• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Impulse Aldi buy - propagator

Aqua360

Member
Joined
15 Feb 2016
Messages
2,174
Location
UK
So, as usual; I have made an impulse buy at aldi...an electric propagator :lol:

its basically identical to the one here...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stewart-Essentials-Electric-Propagator-38cm/dp/B0039JXAO2

got it for £14.99, somebody please tell me if its suitable for growing emersed lol, it has an 8 watt heater and adjustable ventilation, so I'm hoping with the right ferts and light, using some old aquarium sand, that I'll be able to grow my own plants, perhaps some types of carpet plants hopefully!

This was an impulse buy, as I have some plants being delivered today that i'd like to try it with lol, please please do advise haha,

thanks,

Colin
 
I also got some fertiliser for £2, but I am unsure if it would be suitable for tropical plants...I'll check the brand later, hopefully get some opinions :)
 
Any fertilizer will work so I wouldn't worry too much at the end of the day they all are a mixture of nitrates and phosphates to variable degrees
 
I have a small unheated one that I just stuck some potting compost in, cost me a grand total of £4 for a small tray with drainage holes, another without holes for it sit in and a clear top with manual ventilation. When I open the blinds in the morning I put it on the kitchen windowsill, when I close them at night I move it to the worktop so that it is not so cold. I filled one, so have a second now.

I'm happily growing Hydrocotyle Tripartita, Staurogyne Repens, Ceratopteris Thalictroides and a small bit of Echinodorus Quadricostatus. I also added some leftover Monte Carlo last night, so need to see if that roots.

In the past I have also had various Crypts happily grow as well as Limnophila hippuridoides and Ranunculus papulentus.

EDIT: It came from B&Q if anyone is interested.
 
Last edited:
I have a small unheated one that I just stuck some potting compost in, cost me a grand total of £4 for a small tray with drainage holes, another without holes for it sit in and a clear top with manual ventilation. When I open the blinds in the morning I put it on the kitchen windowsill, when I close them at night I move it to the worktop so that it is not so cold. I filled one, so have a second now.

I'm happily growing Hydrocotyle Tripartita, Staurogyne Repens, Ceratopteris Thalictroides and a small bit of Echinodorus Quadricostatus. I also added some leftover Monte Carlo last night, so need to see if that roots.

In the past I have also had various Crypts happily grow as well as Limnophila hippuridoides and Ranunculus papulentus.

EDIT: It came from B&Q if anyone is interested.

Cool! :)

Haha relieved to hear its been a good investment then, will hopefully pay for itself over time :)
 
If I plant something new and have spare, it goes in the propagator. In the past it has been a good insurance policy, so if I made a mistake and something didn't survive in the tank, I could correct the issue and try again without buying another plant.

I have about 20 stems of S. Repens in there now which all came from about 5 stems that went in there towards the end of last year. It didn't grow that fast over the winter here in Aberdeen, even on the windowsill, but has really come in the last few weeks.
 
If I plant something new and have spare, it goes in the propagator. In the past it has been a good insurance policy, so if I made a mistake and something didn't survive in the tank, I could correct the issue and try again without buying another plant.

I have about 20 stems of S. Repens in there now which all came from about 5 stems that went in there towards the end of last year. It didn't grow that fast over the winter here in Aberdeen, even on the windowsill, but has really come in the last few weeks.

I've got some tissue culture monte carlo getting delivered today, along with anubias nana mini, java moss, cryptocoryne wisii and lobelia cardinalis...

I might take the staurogyne repens and dwarf hairgrass out of my main tank and into the propagator though, since they don't seem to be growing at all; might do better in the propagator.

Would the anubias nana mini etc be able to survive in the propagator for a little while? Currently changing a few things in another tank, and would rather hold them in the propagator if possible...
 
The plants you receive from the shop have mainly been grown in the air, so they are fine in the propagator, but ones from the tank that are in immersed form have not survived when I have taken them from water to propagator. I tried it a couple of times as a test and they just dry out and die.

How long has the S. Repens been planted in the tank? I have found it takes a week or two to get roots established and during this time seems to do absolutely nothing, but once the roots get going it takes off. I have found it does not like shade and is a very slow grower with low light, also a bit sensitive to low CO2. It was always the first thing to melt when I had CO2 issues.

Really not sure about Anubias, I have never tried it emmersed, but a quick google suggests that you probably can. When I needed to hold it for a while, I just tied it to a chunk of stone with some string and dumped it in the foreground of my tank for a couple of weeks until I rescaped.
 
Anubias also come from emersed growth I believe so shouldn't be a problems either although it does seem to be one of those that people have troubles with in these kind of set-ups
 
The plants you receive from the shop have mainly been grown in the air, so they are fine in the propagator, but ones from the tank that are in immersed form have not survived when I have taken them from water to propagator. I tried it a couple of times as a test and they just dry out and die.

How long has the S. Repens been planted in the tank? I have found it takes a week or two to get roots established and during this time seems to do absolutely nothing, but once the roots get going it takes off. I have found it does not like shade and is a very slow grower with low light, also a bit sensitive to low CO2. It was always the first thing to melt when I had CO2 issues.

Really not sure about Anubias, I have never tried it emmersed, but a quick google suggests that you probably can. When I needed to hold it for a while, I just tied it to a chunk of stone with some string and dumped it in the foreground of my tank for a couple of weeks until I rescaped.

S.Repends has been in for around a month, I'm bubbling in co2 quite heavily, 4-5 per second; and my lighting strongly produces algae if kept on for more than 4/5 hours per day. The repens just sits there, i think it's grown slightly; but my monte carlo, which was planted at the same time, has grown exponentially.

Interestingly, the dwarf hairgrass has also not performed as well as ive liked.
 
Personally I would persevere with the S. Repens a bit longer as if you take it out, you will end up destroying the root system and then once you put it back, it will have to establish again. Has it put out any new immersed leaves? They are a brighter green than the emmersed leaves.
 
Anubias also come from emersed growth I believe so shouldn't be a problems either although it does seem to be one of those that people have troubles with in these kind of set-ups

hmmm, I'm quite eager to try a few small samples; but don't want to kill them at the same time..might plant them properly, then choose a few plucky volunteers to try the propagator :lol:
 
Hi
Anubis do better with some humidity...push the trailing roots into the substrate.
You could add a small plastic container with water in it to help keep the humidity up!
Cheers hoggie
 
Here's mine...

63a84aaa375f609489269f92665e3465.jpg
 
Back
Top