I'm thinking buying a few live plants would be good for my tank. Or atleast look prettier than the plastic ones, and not tear fins. My local store plants all look like they've been trampled by herds of elephants, though. So, anyone have any recommendations on where to buy good plants online?

Also, I'll probably be doing Java Ferns and Anubias to start since goldfish (supposedly) won't mow them down in 30 seconds. Do they have to be attached to rocks or driftwood, or can they be put in terra cotta pots with gravel? Would they need some kind of smaller substrate (like sand) or something even more specialized? And if they do need attaching, can I just tie them to a relatively large rock (fist-sized or so) instead of wood (which I've heard can mess with PH if not handled carefully)?

i dont know about the bottom questions but i know of a good website called aquariumfish.net and they have a pretty good variety and they are verry usefull.good luck and i know what you mean about the lfs plants they look awful and who knows what kind of diseases it would bring along with it.

Thanks for the link. ^^ I'll be sure to cheack it out.

The possiblility of diseases coming along from the fish stores scares me. Especially since the plants are in with the fish... I guess another good reason to try and find a place actually dedicated to plants, and keep them in quarentine for a bit.

check this one also...
http://www.aquariumplants.com/ Good Luck!!!