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Tropica 1-2 Grow

tubamanandy

Member
Joined
28 Feb 2013
Messages
362
Location
Thornton, Lancashire
Can someone explain to me whats so special about Tropica 1-2 Grow plants ?

The reason I'm asking is that my local fish shop always sell Tropica plants (potted) but I'm not always convinced that they are of good quality or transfer easily to a proper planted tank and often soon die despite giving them good conditions to grow in. I'm guessing its something to do with the way they are grown (out of water ?).

I really need to know if the Tropica 1-2 Grow plants are superior and what the difference is.
 
They arrive in a small pot growing in gel. The pots look quite small but there are masses of small plantlettes packed in them. There have been grown in a lab so are free from algae, snails and pesticides. They will also not have been handled by your lfs!

I'm not always convinced that they are of good quality or transfer easily to a proper planted tank and often soon die despite giving them good conditions to grow in.

However, if new plants often die in your tank then perhaps conditions may not be as good as you think. Are you injecting CO2? Of the most recent 1 2 Grow pots I've bought, the weeping moss did really well but most of the staurogyne repens melted. That's not because of a fault with the plants but because of flow/co2 issues in my tank.

So yes, the pots are good but ultimately success will be down to the conditions in your tank.
 
From Tropica's website:

'Tip! 1-2-GROW! products are slower starters as they have a smaller "meal package" from the nursery compared to normal pot plants. This is why they require more care - you should start using small amounts of fertilizer already after they have been in the aquarium for a couple of days'
 
I think they are tissue culture specimens grown in a lab under sterile conditions, hence the no snails algae free etc etc, from my limited experience of them they are small plant lets so adapt to being submersed more easily as long as your light,co2 and flow distribution methods are spot on as said they are slow to get going but very good quality IMO.
 
Ive just got my first 2 pots of 1-2 grow 8 days ago Ammania sp. 'bonsai and Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini'
Im not sure whats so different about them apart from whats already been said but as for how they grow well all I can say is bloody superb, when I first planted them they looked shrivelled and not good but with a few hours they started to spread out and move upwards, the ammania sp I have never experienced growth like it, mines pretty much doubled in size in 8 days, at the same time as planting these I also planted tropica pot plants Eleocharis acicularis and Aquafleur Pogostemon helferi, Lilaeopsis novea-zealandiae and I know there all different and this isnt very scientific but you can clearly see the 1-2 grow stuff is out growing the pots, for me I would not hesitate to recommend them and will 100% use them again although as with all plants I suspect tank conditions, co2, lights etc play a big part
 
Hi tuba! I'm no expert but do you know that almost all of the plants you buy are grown out of the water? That includes the tropica potted and 1-2 grow plants. These plants will adapt once they are submerged. As squid says, if the conditions in your tank are less than suitable, the plants may have trouble adapting, and ultimately die! There are some very experienced guys on this site, and i'm sure if you post your tank specs, someone will more than likely be able to help you identify were you are going wrong.

I have recently set up my first planted tank, and have had lots of problems, related to poor co2, flow/distribution in my case. Thanks to UKAPS i have now overcome these problems and my tank seems to be thriving (at the moment ;)). I'm learning everyday, which is part of the fun. Get your specs up and see if someone can help!?
 
Hi all,
Still not sure how they are grown and if it is advantageous in any way to make them worth purchasing.
Like the others have said, they are tissue cultured plants, so basically surface sterilised very small cuttings ("explants") that have been grown and sub-cultured on a nutrient agar in sterile conditions. This is how all those £10 Orchid plants in Sainsbury's etc are grown. The "1-2 Grow plants" might adapt to underwater conditions more easily than traditionally emersed grown "Tropica" plants, as my suspicion would be that weaning from the flask to emersed growing in rock-wool etc is where a lot of mortality occurs. Have a look at this thread: <Eradicate algae altogether from the tank - Theory | UK Aquatic Plant Society>.

Personally I think the main advantage is for "Tropica". If they can sell the plants at an earlier stage it more than financially compensates for them not getting as many plants from a tissue culture flask.

They are going to save on labour, heating, rock-wool and possibly potting costs as well. My suspicion would be that the main saving is going to be the labour cost. Plant tissue culture is a very labour intensive process, and commercial value would be an important factor in determining which plants would be commercially viable to propagate.

cheers Darrel
 
The big selling point is that you get a lot of plants.. really a lot, in a small tub.. They are healthy and small, but they grow quick.. If you have patience to separate them, you can carpet your tank with one or two pots.. no joke..
 
Hi all,
The big selling point is that you get a lot of plants.. really a lot, in a small tub.. They are healthy and small, but they grow quick.. If you have patience to separate them, you can carpet your tank with one or two pots..
Like Luis says the bottom line is that if it works it is a "win-win" situation, where you are going to end up with more plants for your money and Tropica are going to be able to produce the plants more cheaply.

This will probably initially lead to bigger profits for them, rather than cheaper prices for us, but if it is a success long term prices will drop as competition comes in. This is certainly what has happened with Orchids like Cymbidium and Phalaenopsis, where the prices are now incredibly low in historical terms.

cheers Darrel
 
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