If you want to learn more about aquatic plants you can check out these videos! How to Propagate Anubias: ruclips.net/video/hXf9Q5rab4I/видео.html How to Attach Anubias: ruclips.net/video/eXiUt6nP2Ps/видео.html Anubias vs Crypts: ruclips.net/video/LiyTyzuvu6A/видео.html If you want more unique ideas check out my Instagram: @thesmallscape If you want to see some of my more traditional aquascapes check out Aquascapes by Joanna at Prime Time Aquatics: ruclips.net/channel/UCYVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTA
I would not recommend opening that over a sink. That gel might not be environmentally friendly (based on the rest of the wasteful plastic packaging) and you don't want it going down the drain and breaking down into the water system or sticking you your pipes. I'd open it over a trash can.
When I got my 29 gallon starter back in 2006, I got a copule anubias from petsmart. 16 years later, still have the same plant. Still many splittings and trimmings but still all from those original plants from 16 years ago. This is great, not everything from petsmart fish related = bad
Great video as always. My biggest con of Petsmart plants is that they sell terrestrial and aquatic plants together. If you are new to plants this could be a problem ( always read the label).
Oh yes! It’s very easy to pick up a semi-aquatic like a gold ribbon and stick it in your tank fully emerged. Agreed! Plus none of the big boxes label them as needing high light or co2 for those that do. ☺️
@@thesmallscape I just did this and I should know better....now I don't know what to do with my ribbon plants that I planted yesterday next to my swords and fed them root tabs... ugh
3 years from posting date, but just want to say I super appreciate this video. Couldn’t have been a more exact match for what I was looking to learn. Very informative 💙🐠🐟
A little tip: 1) Sometimes, you can find ones with baby plants growing off of them. 2) some ferns have more rhizomes than others. 3) IF the plant looks not that great, they may give you a discount if you ask for it😁
In my personal opinion I like petco better. There is this 1 near me and they treat their animals like a local petstore. And the selection is absolutely amazing. Im also glad my petco don't use the 1 inch per gallon rule
See all those spore circles randomly covering one side of the ferns? Those will sprout new ferns from them. If you bought 7 tubes each of those probably has 3+ rhizomes all tied together with some black string, so already you’re at 21+ plants, now each of those will soon shoot out multiple new plants each! In other words, you should be set on Java fern, but now you probably need another tank down the road :)
Great video! Depending on the Petsmart location, plants can come in the tubes, from within tanks, in little betta containers (this usually is for aponogetons, moss balls, and potted plants), dried bulbs ('betta bulbs' generally come with a Nymphaea species, 3-4 aponogeton species bulbs, and sometimes one crinum species), or in bags (the bagged versions are generally tissue culture plants). If you want 'rare' or harder to keep plants, look at the tissue culture bags - sometimes there are great gems in there, such as ludwigia white, rotala macrandra, alternanthere reneckii mini - and variegated sometimes.
I have recently become a fan of Petsmart TopFin plants. I baby sat a neighbor's gold fish just before the holidays in 2022. I made a comment about how I missed having Goldie near my desk all day to distract me from work. Then I received 2 comets as a Christmas present. Now I have 6 tanks. 3 new from Petsmart, 3 of unknown origin from neighbor. I have 2 tanks with fish and was fishless cycling #3 and was planning on buying it's first fish. Instead of sticking with the Top Fin plant tubes that had gotten me off to a great start. on 2 tanks... for the 3rd tank... my heart sinks when I write this - I had gone to another store and bought some java fern and marimo balls. Then the Snail Fairy stopped by. Snakes, snails, slugs. We don't blend. Coppersafe is on it's way here. Lesson learned: Quarantine plants when they come from any other tank on the planet. Installing Top Fin plants directly to their new home is the way to go. I wish I saw this video just a few weeks ago! Thank you so much for the great videos and information. I love this channel!
Spectacular video, as usual! “Tip 5C” - I look for smaller/cheaper java fern that is already starting babies on the leaves for bonus plants :) The snail issue is why all my tanks have Topfin plants. One store just started selling the bagged tissue cultures and I picked up some beautiful bacopa (like you showed) and Scarlet temple.
I have bought plants from my local pet smart and from online and they were both equally good- and I get to save on shipping costs. The only drawback is getting them out of those darn tubes- lol 😂
I love these plants, and have MANY anubias nana ones from Petsmart, and Petco too. If after you cut off the top of the tube, you take your scissors, and poke one side up into the bottom, you can loosen the inner tube, and then tip it and it will usually (not always) slide out into your hand, then I usually cut down the side of the second tube to get the plant out. Just a tip on how I do it. That way I don't have to bother cutting the outer tube down the side. Thanks for the video! Great one! I love these plants, and have had very good luck with them. They're in everyone of my tanks.
Interesting - the PetSmart in my city in Canada sells all the plants from a tank, no tubes. No snail free plants, plants not labelled super well, some price stickers along the bottom of the tank do have photos, staff not always sure which plants are which and no information on how big they get. But I’ve got some healthy plants there (cabomba, moneywort) that are growing nicely and have bought moss balls there too. I’d prefer the tubes I think - would avoid having to get a staff member to bag them and the proper labels would be a big upgrade.
Yes, some Petsmarts depending on location only have some sales methods for plants, the types can be Tube plants, bagged tissue cultures, in tank plants, betta container plants (moss balls, aponogeton species, potted plants), and dried bulbs.
Those tubes are a pain to get the plants out of! But I have found they make awesome propagation containers. And you can reuse the gel that come with. I cut the tape off and carefully shimmy the plant out and then carefully cut the lid off the smaller container so I can reuse it lol. You pay enough for those plants you may as well get your monies worth out of it lol
Very nice video thank you I am learning all this stuff on videos 10-20 hours a week after work rn in 2022 . This specific video for petco, I work there now and it's nice to see a non bias pov of a product tya small scape.
