# Aquascape help needed - plants out of control!



## jimsz (Oct 11, 2011)

I have a 55 gal freshwater with a variety of fish. It's long time established with no problems other than some snails that must have hitched-hike on some plants and some black hair algae but neither is really much of an issue.

We use a canister filter, no c02, regularly use seachem excel, root tabs with Eco Complete substrate. Water change of 50-75% every week.

If you look at the aquarium cam FishCam #1 Link • FishCam #2 Link you can see our plants have simply grown large. I've trimmed many of them back and they just keep growing!

The fish don't seem to have any problem but should I trim them back which would not only improve the look of things but also give the fish more room to swim.

Aquascape ideas?


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

Sometimes, after some time, the vegetation becomes too dense, so that only very little light is left.
If the planting is reduced, better conditions are again achieved.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I trim my plants pretty much once a month. I have ludwigia repens and a TON of Marimo Moss that grows on the Mopani wood that I have as a centerpiece in my tank, but the Marimo propagates everywhere in the tank. My shrimp love it, but I have to be aggressive with the Marimo otherwise it chokes out the Ludwigia.

The biggest thing that helped me with my plants is to trim them so there's plenty of space between them and the top of the tank. If you let your plants grow to the surface, they will EXPLODE because of the excess of light they're now able to utilize.

If you want to clean up the tank big time and have some stem plants (hygro, ludwigia, etc.) that get scraggly from repeated trimmings, cut off any long stems and rip the original plant out, then plant the stems in its place.

Otherwise, if you have moss or grass plants, you just trim them like a lawn.

Also, invest in some long-handled scissors and tweezers, they're invaluable for trimming, IMO, because they're much more precise than your big clunky hands.


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## kalyke (Nov 19, 2014)

Other than the apogenton is too tall for the tank? I think it looks Lovely. The fish are enjoying it. I think you might get some dark leafy greens that are more compact. Something chunky like java fern but to your light level. That way, they would not grow too tall.


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

Aponogeton becomes very large. But after a time he loses all the leaves, and draws into the tuber. When the tuber is covered by sand, it drifts out again after a while. It is a very interesting plant. I have A. ulvaceus.
Greetings.


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