Should I remove the cloth from my new aquarium plant's roots?

Thanks for reaching out about your aquarium. Sorry not very good at botany but there should be tropical fish clubs that might help in identification. But comments about your tank. First, not sure if light penetration will be good for a plant that low in the water column. Secondly, the balanced rock formation looks tenuous, and might fall. Good luck.

When used as instructed, plant nutrients and fertilizers designed specifically for aquarium plants will not harm aquarium fish. Allow new aquarium plants to settle and establish themselves before adding any fertilizers. Use aquarium plant substrates such as CaribSea Eco-Complete Plant Substrate http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9087 to get your plants established faster. Seachem Flourish Advance Natural Phytohormone Supplement http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=33890 will help stimulate root growth vital for overall plants health. Even though you have plants with low to moderate light requirements, be sure to use aquarium light specifically designed for planted aquarium use (sometimes called plant lights) and have the lights on between 10 and 12 hours a day. You may need to adjust the photoperiod (the amount of time the light is on) depending on how your plants are doing and to prevent unwanted nuisance algae growth.

Thanks for reaching out. This problem is perplexing, but possibilities include fungal or bacterial overgrowths. A good cleaning might help to alleviate your problems. Continue to test water quality and correct problems. Sometimes the over-growth of anaerobic bacteria (those which grow in low or no oxygen conditions, at the bottom of the tank), can form strange formations of detritus. Submitting a sample to a lab might help determine an answer. Good luck.

Moss doesn't grow from seeds, they are spread via microscopic spores. I'm not sure what you have there in the bag. It could be coated grass seed, green gravel or clumps of spores. You'll need to cut or break them open. Moss is usually supplied growing in fine netting to makeit easy to anchor to substrates. It can also be sold in established ball form. It is quite simple to grow or maintain. Provide good water quality, adequate lighting, nutrients and low current.

Our Standard Aquarium Plant Pack provides a convenient solution for your dilemma. This package includes Micro Sword or Dwarf Hairgrass, Anubias Nana or Anubias Barteri Round Leaf, Java Fern, Red Cryptocoryne or Green Cryptocoryne, Water Sprite, Hornwort, and Cabomba. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=768+2145+2146&pcatid=2146 A substrate specifically designed for live aquarium plants such as CaribSea Eco-Complete Plant Substrate is recommended for long-term success. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9087 Be sure to provide proper lighting conditions by employing aquarium light fixtures specifically designed for planted aquarium use.

Thanks for reaching out about Corn and including photos. It appears as if this is a type of algae. Try washing in hot water. Overgrowth of algae can potentially cause some problems and foul water quality. Algal overgrowths often associated with too much sunlight. Good luck.

Java Moss, Java Fern, Anubias and Amazon Swords are among the easiest live plants to care for and cultivate in an aquarium. You can use aquarium soil or aquarium sand depending on the species of plant(s) chosen. When medicating fish, it is best to remove them to a hospital or quarantine tank. This will spare live plants as well as beneficial bacterial populations, especially if an antibiotic is used. Medicated food is also an option.