Very good idea of tube ideas. I was the first to do for cut flowers in Australia. To provide protection of my products. Wish they did this idea in Australia for aquatic plants here. Plus instead of uprooted semi aquatic and aquatic stem cuttings of plants with NO roots, have them rooted up instead. BRILLIANT IDEA
Thank you for posting a video about a petco product. So many videos people do seem more geared towards the hobbies that is so hard core they would never or rarely shop at a petco or petsmart- but I’m prob not the only one who mostly does shop there out of convenience. Thank you!
Apart from these tubes, Petsmart's tissue culture plants are amazing. The are like $8-9 but each package, it seems expensive but each bag comes with a bunch of plants, you have to separate them. It is also pretty the same price you get online (for tissue culture), they never melted with me and they start growing immediately, so fast. Only con is the limited types available. But it is cool to just drive 5min and get these nice plants. For single units, my local aquarium shop has a good selection and ok price but they always melt before regrowing when I put it in my tank (different water I suppose). Tissue culture rocks.
Thanks for the breakdown! A couple notes from my own experiences: Pro: This may vary from store to store, but I asked the manager of mine regarding return policies on their plants and the manager was willing to extend the same return policy that they keep for their fish (i.e. If it dies within 2 weeks, you can get a replacement/refund). This makes the risk MUCH less since these are tissue culture plants that may die a little easier than their "natural" counterparts. Con: It can be REALLY hard to judge the quality of the plant, even in that clear tube. I purchased a windelov java fern from PetSmart once to come home and find that the "plant" was actually a bunch of individual leaves, each with their own tiny rhizome, bundled together to appear as one plant. Needless to say, those leaves had a much lower chance of viability and died off quickly.
That's a good idea. I got a plant with a rotted stem at Petco that was really hard to see in the dim lighting of the store, but they were great about exchanging it.
I got some plants from petsmart to try in my 10 gallon tank when I first set it up, mixed opinion on them as you pointed out some do better than others. My main gripe is the bold statement that they claim they’re 100% snail free! Yeah you guessed it I’ve had snails in my tank from the plants. Just something to be aware before buying, even when I rinsed them well and quarantined them before adding to my tank, but that’s the risk you take I feel for any plants you buy just didn’t like they would label them as 100% snail free when nothing is in my experience.
Great video and totally on point. The gel is hard to get off and DON'T empty the whole pod of gel in the sink. It doesn't dissolve and will clog the drain! I have succesfully planted PetSmart plants, but the selection is limited. I've had less luck with online live plants probably because I was new to plants when I last ordered, and was way too ambitious in my purchase. My fish and I all love my planted tank!
Oh this is a good one Joanna! Of course when I found you guys, I got so excited over plants...I went straight to our big box Co and I bought plants!! Availability is number one, also that they're labeled makes it nice for the beginner too! I've been setting up a tank for my daughter here in Kentucky the past couple of days and there is no Petco or PetSmart near us 😢 I also had very good luck with my plants after I figured out not to bury java fern in the substrate 😂 Nice in considering the price points in relation to the actual plant! That's a great rule of thumb to check the package size and to see if they're the same plants! And you're absolutely correct about the transition I almost gave up on my java fern because it all died or I thought it did before I realized all the little babies growing off of it! What I've learned from you guys is priceless!! And it absolutely kept me from giving up!! 😂😂 Sometimes the struggle is absolutely real getting them out of the containers 😂😂 What a wonderful tutorial on how to use these plants and letting people know what to expect. I admit when I first came on to RUclips I researched everything I bought.. and one of the things I put in the search bar was plants from Petco or PetSmart so for me this is a wonderful video to help people! When I first found you guys Jason recommended me using hornwort and I bought Moss balls.. it absolutely got me inspired to try more!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! You've made the hobby inspirational for me!!🙏🌿🐟🌿💚
It's interesting to see the difference between the PetSmart Canada and PetSmart USA handle plants. Up here in Canada they don't package plants in tubes but they have a couple tanks in their aquarium and fish section that sell them either with or without baskets. Up here in Canada we get all sorts of plants ranging from various stems, rooted plants, and exotic plants like flame swords.
This seems to be a US only thing. Petsmart in Canada does not offer these tissue culture plants, and instead only sells plants from plant tanks. I get my tissue culture plants from ABC plants based out of Montreal. I would love to find some micro sword tissue cultures.
Fabulous! I knew the packaging was going to be a 'Con' and is the main reason I don't buy my plants there anymore. PTSD from trying to open those containers! Lucky for me I found a great online supplier so I get to support another plant nerd.
I have gotten alot of my plants from Pet Smart and have had NO problem with them. They're nice and green and healthy looking. As far as pricing I think it's about the same. When you purchase plants on line you have shipping costs which you don't have when you buy at Pet Smart. I love the live plants I've gotten from there. They are thriving.
I know, another year ago video. But I am starting with live plants. I tried getting them shipped, wound up with pest snails. Tried Petsmarts plants in the tanks. Also, tried a lfs plants. All failed. But I have started on the Petsmart tube plants!! They are growing great!! I have only gotten 3 so far. About a month or so apart. They are still pretty. Only problem... all 3 are Amazon Swords instead of something different. Lol. Cant remember from one time to the other what I got. Just drawn to the Swords. Will remember now and get something different. It's also great because there is another secret you didn't tell. Some have more than 1 in them!!
Good vid. Would you add a vid about each typical variety they have in store with pics of them full grown because tubes don't always have all the info & staff don't know. Petsmart should have posted that vid also
Hi, based on your videos on Petsmart and Petco plants I stopped by a Petsmart one day and they had a beutiful Anubias plant and African Fern plant in stock. They were so reasonable and in great condition and have adapted well to my tank. Thanks for the tip.
