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Re: [APD] Mars Retail Plant System.

Well to start with the lighting is going to insure that the plants don't survive long. Even with the stock lighting you would only be at 1 wpg which is still very low for a tank this size, BTW, what are the tank dimensions?

As for the water tests. Flourite doesn't leach nutrients into the water column. Normally in a retail situation you want enough light to keep the plants from melting and rely on turn-over to move them before they really require fertilization. Once you get to the point where you are having to fertilize the plants in a retail situation you are lost.

Does this store have any display tanks? I find that stores that have at least one display tank and hopefully more will sell more plants. The best thing is to have a minimum of three tanks. One low light, one medium light and one high light and stock each one with the best examples of the plant types that grow in each amount of light. At least one of these tanks should be in a 75 gallon range and none of them IMHO should be smaller than 40 Breeder. You want and need the visual impact. While I know that setting up these show tanks requires a large outlay of cash, they will sell plants. Try to stock the tanks with plants that YOU will be able to keep in stock. It does no good to have a display tank full of plants that you don't have available for sale.

At 08:08 AM 2/5/2004, you wrote: 
My employer just had me install a 200 gallon Marineland plant unit.  It
has 200 pounds of fluorite mixed with gravel.  He has removed the 2-96
watt compact fluorescent bulbs explaining they would be replaced by VHO
lights.  The reality is 2 40 watt broad spectrum.  He's tossed the idea
around about co2 injection, but as with the lighting, I see this not
occurring or some other sad attempt to go cheap.  Up until now, our
store hasn't been selling many plants.  We were hoping this system would
turn this around, that is until the lighting faux paus.  The system
pushes alot of water, I don't see how any co2 injection would work
anyhow.  Does anyone have any advice as to how I can keep these plants,
which arrive tomorrow, from dieing off quickly?  I have no idea what
types of plants we are getting as the owners wife just called a aquarium
plant nursery and said 'Heavy on the anacharis.".  I normally have free
reign managing the store, however, anything I do about this must be cost
effective, they'll only pay for so much.  Any contribution on my part
will have to be minimal.  Managing a "Mom & Pop" store is paying far
less than when I was managing a corporate store.  BTW, this system was
bought used and after 5 days of being set up, I found no readings of
iron or any other trace elements.  I'm sure the fluorite has given up
all it has to give.  The unit was built in '98, and the store it came
from toke such bad care of it, I'm sure it's the original substrate.
Could any house plant fertilizers be used, root spikes, anything that'll
keep these plants healthy until they're sold?  Thanks for any help, Rob.

Damaged and I like it, it made me what I am!

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