Pruning Question

[College Kid]

Im a planted tank noob, so please bear with me. So I have some swords that aren't doing so hot. Some leaves are shriveling though are still a good colored green, and one is turning a bit brown and looks like its been eaten. Sooooo, when should I prune the leaves? Or even scrap the plant?

 

[Austin.b]

I think your plant might just be adjusting to a submersed life. It might have been grown emersed at a nursery. How long have you had it?

 

[College Kid]

Like 3 weeks about.

 

[ZHiTcH41]

Your sword is just adapting to the new tank. The leaves will melt just remove the bad leafs with scissors. New leaves will grow back, maybe even in a different shape!

 

[Atxpunx]

Don't cut the leaves just yet, a leaf still aids in photosynthesis. They'll help in new leaf production.

 

[Atxpunx]

Also with swords, you need nutrients at the roots. Do you have any?

 

[College Kid]

I don't have root tabs or anything like that. I just have the generic aqueon plant food thing. This is my first tank with plants and I'm just experimenting.

And yeah, some say cut, some say wait, when do I know that the leaves aren't doing anything beneficial and shoul cut?

 

[Bottomfeeder88]

Plants spend a lot of resources trying to fix damaged leaves so if the leaf is too far gone snip it at the base.

 

[College Kid]

Can someone describe for me or show a pic of a leaf that is "too far gone"? Please and thanks!

 

[ZHiTcH41]

If your doing a planted tank you have to use dirt it's the best thing for plants I believe. Get on YouTube and look up dustins fishtanks he's got about 600 videos. You will convert to dirt.

Here is a picture of my plant dirt tank

 

[ZHiTcH41]

Pictures

 

[College Kid]

I love Dustin's vids! I don't think I'm ready for all the work to do dirt right tho. And if I do dirt I wanna do it right. Thanks or the pics btw. Nice looking tank

 

[alia258]

A plant that is too far gone will look brown, and when brown>green, then it I pruning time. IME I never used scissors to cut, I pull off the leaf so that there isn't anything left to sit there and rot, or for the plant to put extra energy into to try to keep alive. I've had my plants for a year (I believe they're melon swords, maybe, maybe not, but close enough) and I think that they're just now adjusting to submersed! I think this because before the plant had grown up very fast and the leaves were all growing above the water, so I started forcing the leaves under the water and—BAM! The new growth was growing only four inches high instead of a foot! I'm posting a thread to get people's opinions ^^

 

[College Kid]

A plant that is too far gone will look brown, and when brown>green, then it I pruning time.

Thank you! And to everyone else as well! I love how planted tanks look, I just know so little about plants

 

[Coursair]

If your doing a planted tank you have to use dirt it's the best thing for plants I believe. Get on YouTube and look up dustins fishtanks he's got about 600 videos. You will convert to dirt.

Here is a picture of my plant dirt tank

FYI you do NOT have to use Dirt !!! Some do like the Walstad Method (Google it yah lazy people LOL ). But many of us enjoy our planted tanks without dirt. Mine use sand and root caps and mine grow VERY well. See my pics on my profile page. I've exceeded the limit so cannot post any pics.

Organic Potting Soil is a valid substrate. Capped with Sand. BUT I move my plants often, so I don't want to deal with it.

There are many suitable substrates for planted tanks. Eco Complete, Flourite, AquaSoil, Pool Filter Sand, I'm using Blasting Sand.

There are many great resources to learn about planted tanks. This site has Sticky Threads about lighting and such.

The Planted Tank has amazing forums full of info. and plants for sale.

See if you have a club near you. I really enjoy mine, plus free plants

Tina
member San Francisco Bay Area Aquatic Plant Society

 

[jetajockey]

Good post Coursair, I agree with your points.

I like doing mineralized topsoil myself, or just straight fired-clay substrate.

As far as trimming goes, if it's just a leaf or two that are looking wilted or beat up, I would trim them off completely. They might aid in photosynthesis but I've always been under the impression that they will also direct resources towards repairing/mitigating the loss on a damaged leaf rather than growing a new one with that same energy.

 

[Coursair]

Thanks Jeta, I'm jealous of your Pygmy Sunfish btw. A club member got some and I hope to get some later this year. I also trim my damaged leaves. I have a nice set of long handled tools and scissors I got off Ebay. My tanks need a major trim. My floaters and stems are blocking light. Shrimp love their jungle, but my Crypts need light too.

 

[alia258]

I'm going to make my 10g into a shrimp jungle once I get a 40g for my other fish! I'm getting RCS and ghost shrimp ^^

 

[College Kid]

A heavily planted shrimp jungle sounds awesome. I want to see pics when that goes up!

How bad is just generic gravel for plants?

Also how necessary is a CO2 system? How does it work? Do I need it for Anubis and swords (all I have now)?

Sorry for the ? Bombardment btw

 

[alia258]

I use gravel and my plants (some kind of swords and anacharis) are perfectly fine. I don't dose co2 but I use root tabs. My tank does nicely, but then again it's only a 10g