I'm in Canada and have only seen plants at petsmart in tanks. I have seen tissue culture in Big Als fish store, though. I love plants in my tanks,but they never grow up as much as I expect. Great video 🙂
Yes, some Petsmarts depending on location only have some sales methods for plants, the types can be Tube plants, bagged tissue cultures, in tank plants, betta container plants (moss balls, aponogeton species, potted plants), and dried bulbs. Thanks for watching!
I bought two Amazon swords from my local Petsmart, and I didn't get any die back, and the plants are doing great. I do give them lots of root tabs that I bought from Aquarium Co-op.
Big tip on the Java fern when you buy those: look for the little nodules at the tips of their leaves. That is how they propagate. You can buy one plant and actually get 6-10 new plants due to those nodules. Pretty cool to see those throw new roots just days after putting them in.
I bought a large tube with an anubias that had a bunch of leaves and the leaves looked super healthy. Got it home and opened it and found I had gotten two plants not one. Buy one get one free, was a nice score.
@ 1:40 In my head I heard "You've got snails!" in the "you've got mail" voice. Re the tubed plants, in my experience, the smaller sized plants seem to adjust more quickly to my tanks. My local Petco has a pretty decent plant selection for a chain store. I just picked up an ozelot sword plant earlier this week. They mostly stock beginner plants, which makes sense to me. I've had pretty good luck ordering plants online as well.
I've had good luck with petsmart's tissue cultures. I just make sure they look to be in good healthy before purchasing. Also, top fin says snail free, but I have gotten snails from them. 🤷♀️
That's interesting, most Petsmart tissue cultures take longer for me to adapt than other brand tissue cultures - especially their rarer tissue culture plants. Thanks for watching!
I bought some of these plants a few years back. They did well. I was in my local PetSmart a few weeks ago and i was amazed to see 3 - 20 gallon tanks with a variety of potted plants. I didn't buy any, but the plants looked really nice! I wonder if all PetSmarts are going to start doing this.
I like buying the plants at discount at Petsmart. They're older, they're starting to not look good, but every time I've ever taken it home and put it into the tank or pond, it's come back and looked gorgous. Again, just a little patience is needed.
I've actually gotten most of my plants from local fish keepers. I tried buying from out of my city, but the plants just kept dying. Regardless, I have an entire BUSH of Naja Grass now. Happy.
It's possible he had/has a problem like I did, where there's just not enough of something in the water. I bought a TDS meter and my plant growth has exploded since I know when they're getting low on nutrients.
I have gotten some from Petsmart and they did well. I wanted a compact sword that my son has. They had it but most of the leaves were brown, except for a tiny couple of leaves. I asked the employee if I could get a discount and they gave me it for 75% off. Planted it in my tank. The next day the leaf was bigger, then it just took off like crazy. It is still doing well. So if you see one that is mostly brown ask them for a discount.
Hi Joanna. I don’t think we have Pet Smarts in the UK, at least I haven’t seen one, however we do have a chain store called Pets At Home. They sell Tropica plants in similar type packaging to the Top Fin. They seem pretty good, but I do prefer going my LFS to get them already converted 🤓
Hey Mark! Oh my gosh, even your stores sound cool. At the LFS is kind of like shopping at the fresh market instead of the convenient store. Lol. Can’t beat it.
Great video, thanks! Definitely good to check the labels! They keep aquatic and semi-aquatic plants all mixed together. Once, I excitedly came home with a bunch of new varieties only to find that most of my favorites were semi-aquatic and wouldn't survive being fully submerged. Rookie mistake : )
Gel might be called Soil Moist. Once soaked in water, it becomes a gel that you put in potted containers so that the gel lets water out with the roots and soil becomes dry and not watered. I have bought PetSmart plants and found them reliable also. Nice tutorial.
I just got some dwarf hair grass from PetSmart and when I got home and started to rinse it and break it up into plantable bunches and there was a live snail along with maybe 20 eggs super glad they didn’t make it to the tank lol
You could reuse those tubes if you didn't destroy them! I got some(it said) Java Moss from pets at home in UK & it looks nothing like Java Moss, it's more like grass? It's growing well & looks quite nice whatever it is. I got some miss that was growing on top of a bucket outside my house & tried that & it's beautiful & didn't die off at all.
You are so right, for beginners I think it's better for them to see plants in person, and then (hopefully) get excited about them and trying a planted tank. Not all Petsmart stores carry aquatic plants, though... mine doesn't. My Petco does, but they usually only have a handful of tubes and the plants are always either melted or rotten... :(
Awesome video! I have never had much luck with the moss balls. But just about every other plant that PetSmart has (only local fish store for me) I have had really good luck with. One thing that is good to note is that some of the plants will go through a melting phase before they grow their fully aquatic leaves. And some look completely different when they do so like water wisteria.
Haha, the moment you said, "I just love when I have to get plants for a video", I was JUST feeling so jealous of your arms full of new plants when you said it! 🤣🤣🤣
I recently got an anubias from petsmart. I opened it and it was completely rotted. I was able to get an exchange, and when picking another one, I was actually able to slip the top off without breaking the plastic seal.
Thank you for doing this and keeping it real. If your struggling with it then I know what to expect and because of your video I now know not to freak out. Just go slow and all will be well.
🦋❓🦋Hi there, at Petsmart there are plants in smaller packages hanging above the tubes, they confuse me. Can you do a review on them as well? I really like Petsmart plants, thankyou for the review. 🦋❣🦋❣🦋❣🦋
I really like the crypts that they sell at my petsmart in the little package. They grow pretty fast for me and 3 or more plants for 10$ is a pretty good deal. Just have to get lucky and get them before they’ve hung there too long. 👍
I have found it a good deal to get them after they have been there a while and they have reduced the price. If the gel is still good the reason they are dying back is a lack of light. Leaving them in the bag under a good light for a couple weeks brings them back to great shape.
