How to Package Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) Aquarium Plants

Published on February 26, 2015

Amazon Frogbits

Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum)

Many people own planted aquaria or want to start one. Planted tanks are fun. Aquatic plants act as biological filters and are very beneficial to the residents of the tank. They help keep the aquarium clean and provide an ecoysystem.

Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium Laevigatum) plants are floater aquarium plants native to central and south America. They are low maintenance and fast growings for low, medium and high tech tanks. Frogbits are beneficial in many ways. They help in removing nitrates. Fry love to nibble on the roots and eat the micro organisms on the roots. Frogbits also help keep the tank clear.

If you are a planted tank owner and have extra frogbit plants that you want to send to other aquarists, this post is for you. In my opinion, USPS is the best way to ship aquatic plants.

First, make sure that by mailing the frogbits, you do not violate federal or state laws. Many states have a ban on different kinds of plants because those plants became invasive or for other reasons.

This blog post shows how to package Amazon frogbit plants.

What you need

  • Sandwich bag {I got mine from IKEA} or ziplock bag
  • USPS small flat rate priority box
  • Scotchtape [optional]

Get the frogbits ready

Pick as many frogbit plants as you want to ship. A USPS small priority box can hold about 15-20 frogbits depending on the size of the frogbits. In this post, I'll show you how I packed 15 Amazon Frogbit plants.

Procedure

1) Take a white paper towel and put it on the table. Wet it with water from the aquarium or dechlorinated water.

2) Arrange the plants on the paper towel. Keep them about an inch away from each other. For a priority USPS small box, you'll be able to accomodate about 15-20 frogbits. In the photo below, I have 15 frogbits.

Plants on paper towel

3) When you have enough plants, gently fold the paper towel into two and put it in a sandwich bag. I prefer the ones at IKEA. You can also use a ziplock bag. Just make sure that it is sealed tight and the moisture is right - not too much, not too less. If you see water floating at the bottom of the bag, pour out that extra water from the bag. Frogbit leaves will rot with excess water, unlike most other aquatic plants. It is important that you drain out the excess water.

4) Make sure that the bag fits within the space provided by the small priority USPS box.

Plants in sandwich bag

5) This is optional, but just to avoid water leaks, it's a good idea to seal the opening. I use Scotch packaging tape for this.

Plants in sandwich bag sealed with scotch tape

6) Seal up the USPS priority box. You're done.

USPS small priority box ready to send

When to send the plant package

The best time to ship is on Monday and Tuesday mornings before 10am. You can ship on Wednesdays if the delivery is by Friday or Saturday. You don't want the plants to sit in USPS storage over the weekend, especially on very hot or cold days.

Your mileage may vary depending on where you live and how far your USPS sorting facility is from your house or your buyer's house.

Shipping in extreme temperatures

It is possible to send plants in extreme cold or extreme hot climate in your place or the buyer's place using heat or cold packs. However, I would suggest that you wait till the climate is moderate, or buy locally from local fish stores or Craigslist. The last thing you want is that your plants arrive frozen or cooked!

Suggestions

If you have any suggestions or comments, please comment below. Thank you for reading.

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Published on February 26, 2015