# So Very Disappointed With Tropica



## jadastill

A thread with such a title on a forum such as this means I probably need to tread carefully. So I guess I should start with some genuine praise.

When it comes to plants "Tropica" has been my go to "brand." I learned the hard way that I've got to go for quality after buying a particular plant on ebay years ago and experiencing a snail infestation. I have always been impressed with tropica until I recently bought some plants from two (very well known to this forum) stores. they sent me these gel filled pots called 1-2-grow and my goodness there is absolutely NOTHING in these pots. To be thorough, the pots were filled with roughly 50% gel and the plants, lets just call them plantlets/stems or "1 shoot-1 leaf." No roots, nothing to anchor the plants with. Just a nice plastic pot, gel, and so very little of the actual plants I ordered.

Yet they still charge the same price and in many cases an even higher price? That's just not fair and dare I say a rip-off because these two stores no longer offer the "traditional" pot what version and accompanying wool.

To be clear Like most of you over the years I have spent hundreds with tropica. So much that I dare not try and calculate what I have spent with them. And reiterate that I the quality has always been 100% class. But it seems Tropica are going the way of most companies of offering far less and charging way more. Unfortunately.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside

In actual  fact, you apparently get more plantlets in a single pot of Tropica 1-2-Grow! Then you get in two of the old pots. 

Given the way these plants are cultured, they are in fact meant to shoot up ridiculously fast, I think due to stored energy levels. I would try buy all my plants 1-2-Grow! If I could, as In my opinion, they are exceptional.

They handle postage very well too, which is a bonus. 

The Only downside I can see to them, is that, as they are tiny individual plantlets, sometimes you can not see where the scape is going until you get 'Grow in' or the fact you cannot see an immediate impact once planted.


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## Gary Nelson

I can't say too much on these myself as I've not used them, although I have to say what I have read about them they seem very popular - like Nath says, do do end up with more plants, but you have to grown um....

PS, just noticed, where are all the smileys/emotcons gone


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## jadastill

I appreciate your input and perspective here Nathaniel. It has made me feel a little less worried about my order. Perhaps old habits or in this case old spending die hard. Just out of interest do you know of any stores where I can still buy the old pots? Aquaessentials and tgm are completely 1-2grow and I need to "see" where the scape is on my upcoming 50gal rescape.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside

jadastill said:


> I appreciate your input and perspective here Nathaniel. It has made me feel a little less worried about my order. Perhaps old habits or in this case old spending die hard. Just out of interest do you know of any stores where I can still buy the old pots? Aquaessentials and tgm are completely 1-2grow and I need to "see" where the scape is on my upcoming 50gal rescape.



I know where your coming from, and thought the 'plant height' would be an issue.  I agree this makes it more difficult for the novice to envisage an aquascape in 'Real time'. 
I thought TGM still did all the old pots in all the plants bar a few. 

The plantlets you get from tropicas 1-2 grow range, are made to reach you in exceptional quality, compared to traditional 'water stored'  ones. Check in your local pets at home if you wonder what I mean. General Pet stores provide poor conditions generally, in which plants deteriorate. Tropica have made this range to also combat this potential problem. 

Good luck with your upcoming Aquascape, and get a journal going when you can!

Cheers,


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## foxfish

Interesting post, I have only bought ground cover type plants in the 1-2grow range & have been very happy with the product.


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## Aron_Dip

Iv recently planted my dads Fluval 46 Edge using all 1-2 Grow and i was thinking the same as you when i opened the pots but once i separated all the plant-lets you do get a lot for your money when they grow in a little. and as they say on the pot (Vesicularia ferriel 'weeping') 20cm wide in 30 days i can say this is more than true and all the plants have grown really really fast


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## Matt Warner

Personally I prefer aquafleur plants myself. You always get huge portions, they are cheaper and they are as good as if not better than tropica plants.