@@ruthmeow4262 Your petsmart must be cooler than mine because I’ve never seen them lower the price on them. They seem to be very hardy though so I could see them bouncing back. 👍
I found a different kind of plant called alternanthera Reineckii rosefolia at a petsmart of mine and I couldn't find this plant at any of my other fish stores, and petsmart is a good option to get some easy plants too
I never have problems with the tube, I go from the bottom and pop the bottom lid off without scissors and then pull out the root holder (?) and the plant comes along with it. Takes about a minute and a half tops
Thank you for this video. I have had a tough time keeping my 30gal fish tank snail free...I have gotten plants from fish tanks,and have found that these almost always have snails in them /: 🐌🐌🐌 I love snails but don't always want them in my tanks. Currently my 30gal was run over by a population of a invasive snail pop., And caused me to re start my whole tank over again- new substrate,new plants(snail free) and having to boil any of my decor(rocks and a castle) hopefully these plants from PetSmart work,and there are no more invasive 🐌🐌🐌.. my corydoras,angelfish and guppies are doing swell..but these snails GOT TO GO.
I just picked up the small anubias today from PetSmart for $3.50ish as it was on clearance and only had two brown leaves so I'm sure I made out as long as they survive 😊😊😊
I've never seen those tube plants at my local petsmart (Canada), that store has an open top plant tank that they sell loose plants from and let me tell you, they are far from snail free! The first one I bought came with those little 2-3mm ramshorn snails and Planaria, just a heads up for any Canadian viewers.
Just got some anubias at Petco the other day. It actually had two different types of anubias in it! Currently they’re being quarantined in my growout tank in case there’s rhizome rot, but here’s to hoping they’ll be okay! I’ve got the perfect spot planned for one of them.
If you want to learn more about aquatic plants you can check out these videos!
How to Propagate Anubias: ruclips.net/video/hXf9Q5rab4I/видео.html
How to Attach Anubias: ruclips.net/video/eXiUt6nP2Ps/видео.html
Anubias vs Crypts: ruclips.net/video/LiyTyzuvu6A/видео.html
If you want more unique ideas check out my Instagram: @thesmallscape
If you want to see some of my more traditional aquascapes check out Aquascapes by Joanna at Prime Time Aquatics: ruclips.net/channel/UCYVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTA
I would not recommend opening that over a sink. That gel might not be environmentally friendly (based on the rest of the wasteful plastic packaging) and you don't want it going down the drain and breaking down into the water system or sticking you your pipes. I'd open it over a trash can.
You two are so cute, thanks for the relatable content,
When I got my 29 gallon starter back in 2006, I got a copule anubias from petsmart. 16 years later, still have the same plant. Still many splittings and trimmings but still all from those original plants from 16 years ago. This is great, not everything from petsmart fish related = bad
Great video as always. My biggest con of Petsmart plants is that they sell terrestrial and aquatic plants together. If you are new to plants this could be a problem ( always read the label).
Oh yes! It’s very easy to pick up a semi-aquatic like a gold ribbon and stick it in your tank fully emerged. Agreed! Plus none of the big boxes label them as needing high light or co2 for those that do. ☺️
@@thesmallscape I just did this and I should know better....now I don't know what to do with my ribbon plants that I planted yesterday next to my swords and fed them root tabs... ugh
@@nkawtg4 oh snap no wonder mine died..
This is true. I scored an awesome Hawaiian Ti plant because petsmart thought it was an aquatic plant and put it on sale
3 years from posting date, but just want to say I super appreciate this video. Couldn’t have been a more exact match for what I was looking to learn. Very informative 💙🐠🐟
Thank you so much, Jonathan! That means a lot to me ☺️ Good luck with your aquatic plants!
A little tip: 1) Sometimes, you can find ones with baby plants growing off of them. 2) some ferns have more rhizomes than others. 3) IF the plant looks not that great, they may give you a discount if you ask for it😁
True, true and true!! Thanks for the tips!! 😃
Solid tip. Thanks 🙏🏽
I live for discounts
Yes. I just half off 3 tubes because they were half dead!
Or you put it in your pocket if it’s dying 😙
Respect for having the courage to open a top fin tube on camera! Never had a problem converting myself, lovely video!
LOL I agree, sometimes the agar gel and fertilizer pellets explode out!
😂 hahahaha
@@MridulSinghMusic always a mess for me lol
In my personal opinion I like petco better. There is this 1 near me and they treat their animals like a local petstore. And the selection is absolutely amazing. Im also glad my petco don't use the 1 inch per gallon rule
I was in PetSmart a few weeks ago and got 7 java ferns marked down 50% because of overstock. All look great.
That just happened to me today but they said it was "damaged" idk the java Fern looks great I don't see any damage
This happened to me but the plants were dying. I just cut the dying parts out and planted. They’re all growing in nicely
See all those spore circles randomly covering one side of the ferns? Those will sprout new ferns from them.
If you bought 7 tubes each of those probably has 3+ rhizomes all tied together with some black string, so already you’re at 21+ plants, now each of those will soon shoot out multiple new plants each!
In other words, you should be set on Java fern, but now you probably need another tank down the road :)
@@scoddiboi I now have a 29 gallon jungle of java ferns and three tanks.
My name is Robert,just want you guys to know. Your doing a great job putting good information out about taking care of your tank. Thank you 😊
Thank you, Robert. So nice of you to say! We try ☺️☺️
Great video! Depending on the Petsmart location, plants can come in the tubes, from within tanks, in little betta containers (this usually is for aponogetons, moss balls, and potted plants), dried bulbs ('betta bulbs' generally come with a Nymphaea species, 3-4 aponogeton species bulbs, and sometimes one crinum species), or in bags (the bagged versions are generally tissue culture plants). If you want 'rare' or harder to keep plants, look at the tissue culture bags - sometimes there are great gems in there, such as ludwigia white, rotala macrandra, alternanthere reneckii mini - and variegated sometimes.
I know! Isn’t it fun! I figured I would show a few of those other non-tube plants at the end of the video so folks know they have those too! ☺️
I have recently become a fan of Petsmart TopFin plants.
