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Live Aquarium Plant Care Guide

Thank you for ordering live aquatic plants from Ruby Tiger Lotus Aquatics by VMO Market. Use this guide to acclimate, plant, and care for your new aquarium plants.

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First step: Open your package as soon as it arrives. Live plants can look stressed after shipping, but most recover quickly once they are placed in clean, conditioned aquarium water with proper light.

Quick Acclimation Steps

  1. Inspect your plants. Remove any packaging and gently rinse plants in room-temperature, dechlorinated water.
  2. Remove loose or melted leaves. Some leaf melt is normal after shipping. Trim damaged leaves so the plant can focus energy on new growth.
  3. Float or rest plants briefly. Let them adjust to aquarium temperature for 10–20 minutes before planting.
  4. Plant according to type. Stem plants go into substrate, rhizome plants should not have the rhizome buried, and floating plants can be placed directly on the surface.
  5. Provide steady light. Most plants do best with 6–8 hours of light daily. Too much light can cause algae.
  6. Be patient. Plants may take several days to several weeks to fully adjust to your aquarium.

Guppy Grass

Care level: Easy

Can float freely or be gently tucked into substrate. Great for fry, shrimp, and livebearer tanks. Trim often to keep it full and healthy.

Anacharis

Care level: Easy

Can be floated or planted as a stem plant. Give it moderate light and remove any soft/melting stems after shipping.

Java Fern

Care level: Easy

Attach to rock, wood, or decor. Do not bury the thick green rhizome under substrate or it may rot.

Red Tiger Lotus

Care level: Easy to moderate

Plant the bulb partially in the substrate with the crown exposed. Provide good lighting for stronger red color.

General Aquarium Plant Care

Please note! Plants may look stressed but usually bounce back within days! The best practice to ensure your plants begin thriving in your tank is to pick a spot for them and leave them there and leave them alone. If you do this, this will relieve stress. Your plants will begin acclimating, they will discover their new light source and figure out which way is up and which way is down. They do this to lay down roots and develop new growth. Moving them from spot to spot will have an adverse effect and put them into shock and kill your plants, especially since they were stressed during shipping.

✅ We Recommend: • Rinse your plants thoroughly under clean, dechlorinated water before adding them to your tank. • For extra precaution, consider a gentle plant dip using aquarium-safe solutions (like alum or potassium permanganate) to discourage any unwanted organisms. • Always quarantine new plants in a separate container or tank if you maintain a pest-free aquarium. Thank you again for choosing Ruby Tiger Lotus — we’re honored to be a part of your aquascape journey!

Care Area Recommendation
Lighting Start with 6–8 hours per day. Increase slowly only if plants need more light.
Water Use dechlorinated freshwater. Avoid sudden temperature or water chemistry changes.
Fertilizer Liquid fertilizer can help stem and floating plants. Root tabs may help heavy root feeders like lotus plants.
Trimming Trim dead, clear, yellow, or mushy leaves. Healthy trimming encourages new growth.
Algae Prevention Avoid leaving lights on too long. Keep nutrients balanced and remove decaying plant matter.
Important: Melting does not always mean the plant is dead. Many aquatic plants shed old leaves after shipping and grow new leaves that are better adapted to your aquarium.

Shipping Stress & DOA Help

If your plants arrive severely damaged, take clear photos of the unopened bag/package and the plants within 2 hours of delivery. Then contact us with your order information so we can review it.

Email: sales@VMOMarket.com