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## Iain Sutherland

im with Nath here, the 12grows ive had have gone a lot further than the traditional pots but do have the down side of being smaller when planting.  I think any product that means stores that do not have the skills or equipment to store traditional potted plants can all have a 'fridge' for 12grow is a good thing for the hobby.  TGM, AE and FWS all do traditional potted and i assume will continue to do so.  Be aware that some plants are only available in 12grow... ammania, eleocharis mini etc which have never been available in the traditional pot form as far as im aware.

Personally i like pots but for carpet plants 12grow all the way WWHHip ?


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## sanj

Hmm, I was wondering whether to purchase 1-2 Grow. I am not sure if tiny plants will fare so well in an established tank with fish that like to nose around. Good to get feed back on these things.


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## Iain Sutherland

sanj said:


> Hmm, I was wondering whether to purchase 1-2 Grow. I am not sure if tiny plants will fare so well in an established tank with fish that like to nose around. Good to get feed back on these things.


id say not sanj, they tend to be pretty delicate and fragile as 12grow.
Any updates on your two stunners mate?


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## andyh

Never had any problems with my 1-2 grows, purchased from a variety of places and most of the plants they have in the range, normally the quality is far better than the traditional pots.

Maybe the ones you received where a little young. You can always leave them near a light as they grow quite quickly in them pots of gel. I did with my staurogyne and was stunned how much it grew in a week! double the amount it seemed!!

Your defo mistaken mistaken about the them not offering normal plants, they do. Its just Tropica have only released some of the plants in 12Grow.

Have you spoke to the shops?


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## jadastill

sanj said:


> Hmm, I was wondering whether to purchase 1-2 Grow. I am not sure if tiny plants will fare so well in an established tank with fish that like to nose around. Good to get feed back on these things.


 
This!

My 50g rescape is an established tank. These delicate little things with my stock would be ok but the lack of roots...

I have a question for everyone here. What stores would you recommend for tropica pots. Aquaessentials and tgm are already heavily invested in the 1-2 grow stuff and I need my plants to have, well, roots. Or the wool anchor until they can establish themselves.


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## nayr88

Whitey89 said:


> In actual  fact, you apparently get more plantlets in a single pot of Tropica 1-2-Grow! Then you get in two of the old pots.
> 
> Given the way these plants are cultured, they are in fact meant to shoot up ridiculously fast, I think due to stored energy levels. I would try buy all my plants 1-2-Grow! If I could, as In my opinion, they are exceptional.
> 
> They handle postage very well too, which is a bonus.
> 
> The Only downside I can see to them, is that, as they are tiny individual plantlets, sometimes you can not see where the scape is going until you get 'Grow in' or the fact you cannot see an immediate impact once planted.



Ditto


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## andyh

jadastill said:


> This!
> 
> My 50g rescape is an established tank. These delicate little things with my stock would be ok but the lack of roots...
> 
> I have a question for everyone here. What stores would you recommend for tropica pots. Aquaessentials and tgm are already heavily invested in the 1-2 grow stuff and I need my plants to have, well, roots. Or the wool anchor until they can establish themselves.



Tgm have far far far far more traditional plants than 1-2 grows


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## LondonDragon

andyh said:


> Tgm have far far far far more traditional plants than 1-2 grows


All retailers do, not sure where this view that they are only stocking 1-2-grow plants came from!


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## Dan Crawford

It wouldn't be financially practical for shops to just stock 1-2-GROW as Tropica only produce 19 1-2-GROW species. They offer over 150 species in the traditional form.


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## sanj

I still tend to use TGM and Aquessentials. I would normally call up TGM to check they have the plants I want in stock before ordering. Aquaessentials already give stock information on their site.

I think Aquaessentials have more traditional stock in Aquadip and less in Tropica, at least when I last looked.

These are the stores I use when I know what plants I want and soonish. I have used more local LFS in the past who were able to order in what plants I wanted and it was cheaper.

I have used planted tanks, they used to be able to source more unusual species via Asian supplies, not sure if they do that now or not. Not as quick turn around though as in if it was a case of "I want plants tomorrow".


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