I baby sat a neighbor's gold fish just before the holidays in 2022. I made a comment about how I missed having Goldie near my desk all day to distract me from work.
Then I received 2 comets as a Christmas present.
Now I have 6 tanks. 3 new from Petsmart, 3 of unknown origin from neighbor.
I have 2 tanks with fish and was fishless cycling #3 and was planning on buying it's first fish.
Instead of sticking with the Top Fin plant tubes that had gotten me off to a great start. on 2 tanks... for the 3rd tank...
my heart sinks when I write this - I had gone to another store and bought some java fern and marimo balls.
Then the Snail Fairy stopped by.
Snakes, snails, slugs. We don't blend.
Coppersafe is on it's way here.
Lesson learned: Quarantine plants when they come from any other tank on the planet.
Installing Top Fin plants directly to their new home is the way to go.
I wish I saw this video just a few weeks ago!
Thank you so much for the great videos and information.
I love this channel!
Spectacular video, as usual! “Tip 5C” - I look for smaller/cheaper java fern that is already starting babies on the leaves for bonus plants :) The snail issue is why all my tanks have Topfin plants. One store just started selling the bagged tissue cultures and I picked up some beautiful bacopa (like you showed) and Scarlet temple.
Yes!!! Love it - great 5C!!😊. Bacopa makes me happy when it grows out of the water 💦 🙌☺️
Great presentation, Joanna! Thanks for the valuable info. Can't wait to see more of your ideas soon!! Can't get enough! Hope you have an amazing day!
Aww - thank you, Cheryl! Hope you had an amazing day too! ☺️☺️
Those plants being emerse grown would be great for a tabletop waterfall stream themed garden.
Heck ya!! I have a somewhat elaborate one set for the spring. Am excited!! 😆
I have bought plants from my local pet smart and from online and they were both equally good- and I get to save on shipping costs. The only drawback is getting them out of those darn tubes- lol 😂
I love these plants, and have MANY anubias nana ones from Petsmart, and Petco too. If after you cut off the top of the tube, you take your scissors, and poke one side up into the bottom, you can loosen the inner tube, and then tip it and it will usually (not always) slide out into your hand, then I usually cut down the side of the second tube to get the plant out. Just a tip on how I do it. That way I don't have to bother cutting the outer tube down the side. Thanks for the video! Great one! I love these plants, and have had very good luck with them. They're in everyone of my tanks.
Yes! You are right!! 👍👍
@@thesmallscape Tubes are a pain in the behind, but at least that makes it a little easier. LOL
I use these plants. I did some research and they come from a good company. I have had good luck with them in my betta tanks.
Good to hear it! ☺️
Interesting - the PetSmart in my city in Canada sells all the plants from a tank, no tubes. No snail free plants, plants not labelled super well, some price stickers along the bottom of the tank do have photos, staff not always sure which plants are which and no information on how big they get. But I’ve got some healthy plants there (cabomba, moneywort) that are growing nicely and have bought moss balls there too. I’d prefer the tubes I think - would avoid having to get a staff member to bag them and the proper labels would be a big upgrade.
Yes, some Petsmarts depending on location only have some sales methods for plants, the types can be Tube plants, bagged tissue cultures, in tank plants, betta container plants (moss balls, aponogeton species, potted plants), and dried bulbs.
They deff have tubed plants. The only ones I’ve ever seen in water are the water weed varieties usually
Also in Canada and Petsmarts in our area do NOT sell plants in tubes. They should throw in free assassin snails with every plant purchase. 😥
@@deewillison5089 that is interesting! I find that snails are good for tanks.
@@deewillison5089 thats a weird hitchhiker to get since they usually hang out buried in substrate. Are you sure it’s an assassin snail?
Those tubes are a pain to get the plants out of! But I have found they make awesome propagation containers. And you can reuse the gel that come with. I cut the tape off and carefully shimmy the plant out and then carefully cut the lid off the smaller container so I can reuse it lol. You pay enough for those plants you may as well get your monies worth out of it lol
No kidding?! Noted! 🙌👏✨
@@thesmallscape yes! They are kinda like little mini terrariums
Second comment,you have to get Gold Coin Anubias can’t believe how fast it’s growing. I’m like you and love anubias of any type and have several.
Ohhhh Mee tooo💚🌿
Yaaaaa!! Woo!!
I can’t wait!! ☺️☺️
Very nice video thank you I am learning all this stuff on videos 10-20 hours a week after work rn in 2022 . This specific video for petco, I work there now and it's nice to see a non bias pov of a product tya small scape.
Very good idea of tube ideas. I was the first to do for cut flowers in Australia. To provide protection of my products.
Wish they did this idea in Australia for aquatic plants here. Plus instead of uprooted semi aquatic and aquatic stem cuttings of plants with NO roots, have them rooted up instead. BRILLIANT
IDEA
Thank you for posting a video about a petco product. So many videos people do seem more geared towards the hobbies that is so hard core they would never or rarely shop at a petco or petsmart- but I’m prob not the only one who mostly does shop there out of convenience. Thank you!
Thanks so much 😊
Apart from these tubes, Petsmart's tissue culture plants are amazing. The are like $8-9 but each package, it seems expensive but each bag comes with a bunch of plants, you have to separate them. It is also pretty the same price you get online (for tissue culture), they never melted with me and they start growing immediately, so fast. Only con is the limited types available. But it is cool to just drive 5min and get these nice plants. For single units, my local aquarium shop has a good selection and ok price but they always melt before regrowing when I put it in my tank (different water I suppose). Tissue culture rocks.
Yes, I have had great luck with both big box tissue culture plants! ☺️🌿
Thanks for the breakdown! A couple notes from my own experiences:
Pro: This may vary from store to store, but I asked the manager of mine regarding return policies on their plants and the manager was willing to extend the same return policy that they keep for their fish (i.e. If it dies within 2 weeks, you can get a replacement/refund). This makes the risk MUCH less since these are tissue culture plants that may die a little easier than their "natural" counterparts.
