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To Prune, or not to Prune... that is the question?

2K views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  Geomancer 
#1 ·
My plants seem to do Highs and Lows. Sometimes they look great while others, they look a bit needy. Each tank is different though the source water is the same. Lighting is different, but the plants in each are similar.

I wonder, how much pruning is needed? Do you guys all prune away each leaf that looks rough? How often do you prune your plants? Do you cut them back when they are looking good but getting too big? How do you know when you have pruned enough? So many questions.

It seems to me that the more I prune, the better then look and the faster they grow. Am I nuts?
 
#2 ·
I think your about right, plants do better when kept trimmed of "rough" or dying leaves. Basically if the plants are looking too big for there spot in the tank, then go ahead and trim them back a bit, think of it like a haircut, it will grow back even if you cut to much.
 
#3 ·
With aquatic as with terrestrial plants/shrubs, pruning can rejuvinate growth, since the plant thinks it is being reduced when leaves/branches/runners keep getting cut off. Different plants react differently. Pruning the roots will sometimes lead to increased growth.

I don't like seeing yellowing leaves, so I tend to remove them during the water change. I cut off runners from chain swords when they move where i don't want them. I weekly tidy up floating Water Sprite by removing usually one of the larger plants, first removing some of the daughter plants. This helps to keep a number of smaller floating plants rather than blanketing the surface with a huge plant.
 
#5 ·
Byron is there any way you could upload a picture or pictures of your water sprite? I am interested to see what this plant looks like. for some reason I am picturing it like wisteria, I don't know why? is it a true floating plant? or is it a stem plant that can be floated?

cheers
 
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#4 ·
I feel like I am not doing enough pruning and yet, I feel I am constantly doing something. I do have a few leaves that have holes in them, assumingly from the snails. I have yet to remove those but if they start yellowing, I will. I removed most of my water sprite as I don't care for the yellowish look. I am not sure if my water is wrong for it or what but it just doesn't look great in my tanks. I have some in one of the tanks yet and tried planting a little of it. The Pennywort does better in one tank then the other as well. LOVE that stuff.

I wish I had en expert here to watch me and say "yes, cut that out" and "no, I would leave that yet." Just for awhile until I feel more comfortable with it. Can you say "paranoid?"
 
#8 ·
I don't understand. Here's another photo. When grown on the surface, it spreads out horizontally, so the leaves float with the roots dangling down. In the substrate, the leaves grow more vertical in a clump.
 

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#14 ·
Another issue I have is, the one tank seems to be constantly messy on the substrate. I can only assume it is from the plants as it is a lightly stocked tank. 25 gallons, 3 Guppies 2 Tetra and a mystery snail. Still every single time that I clean the tank, the substrate is littered with crud. I know that some folks don't lean their substrate at all but I have to in this tank. It is a mess otherwise. Am I over doing it to think I can ever get the tank squeaky clean and still have plants?
 
#16 ·
Mine has grown tons also and I too pulled off the baby plants but it looks sort of yucky in my book. I have seen pictures of Byron's and it always looked cool. Very natural. Mine tends to get a whole lot of yellow/brown on it. Maybe it just isn't the plant for me.The thing about the crud in the one tank is... It doesn't show up in the other tank. I don't think I am over

feeding as the fish finish it before it hits the bottom. I think it is just the choice of plants I have in there and they are messy. I just pulled out the rest of the Java moss and dumped that. I also dumped the majority of the water sprite and a few scraggly bits of Ludwigia that were not doing well in that tank. It looks better now but there is still work to be done.

It has been so nice out lately, I have been spending time outside rather then pruning tank plants. It is expected to rain soon, so that day will be tank pruning day.
 
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