Advice on plant trimming, care, maintenance, etc.

[Ramoner]

Hi. Brand new to this forum.

I'm looking for some tips on plant trimming and upkeep. My planted tank seems to support a ton of plant growth, but since I am entirely self taught at this hobby, I don't know the best way to start trimming. I got the super long Fluval scissors and tweezers already. Any advice for an aquascaping newb?

My setup:

15 gallon (24x12x12)
T5 ho 24 watts x 2
Cascade 1200 canister filter with biofilter, charcoal, Fluval Clearmax (phosphate remover), limestone and seashell mix
DIY CO2
2" EcoComplete black planted substrate filled in with about 1" black sand
ADA Iron Bottom root tabs

Animals:
2 Hybrid Rams
9 Rasboras
5 Tetras
3 Kuhli loaches
2 Otos
2 Snails
1 CRS
1 Siamese algae eater

Plants:
Valisneria
Cabomba
Rotala
Subwassertang moss
Misc swords (maybe amazons)
Misc anubia

 

[F.Sam]

Hey there!

First of all, that's a very neat tank you have there! Check out this youtube link, the guy covers all different types of plants and how to trim them correctly

Sent per three-eyed raven..

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Welcome to AA! Thanks for sharing a photo of your tank. You self-taught yourself well as it looks nice and healthy. For trimming I just snip away, and replant the stems in tight groupings. Keep the front shorter than the back.. as mentioned, there's better "how to's" in YouTube or researched online than me explaining in detail. Personally I'm more of a visual learner so YouTube and websites with LOTS of photos, has helped me a lot.

BTW, what are you dosing in terms of ferts?

 

[Ramoner]

Thanks for the videos and the advice. I'll definitely spend some time searching around the YouTubes.

For fertilizer I add 2 ADA Iron Bottom sticks every 5-6 months. Also I've got a DIY co2 bottle going. I'm considering doing injected co2 but I don't know if that would be unnecessary for a small tank.

As it is right now the plants have grown pretty wild and pretty fast. I want to keep my nutrient levels high but also keep the plants from getting to big, hence the trimming.

I'll just keep it up and give my trimming skills a try.



Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

You may run into plant nutrient deficiencies soon if you don't adopt a more comprehensive fertilizer regimen. Check out the PPS-Pro pack on GLA, greenleafaquariums.com