...those plants usually have to be clipped every week and form new plants.

[arcflame]

Here in Connecticut I've been to 3 different PetCo locations. All have had very good selections of plants, especially crypts and the lilaeopsis grass. Prices are about $2.50 a pop, which isn't too bad. The plants I've gotten have all been healthy. They keep them in plant-only tank under bright lights. I've also gotten them on the web at www.trueaquariumplants.com and was happy with the quality of those plants.

[ryanp15]

Our plants around here are so cheap then! The most expensive one I've found was about $10. My giant hygrophyllia (sp) are about $2.99 for a bundle of them which is about 4 little stalks. They are really cool plants. The other I have are $1.99 a piece and the purple on I got was about$2.99 too and it was really good looking. ;D

[Spaceman Spiff]

Up here in Canada, we unfortunately have to pay a fair price for quality plants. There are a couple of places where they carry "their brand" of plants at roughly $6.88 each. The quality is fair to good. They also carry the Tropica plants at $11.88 each. Quailty if available is fair.

There is one store I frequent that I consider the best place for plants. The sell just Tropica plants and I have to say that they their quality is excellent. However you're paying top dollar (in excess of $20) for something spectacular. The plants are in tip top shape and they can usually order you anything you want within a week. Money back garrantee if they die on you within a week or 2.

I've had ok success with the different stores here. Having getting back into the hobby after a 10+ year absence, things have changed.

Find somewhere where you can trust the merchant and if they really care about their customers, they won't sell crap.

[dattack]

Well I just order like 60 bucks worth of plants from azgardens.com, all anubias.  I will tell you guys how the plants look but it appears that I will do most of my plant shopping online (it will be a hit and miss thing).  Most of the LFS carries very few selection of exotic plants and most of the people don't even know what kind of plant they are selling.  The LFS usually buys them in an assorted potluck from whomever distributor they have.  From researching the web, it appears that azgardens.com have the cheapest plant and largest variety I have encountered so far.  BTW, I did ordered from www.floridadriftwood.com but wasn't very pleased with the results.

[scrimman]

Yeah, I'm about to get a similar sized order from azgardens.com, but with only a few Anubias species.  I'll report on what I find, too. That way folks will know what basicly they can get as far as service/quality/etc. from them  

[SegaDojo]

i understand your frustration on the price of foreground plants.  I've spent $12 on two dying bunches of glossostigma.. but i've also been able to revive it.

The only reason that I purchased the bunches was b/c its so hard to find glossostigma in Vancouver, BC... and i was quite confident that my tank conditions was capable of reviving the plant.  If you're unsure that you can grow such a plant, do research before you throw some good money into it.  The tropica website has plenty of useful information about plant requirements ( www.tropica.com ) and you can read up on other people's experience w/ the plant at The Krib ( www.thekrib.com ).

The quickest way to propagate foreground plants is to seperate the plant into small bunches and plant them 1-2" apart from one another.  You'll get the quickest carpeting effect that way.

Hope this helps.

[ryanp15]

I'm thinking about ordering online for some forground plants. I can seem to find any around here that I like. I found some java fern at petsmart but I didn't like the way it looked. I will let you know. ;D