# Trimming Stem Plants



## nickmcmechan (17 Mar 2014)

How often do you you trim your stem plants in low tech?

Do you replant often?


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## MARKCOUSINS (17 Mar 2014)

Hi,it depends on various factors.Plants being used,growth rate,desired effect.Best gives us a list of your plants and even better a pic of your tank maybe with an idea of what you would like to achieve.Cheers Mark


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## nickmcmechan (18 Mar 2014)

MARKCOUSINS said:


> Hi,it depends on various factors.Plants being used,growth rate,desired effect.Best gives us a list of your plants and even better a pic of your tank maybe with an idea of what you would like to achieve.Cheers Mark



Thanks Mark, will upload a pic to tonight after work, not sure how to do it on here from ipad so will upload to photobu ket later.

Back left is bacopa, back right is hygro difformus and hygro polysperma

Mid right is rotala

Middle is java fern on boxwood with anubias to the side of that planted on redwood. In amongst those there are three echinodorous rose. 

Rest of tank planted with crypts.

Substrate is aquatic pond soil with jbl aqua basis, topped with jbl sansibar black.

I'm going for a very heavily planted jungle look, if in honest it's meant to be fairly low maintenance as well as low tech so  really don't want to go down the path of constantly re-planting stems. So, after research on trimming techniques I wondered how that would pan out for low tech setup.

Thanks


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## Tim Harrison (18 Mar 2014)

This may help http://www.ukaps.org/index.php?page=a-general-guide-to-plant-maintenance


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## nickmcmechan (18 Mar 2014)




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## tim (18 Mar 2014)

Nice looking tank, from my short experience with stems low tech, I keep the trimming to a minimum normally if they hit the surface or block flow/light from other plants I cut them back and replant the tops, sometimes uproot cut them replant the tops and discard the bottom portion if they are looking a little shabby.


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## MARKCOUSINS (18 Mar 2014)

Very nice tank Nick,good healthy looking low tech tank you have thereI would agree with Tim's comments.You don't want or need to go severely trimming your plants as growth rate should not be too high/quick being low tech.As said above remove shabby stems and replanting upper portions and the odd removal of echinodorus and cryptocoryne leaves to keep it looking tidy and retain good flow.Cheers Mark.


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## Tim Harrison (18 Mar 2014)

OK since Tim has set the ball rolling I'll commit too...IME there are very few stems that do well in low-energy tanks. Those that do like many Hygrophila spp. I trim if they get too leggy (which often encourages new growth) and replant the more vigorous cuttings. However, I've kinda given up on trying to grow stems in low-energy tanks. If you're going for the jungle look I'd stick with Crypts, Echinodorus, ferns and Anubias; any of the following should be OK for starters...
_Anubias _spp.
_Aponogeton natans/crispus
Bolbitis heudelotii
Ceratopteris _spp.
_Cryptocoryne _spp_.
Echinodorus _spp. inc_ tenellus
Egeria densa
Fontinalis antipyretica
Hygrophilia _spp.
_Lilaeopsis brasiliensis/novae-zelandiae
Ludwigia repens/natans
Microsorium pteropus. _var.
_Pistia stratiotes
Salvinia auriculata
Sagittaria_ spp.
_Vallisneria _spp.
_Vesicularia dubyana_


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## MARKCOUSINS (18 Mar 2014)

Good list.I have also had success with Rotala rotundifolia in couple of low tech tanks i had in the past.


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## faizal (19 Mar 2014)

Hey Nick....that is one sweet tank you have there. Awesome mate. It's looking so matured & lush. How long has it been running for? Could you be kind enough to share the tank dimensions, lighting details & photo period details please if you don't mind?


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## nickmcmechan (19 Mar 2014)

tim said:


> Nice looking tank, from my short experience with stems low tech, I keep the trimming to a minimum normally if they hit the surface or block flow/light from other plants I cut them back and replant the tops, sometimes uproot cut them replant the tops and discard the bottom portion if they are looking a little shabby.





MARKCOUSINS said:


> Very nice tank Nick,good healthy looking low tech tank you have thereI would agree with Tim's comments.You don't want or need to go severely trimming your plants as growth rate should not be too high/quick being low tech.As said above remove shabby stems and replanting upper portions and the odd removal of echinodorus and cryptocoryne leaves to keep it looking tidy and retain good flow.Cheers Mark.





faizal said:


> Hey Nick....that is one sweet tank you have there. Awesome mate. It's looking so matured & lush. How long has it been running for? Could you be kind enough to share the tank dimensions, lighting details & photo period details please if you don't mind?



Thanks for the kind comments 

The tank is an Aquaone aquanano 130. It's 80cm long x 40cm wide x 47cm high. 

Its just newly set up (Saturday) and as you can see I'm going for a heavy jungle, which is what prompted me about asking about trimming stems. 

Photo period is 7 hours. I'm dosing the water column with TPN right now but I'm only planning that until the roots establish and start feeding from the substrate, after that there should be enough 
I've stock in to provide macro nutrients. Hopefully being low tech, I should have enough time to observe and adjust as necessary.


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