Con: It can be REALLY hard to judge the quality of the plant, even in that clear tube. I purchased a windelov java fern from PetSmart once to come home and find that the "plant" was actually a bunch of individual leaves, each with their own tiny rhizome, bundled together to appear as one plant. Needless to say, those leaves had a much lower chance of viability and died off quickly.
Thanks for sharing all this great info! ☺️
Shine you're phone light down into the tube and you can get a better view. Also open from the bottom the little cup slides right out.
That's a good idea. I got a plant with a rotted stem at Petco that was really hard to see in the dim lighting of the store, but they were great about exchanging it.
Great video. I just bought my first plant tube. Anubias. Thanks for this overview!
Yay!!!!
The only persmart deal I've seen is buy a plant get fert like 50% off. Never seen a plant bundle sale either
Yes! And I saw a “ buy a betta, get a plant half off” once. ☺️
I've never seen these deals either and I have so bettas never got a deal 😂
I got some plants from petsmart to try in my 10 gallon tank when I first set it up, mixed opinion on them as you pointed out some do better than others. My main gripe is the bold statement that they claim they’re 100% snail free! Yeah you guessed it I’ve had snails in my tank from the plants. Just something to be aware before buying, even when I rinsed them well and quarantined them before adding to my tank, but that’s the risk you take I feel for any plants you buy just didn’t like they would label them as 100% snail free when nothing is in my experience.
Great video and totally on point. The gel is hard to get off and DON'T empty the whole pod of gel in the sink. It doesn't dissolve and will clog the drain! I have succesfully planted PetSmart plants, but the selection is limited. I've had less luck with online live plants probably because I was new to plants when I last ordered, and was way too ambitious in my purchase. My fish and I all love my planted tank!
Oh this is a good one Joanna! Of course when I found you guys, I got so excited over plants...I went straight to our big box Co and I bought plants!! Availability is number one, also that they're labeled makes it nice for the beginner too! I've been setting up a tank for my daughter here in Kentucky the past couple of days and there is no Petco or PetSmart near us 😢
I also had very good luck with my plants after I figured out not to bury java fern in the substrate 😂
Nice in considering the price points in relation to the actual plant! That's a great rule of thumb to check the package size and to see if they're the same plants! And you're absolutely correct about the transition I almost gave up on my java fern because it all died or I thought it did before I realized all the little babies growing off of it! What I've learned from you guys is priceless!! And it absolutely kept me from giving up!!
😂😂 Sometimes the struggle is absolutely real getting them out of the containers 😂😂
What a wonderful tutorial on how to use these plants and letting people know what to expect. I admit when I first came on to RUclips I researched everything I bought.. and one of the things I put in the search bar was plants from Petco or PetSmart so for me this is a wonderful video to help people!
When I first found you guys Jason recommended me using hornwort and I bought Moss balls.. it absolutely got me inspired to try more!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! You've made the hobby inspirational for me!!🙏🌿🐟🌿💚
Didn’t let Jason get in on this video’ lol small scapes Jason!!!! Very nice video Mrs PTA
Thank you, David! I always try to get him to help! No luck so far. 😐🙂
Thank you! So good to know I have always been kind of cautious of buying those from the store.
Oh, great. Wish you luck finding some nice ones if you give them a shot. ☺️
LOVED the Cameo from the High fin Variatus Platys!!
Heehee!! 🙌
It's interesting to see the difference between the PetSmart Canada and PetSmart USA handle plants. Up here in Canada they don't package plants in tubes but they have a couple tanks in their aquarium and fish section that sell them either with or without baskets. Up here in Canada we get all sorts of plants ranging from various stems, rooted plants, and exotic plants like flame swords.
Nice review Joanna. I’ve never purchased one from Petsmart but good to hear you guys have had good luck with them!
What are you one of those fancy fish club people?? Lol - hey Eric! 💁🏻♀️ I miss the Friday clubs ☹️😐
I do too. Coming up on a year since the last one 🙁
This seems to be a US only thing.
Petsmart in Canada does not offer these tissue culture plants, and instead only sells plants from plant tanks.
I get my tissue culture plants from ABC plants based out of Montreal.
I would love to find some micro sword tissue cultures.
Oh, really? Kind of like that gas station you guys have over there with the reportedly great coffee (per Peter McKinnon) ☺️
@@thesmallscape Tim Hortons? Yeah, not great coffee IMHO, but the lineups at the drive-thrus say otherwise 🤣
Fabulous! I knew the packaging was going to be a 'Con' and is the main reason I don't buy my plants there anymore. PTSD from trying to open those containers! Lucky for me I found a great online supplier so I get to support another plant nerd.
Nice! Lol. That is a great thing - to support the small shops! Yay for fish nerds too 😊😊😊
I have gotten alot of my plants from Pet Smart and have had NO problem with them. They're nice and green and healthy looking. As far as pricing I think it's about the same. When you purchase plants on line you have shipping costs which you don't have when you buy at Pet Smart. I love the live plants I've gotten from there. They are thriving.
Thank you, Joanna! Helpful video! I’m looking forward to more! :)
I’m so glad - thank you so much 😊
I know, another year ago video. But I am starting with live plants. I tried getting them shipped, wound up with pest snails. Tried Petsmarts plants in the tanks. Also, tried a lfs plants. All failed. But I have started on the Petsmart tube plants!! They are growing great!! I have only gotten 3 so far. About a month or so apart. They are still pretty. Only problem... all 3 are Amazon Swords instead of something different. Lol. Cant remember from one time to the other what I got. Just drawn to the Swords. Will remember now and get something different. It's also great because there is another secret you didn't tell. Some have more than 1 in them!!
I remember seeing these once! I'll definitely consider this! Thank you!
