sharing my plant newbie mistakes

[lumine]

I planted my first Anubias in gravel and wondered why it wasn't growing. Turns out, it's an epiphyte and needs to be tied to driftwood. Who knew?

[duskon9]

Yep, Anubias roots rot if buried. I learned that the hard way too. Gotta keep the rhizome exposed or it's game over.

[Paisa]

Same here! I also over-fertilized my tank at first. My Java Ferns got covered in algae because I didn't balance the nutrients. Now I dose carefully and check my nitrates weekly.

[pineaple]

I planted my first Anubias in gravel and wondered why it wasn't growing. Turns out, it's an epiphyte and needs to be tied to driftwood. Who knew?

I did the exact same thing. Thought I was giving it a cozy home, but it just sat there looking sad. Now I use super glue to attach them to rocks, works like a charm.

[Timbera]

My mistake was skipping the quarantine for new plants. Brought in snails and had to nuke the tank. Now I always dip 'em in alum first.

[Sprig]

I underestimated how much light my Crypts needed. They melted back to nothing before I upgraded my LED setup. Now they're thriving, but it was a rough start.

[Auric12]

Thought I could get away with cheap substrate. Big mistake. My plants were starving until I switched to a nutrient-rich one. Lesson learned, don't skimp on the basics.

[duskon9]

My mistake was skipping the quarantine for new plants. Brought in snails and had to nuke the tank. Now I always dip 'em in alum first.

Snails are the worst. I had a bladder snail infestation once, took months to get rid of 'em. Now I'm paranoid about dipping everything.

[Paisa]

Another thing I messed up was pruning. I cut my stem plants too short and they just died. Now I leave at least two nodes and they bounce back fine.

[lumine]

Thanks for all the tips, everyone. Gonna try the super glue trick and maybe upgrade my substrate. Appreciate the help!