# Trimming limnophila sessiliflora



## Jaap (24 Oct 2014)

Hello,

so this plant grows tall for my tank and needs trimming weekly. Furthermore, it grows leggy and currently has diatoms on its leaves. When I trim the top leaves, this means that the old leaves are the ones that stay and the new stems grow from the stem that was cut sideways.

I was thinking if it would be wise to cut this plant at the very bottom of the stems (e.g 5cm above substrate) once it reaches the top of the tank. Has anyone tried this trimming technique before?

Thanks


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## parotet (24 Oct 2014)

Yes, it works perfectly. I love this plant, poorly used nowadays in aquarium IMO, maybe for being labelled in many sites as a 'classic' plants for 'newbies'... Two words that aren't a good publicity. 

It is a beautiful plant that grows easily, fast and do well in a vast range of conditions. Trim it how you want, it will always grow back. If you cut it to the substrate, new stems will grow. If you cut it upper, new stems will appear from the cutting point. It also work very well to push overgrown stems down to the ground to have them at the heigh you want.

If it grows leggy and you have diatoms , trimming won't solve the problem as new growth will also suffer. Revise light and nutrients conditions. This plant is not co2 demanding but suffer IMO from lack of nutrients. Regarding diatoms I will write a post on this a few days as I've being suffering them for two months but I'm finally winning the battle... In my case it was a matter of filter architecture in a nano tank and permanent high levels of organic waste in the tank.

Jordi

Jordi


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## jart (28 Oct 2014)

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/57960-pruning-timeline.html

IME, this plant just grows too "leggy" and quickly. For this reason, I prefer L. aquatica.


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## parotet (28 Oct 2014)

jart said:


> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/57960-pruning-timeline.html
> IME, this plant just grows too "leggy" and quickly. For this reason, I prefer L. aquatica.


I don't agree with the leggy part, I think it depends on your tank's conditions but I have to admit that this plant looks much better in groups. Regarding the quick growing, it is true but don't we need this sometimes? 
Limnophila aquatica is also a fantastic plant (never grown it but I have seen it in some tanks at the LFS), but my guess is that it won't do well if not positioned under good light and maybe a bit to large for medium tanks, ins't it?

Another of my preferred easy/newbies/classic stem plant, also forgotten in the modern aquascapes is Hygrophila difformis. Beautiful green and leave shape. I had this species in one of my tanks and now I miss it.
Sometimes we try difficult plants (I suppose it is more challenging if it is labelled as "medium" or "advanced") but TBH, unless you have some experience, you have more chances of having a superb tank when you are using the easy/medium ones, so you can concentrate on aesthetics and your initial layout idea can be accomplished without messing too much. A friend of mine has now a 120 liters tank quite long and narrow just with Limnophila sessiliflora groups and two small bunches of Cryptocoryne on black gravel. Two cheap IKEA Led fixtures for cupboards and an internal nanofilter are the equipment used... and what a beauty! These are easy plants, but this is why they grow so healthy and all the layout is based of the fantastic shape of the plants. Fish are not fancy: just yellow platies that contrast very well with the dark green of plants and black of gravel.
Less is more!

Jordi


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