To cut or not to cut?

[F.Sam]

Hello guys,

I'm new to the hobby, especially planted tanks. I bought a 5 gallon tank a month ago. It hasn't got any fish in yet, but I started putting in some plants. I want to create a really nice lay-out and since i'm a beginner, I started with a beginner plant. The amazon sword. This plant (see image) has been sitting in my tank for 3 weeks now. I'm not dosing it any ferts yet, but i'm planning on doing that + roottabs. As you can see it's already growing 3 new leaves.

My question is: I got this plant from the aqua-store, and the leaves were already pruned off. So now I have these bare stalks (as you can see). Is this prohibiting the growth? Should I cut them to the base?

My anubias was inserted 4 weeks ago, and it has already given me a nice flower (see image). When should I cut it off? Or should I just leave it there?

Additional info:
* Light: Aquatic Nature Led -36 RGB
* Filter: Superfish Aqua-Flow 50
* Aquarium: Aquatic Nature Cocoon 2

 

[Blos85]

Hello guys,

I'm new to the hobby, especially planted tanks. I bought a 5 gallon tank a month ago. It hasn't got any fish in yet, but I started putting in some plants. I want to create a really nice lay-out and since i'm a beginner, I started with a beginner plant. The amazon sword. This plant (see image) has been sitting in my tank for 3 weeks now. I'm not dosing it any ferts yet, but i'm planning on doing that + roottabs. As you can see it's already growing 3 new leaves.

My question is: I got this plant from the aqua-store, and the leaves were already pruned off. So now I have these bare stalks (as you can see). Is this prohibiting the growth? Should I cut them to the base?

My anubias was inserted 4 weeks ago, and it has already given me a nice flower (see image). When should I cut it off? Or should I just leave it there?

Additional info:
* Light: Aquatic Nature Led -36 RGB
* Filter: Superfish Aqua-Flow 50
* Aquarium: Aquatic Nature Cocoon 2

I will be honest i dont understand your question completely. When you got the sword was it trimmed completely to the root??? ive only heard of Crypts being trimmed that way at purchase due to their high melting rate so im gonna assume you meant the few sprouts at the base of the plant. Now Im no expert at all but i think your plant looks fairly healthy. The only time i trim leaves is if it is full of holes or it is dying. You have one leaf that looks brown(may be in the photo only) If it were me id clip it but you have a lot of healthy plant there in my opinion! But you gotta use root tabs being a heavy root feeder in a tank containing no fish. GOODLUCK!

 

[wildroseofky]

The amazon sword will soon outgrow a 5 gallon tank. They are large plants. If you want to keep it until it does outgrow the tank that is fine. Just plan ahead. You cut the leaf off as close to the roots as you can. It is fine to trim the leaf stubs down. However, you cannot cut the leaf across the tops to shorten the plant. You can only remove individual leaves. Once the plant grows above the water level the leaves will die. They have to be underwater. Amazons also feed from the roots not the leaf. Root tabs are needed if you have it in sand. You may be better off getting a smaller plant and selling ore returning the amazon.

 

[F.Sam]

Okay thank you guys! I'm really liking this forum, I mean I just posted it this afternoon and I already got 2 answers!

Sooooo... Amazon sword will outgrow my 5 gallon you said? Better tell the wife about this. We're gonna need a bigger tank . Is there any way too keep them growing sideways (bushy) instead of upwards? I really wanted an amazon sword for my betta/shrimp.

Anyways thank you so far, you've given be quite some info already!

 

[wildroseofky]

There is no way that I know of to get them to grow width wise and not tall. They do put out a lot of leaves if they are well fertilized but they also grow in height. I have owned several and have had to let them all go. Just one of mine took up half of a 29 gallon tank in 7 months or so. I just removed my last one from that tank and it fills up a gallon jar. It is actually taller than the jar, I just pushed it down so it would be under water. If you do not mind it taking up the entire 5 gallon, you could plant it on an angle on one side of the tank. Make a little hill of substrate and plant it leaning a little side ways. Then just let it drift out into the tank. Eventually though your fish will run out of room to swim.LOL You can cut the leaves off straight across if they get to tall but then the leaves will stay that way. The tips do not grow back. That would keep it underwater so the leaf tips do not die off. They look amazing in a large tank. Somewhere on this forum is a post with suggestions for plants that fit a 5 gallon tank. I will look it up for you and post a link.

 

[DragonFish71]

While working on getting a bigger tank , you can trim off those stems down to the root ball. It won't harm the sword at all and will look nicer. It will also help the plant by letting it work on sending nutrients to the leaves instead of to the stalks.

For the anubias, I let the flowers stay until they start to wilt and brown then I trim them close to the rhizome.

 

[wildroseofky]

Here are a few links to 5 gallon builds with plant suggestions.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/plants-for-a-5-gallon-290898.html


http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/5-gallon-planted-284032.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/plant-advice-for-a-3-gallon-cube-279426.html

Hope this helps

 

[F.Sam]

Actually what I can do is eventually place the amazon sword in the middle of the cube, make it sort of a hill (with downward slopes to every corner) and make a nice carpet of maybe dwarf hair grass all around it... I know it will only be for a while, but what do you guys think?

Thanks on the advice for the 5 gallon plants, I see my anubias is listed on it as well! . I think i'm going to transport that one + my marimo to another tank once the amazon gets too big. And eventually swap places again

As for the advice on cutting the stalks and my anubias, also many thanks!

 

[Demonknight]

amazons can get BIG, I have a odd sized tank (45gl tall) and mine are close to 24 inches tall now if not a bit more, the leaves are starting to lay on top of the water...*sigh* I really need to trim them a bit. You can go with a plant in the family that does seem to get as big, I have a few red melon swords and they have stayed small