Good vid. Would you add a vid about each typical variety they have in store with pics of them full grown because tubes don't always have all the info & staff don't know. Petsmart should have posted that vid also
Hi, based on your videos on Petsmart and Petco plants I stopped by a Petsmart one day and they had a beutiful Anubias plant and African Fern plant in stock. They were so reasonable and in great condition and have adapted well to my tank. Thanks for the tip.
Oh, I’m so happy to hear it!! I have great luck with any and all Anubias I have gotten there. ☺️🌿
I'm in Canada and have only seen plants at petsmart in tanks. I have seen tissue culture in Big Als fish store, though. I love plants in my tanks,but they never grow up as much as I expect. Great video 🙂
Yes, some Petsmarts depending on location only have some sales methods for plants, the types can be Tube plants, bagged tissue cultures, in tank plants, betta container plants (moss balls, aponogeton species, potted plants), and dried bulbs. Thanks for watching!
I got these plants from Petsmart, and they are thriving. They were a vibrant green when I got them, and there were no snails. I will buy them again.
I bought two Amazon swords from my local Petsmart, and I didn't get any die back, and the plants are doing great. I do give them lots of root tabs that I bought from Aquarium Co-op.
Thank you very much for the great tips. I plan on utilising them this weekend.
Yay!! Glad to hear it. ☺️
I’ve had good experiences using the Top Fin Plants. I recommend them 🙂
Big tip on the Java fern when you buy those: look for the little nodules at the tips of their leaves. That is how they propagate. You can buy one plant and actually get 6-10 new plants due to those nodules. Pretty cool to see those throw new roots just days after putting them in.
Absolutely!! 😊
I bought a large tube with an anubias that had a bunch of leaves and the leaves looked super healthy. Got it home and opened it and found I had gotten two plants not one. Buy one get one free, was a nice score.
LUCKY!!! 🙌🙌🙌
Petsmart does put them on sale when they are about to expire in the tubes, but they need a bit of additional tlc at that point.
Thank you Joanna. I like the fact they are snail free.
Hi Bonnie! Meeeee tooooo!! 💁🏻♀️🐌
Me toooo, I quarantine snails, I don't want to quarantine plants!
@ 1:40 In my head I heard "You've got snails!" in the "you've got mail" voice.
Re the tubed plants, in my experience, the smaller sized plants seem to adjust more quickly to my tanks.
My local Petco has a pretty decent plant selection for a chain store. I just picked up an ozelot sword plant earlier this week. They mostly stock beginner plants, which makes sense to me. I've had pretty good luck ordering plants online as well.
That’s SO funny! (Great movie btw. F. O. X. lol) Interesting about the smaller ones doing better..
I followed your advice and got a good deal. Thanks!
Yay!!! 🌿
This was very helpful as i was sure if i should buy plants from petsmart. Thank you for sharing.
So nice to hear, thank you! ☺️
I've had good luck with petsmart's tissue cultures. I just make sure they look to be in good healthy before purchasing. Also, top fin says snail free, but I have gotten snails from them. 🤷♀️
That's interesting, most Petsmart tissue cultures take longer for me to adapt than other brand tissue cultures - especially their rarer tissue culture plants. Thanks for watching!
Love your advice and your tips as well thanks
I bought some of these plants a few years back. They did well. I was in my local PetSmart a few weeks ago and i was amazed to see 3 - 20 gallon tanks with a variety of potted plants. I didn't buy any, but the plants looked really nice! I wonder if all PetSmarts are going to start doing this.
Ooh - that sounds fun! I hope mine does!!
i live in the middle of nowhere oklahoma and the petco nearest to me does a good job with its plants already growing well underwater.
I have braved the plants at PetSmart and Petco..those tubes are stinkers! However, the plants did quite well! Great video!
Lol! Well said! 😃
I use the bottom pot to root houseplant cuttings and reuse the gel.
I like buying the plants at discount at Petsmart. They're older, they're starting to not look good, but every time I've ever taken it home and put it into the tank or pond, it's come back and looked gorgous. Again, just a little patience is needed.
Got about fifty percent of my plants from Pet Smart/ Pet co,the rest from LFS. challenge first scape sand water fall 🤩.
I've actually gotten most of my plants from local fish keepers. I tried buying from out of my city, but the plants just kept dying.
Regardless, I have an entire BUSH of Naja Grass now. Happy.
Your struggle getting the plant out of the packaging is funny. I've had the same issue. :)
Thanks for your videos! I hope they bring in more new fish keepers that may feel a little intimidated by big tanks and big scapes. 💕🌱🐟🐌
Aww- so sweet! That sure is my hope. It’s sometimes really hard for beginners in this hobby (it was for me for the longest time) 😌
Intersting Dad always loved plants in his aqurium but had no luck
It's possible he had/has a problem like I did, where there's just not enough of something in the water. I bought a TDS meter and my plant growth has exploded since I know when they're getting low on nutrients.
I have gotten some from Petsmart and they did well. I wanted a compact sword that my son has. They had it but most of the leaves were brown, except for a tiny couple of leaves. I asked the employee if I could get a discount and they gave me it for 75% off. Planted it in my tank. The next day the leaf was bigger, then it just took off like crazy. It is still doing well. So if you see one that is mostly brown ask them for a discount.
Can you do a video on the petsmart plant seeds that come in a pack?
Hi Joanna. I don’t think we have Pet Smarts in the UK, at least I haven’t seen one, however we do have a chain store called Pets At Home. They sell Tropica plants in similar type packaging to the Top Fin. They seem pretty good, but I do prefer going my LFS to get them already converted 🤓
Hey Mark! Oh my gosh, even your stores sound cool. At the LFS is kind of like shopping at the fresh market instead of the convenient store. Lol. Can’t beat it.
I've never seen these before but maybe thats because I'm in canada. Very neat concept.
Great help I will give them a look when I'm there.thanks!
