Untangling plants after PWC

[dapellegrini]

Does anyone else get annoyed with trying to untangle stem plants after a 50% PWC? I intentionally try and add water only in fairly unplanted areas, and with a low-as-possible flow to not mix things up, but every weekend when I do this I spend about 20 minutes untwisting things and replanting a few errant stems that got dislodged in the exercise...

Some weeks I want to trim and replant with PWC, others I replant and trim during the week and I just want to cycle the water out but can't seem to avoid this additional maintenance.

I guess it just comes with the territory, but I am wondering if anyone else has this problem and/or if anyone has found creative ways of avoiding it.

 

[rkilling1]

I trim and replant right before I do the PWC. That way all of the free floating leaves get sucked up into the python and out the window. Then when I fill up the tank, A lot of areas are void of plants, so I don't have any problems getting them tangled.

 

[Jchillin]

I purposely fill in an area void of plants for that very reason as I posed this very question almost a year ago. If I recall, a member also suggested covering the tube with mesh to disperse the force. You can also lower the flow rate going into the tank.

 

[plecoperson]

I don't have a heavily planted tank, but I've started using a submersible pump in the bottom of a bucket, with tubing attached to return to the tank, to refill after water changes. For the larger tanks I just pour the additional buckets into the one with the pump in it. The flow is much calmer coming from the pump; I use a 100 GPH pump but just ordered a nearly-300 GPH so it will be able to pump from floor height. If the flow is too strong I can just aim it at the wall of the tank.

I broke our (crappy, old) plumbing with my beloved Python, so back to buckets. With the pump I don't have to stand there pouring water into the top of the tank, either. Holding a 5-gallon bucket at chest height. While trying to aim for a rock...etc.

 

[An t-iasg]

I've started using a submersible pump in the bottom of a bucket, with tubing attached to return to the tank, to refill after water changes.

I have recently done the exact same thing - I bought a submersible pump to refill the tanks. My tanks aren't big enough for a python but the pump sure makes it easy to refill. I have four small tanks - again, not big enough for a python but lifting buckets and gallon jugs for 4 tanks sure made me tired! I love the pump!

I needed a head height of 5-6 feet. The first pump I got was in this range, but too strong. It felt like I was holding a fire hose. I got another pump - one size smaller than the first one. It can't pump up that far, but I put the bucket that it is in on a small stepladder. This way the water flow is not too fast or strong for me to handle. I have a ball valve on the pouring end of the tube, and I can close it halfway or so for some added flow control. I also aim my ball valve toward the back glass.

Yes, I do sometimes get annoyed at the stem plants when they get tangled! After the water change, I replace the glass top, open it halfway, and carefully set the light on. Then I look straight through the tank at eye level (looking at it from the top down doesn't help to point out which plants are tangled) and use a long pair of tweezers to gently untangle plants.

I spent a lot of time today on trimming-replanting-water change. I think I may do my trimming and replanting on a different day from the WC too.

 

[dapellegrini]

I think that emptying the tank is as much part of the problem as refilling it... Seems to me that when everything gets laid over is when a lot of the problems occur for me, but I guess there really is no way around that... Well unless you had a system the emptied and refilled at the same time... Or I guess I could replant my plants perhaps in a way that would help avoid this issue.

I think I am going to turn try turning the faucet down a bit with my python next time on the refill. I also have a bald spot up front that I try and fill into.

 

[rkilling1]

I think that emptying the tank is as much part of the problem as refilling it... Seems to me that when everything gets laid over is when a lot of the problems occur for me, but I guess there really is no way around that... Well unless you had a system the emptied and refilled at the same time... Or I guess I could replant my plants perhaps in a way that would help avoid this issue.

I think I am going to turn try turning the faucet down a bit with my python next time on the refill. I also have a bald spot up front that I try and fill into.

again thats why I like to trim before I do my PWC. It keeps a lot of my stem plants from getting tangled. Granted no matter what you do, you will alway have some that get tangled.

 

[dapellegrini]

RK - For whatever reason, that did not sink in the first time... Trimming BEFORE is a good idea. For whatever reason, I have always trimmed after the fact... Just waking up now