Yay! Enjoy perusing...☺️
Great video, thanks! Definitely good to check the labels! They keep aquatic and semi-aquatic plants all mixed together. Once, I excitedly came home with a bunch of new varieties only to find that most of my favorites were semi-aquatic and wouldn't survive being fully submerged. Rookie mistake : )
Lol! Ya, I was always reaching for the gold ribbon 😐
Gel might be called Soil Moist. Once soaked in water, it becomes a gel that you put in potted containers so that the gel lets water out with the roots and soil becomes dry and not watered. I have bought PetSmart plants and found them reliable also. Nice tutorial.
Could very well be!
I've bought some bulbs in a betta cup from petsmart and one of them grew into a really nice Aponogeton plant, the other two stayed small.
I just got some dwarf hair grass from PetSmart and when I got home and started to rinse it and break it up into plantable bunches and there was a live snail along with maybe 20 eggs super glad they didn’t make it to the tank lol
You could reuse those tubes if you didn't destroy them! I got some(it said) Java Moss from pets at home in UK & it looks nothing like Java Moss, it's more like grass? It's growing well & looks quite nice whatever it is. I got some miss that was growing on top of a bucket outside my house & tried that & it's beautiful & didn't die off at all.
If you cut around the bottom instead of the top, the bottom container comes right out with the plant. Super easy :)
You are so right, for beginners I think it's better for them to see plants in person, and then (hopefully) get excited about them and trying a planted tank. Not all Petsmart stores carry aquatic plants, though... mine doesn't. My Petco does, but they usually only have a handful of tubes and the plants are always either melted or rotten... :(
Oh, that’s too bad! I’m hoping as time goes by, more people try them out - so much fun to keep them. ☺️
Awesome video!
I have never had much luck with the moss balls. But just about every other plant that PetSmart has (only local fish store for me) I have had really good luck with.
One thing that is good to note is that some of the plants will go through a melting phase before they grow their fully aquatic leaves. And some look completely different when they do so like water wisteria.
That's nice but how they compare to Petco?
Wow nice amazing plants.. My fav is Amazon sword..
Yes, impressive plants. ☺️🌿
Haha, the moment you said, "I just love when I have to get plants for a video", I was JUST feeling so jealous of your arms full of new plants when you said it! 🤣🤣🤣
Haha! ☺️
@@thesmallscape ...and then I ordered $150 worth of plants online after watching...😅😅😅
So question 🙋🏻♀️ sence they are not used to be under the water wath should do,I put my and they are turning yellow
I recently got an anubias from petsmart. I opened it and it was completely rotted. I was able to get an exchange, and when picking another one, I was actually able to slip the top off without breaking the plastic seal.
Thank you for doing this and keeping it real. If your struggling with it then I know what to expect and because of your video I now know not to freak out. Just go slow and all will be well.
Omg. - I’m certainly not a by the book sort of person. Lol! Lots of stuff falling on the floor. 😆
To open them I peel the bottom lid off and wiggle it out because it doesn’t damage the leaves
🦋❓🦋Hi there, at Petsmart there are plants in smaller packages hanging above the tubes, they confuse me. Can you do a review on them as well? I really like Petsmart plants, thankyou for the review. 🦋❣🦋❣🦋❣🦋
Thank you this was very helpfull video for a beginner like me
How nice to hear, thank you so much!
I really like the crypts that they sell at my petsmart in the little package. They grow pretty fast for me and 3 or more plants for 10$ is a pretty good deal. Just have to get lucky and get them before they’ve hung there too long. 👍
Yes!! Just got a pack of the red - love em! 🙌
I will have to try those!
I have found it a good deal to get them after they have been there a while and they have reduced the price. If the gel is still good the reason they are dying back is a lack of light. Leaving them in the bag under a good light for a couple weeks brings them back to great shape.
@@ruthmeow4262 Your petsmart must be cooler than mine because I’ve never seen them lower the price on them. They seem to be very hardy though so I could see them bouncing back. 👍
Thanks for the information!
I found a different kind of plant called alternanthera Reineckii rosefolia at a petsmart of mine and I couldn't find this plant at any of my other fish stores, and petsmart is a good option to get some easy plants too
Great info! What kind of sword is at 2:47?
I never have problems with the tube, I go from the bottom and pop the bottom lid off without scissors and then pull out the root holder (?) and the plant comes along with it. Takes about a minute and a half tops
Thank you for this video. I have had a tough time keeping my 30gal fish tank snail free...I have gotten plants from fish tanks,and have found that these almost always have snails in them /: 🐌🐌🐌
I love snails but don't always want them in my tanks. Currently my 30gal was run over by a population of a invasive snail pop., And caused me to re start my whole tank over again- new substrate,new plants(snail free) and having to boil any of my decor(rocks and a castle) hopefully these plants from PetSmart work,and there are no more invasive 🐌🐌🐌.. my corydoras,angelfish and guppies are doing swell..but these snails GOT TO GO.
Great video, keep up the good work 😀
Thanks so much! ☺️
11:02 the gel on the plant roots is agar
Thank you for the info!
I like buying plants from petsmart as well. Love your channel! Keep up the great work!
Thank you! Yes, they work out well ☺️
I just picked up the small anubias today from PetSmart for $3.50ish as it was on clearance and only had two brown leaves so I'm sure I made out as long as they survive 😊😊😊
I've never seen those tube plants at my local petsmart (Canada), that store has an open top plant tank that they sell loose plants from and let me tell you, they are far from snail free! The first one I bought came with those little 2-3mm ramshorn snails and Planaria, just a heads up for any Canadian viewers.
Yeah to anyone who buys from there check and wash any plant before putting in your tank last thing you want is snails lol
Just got some anubias at Petco the other day. It actually had two different types of anubias in it! Currently they’re being quarantined in my growout tank in case there’s rhizome rot, but here’s to hoping they’ll be okay! I’ve got the perfect spot planned for one of them.
Sweet! Good luck!🍀