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Dense carpet maintenance

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Gorillastomp

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24 Jun 2021
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183
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Canada,Quebec
Hey everyone,
My Echinodorus Tenellus carpet start to be really dense so i would like to know what is the best maintenance for it.
Do i have to cut it raw or remove some of the mother plants to leave room for new plantlets ?
 
I will take a picture tomorrow, but i am high tech. Next step i want to try to make it redder by lowering my lights height, not sure i have the right strain for it thought. We shall see.
 
Gorillastomp said:
Do i have to cut it raw or remove some of the mother plants to leave room for new plantlets ?
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It doesn’t do well when trimmed similar to other rosette plant. You could either remove the bigger plants, or pull the bigger leaves out from the bottom of rosette.
MichaelJ said:
I tried and failed with this one (low-tech).
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@MichaelJ Which form did you tried? and did you use In-vitro plants?
from my experience the “Narrowleaf-Red” form can be grown in gravel in low-tech, while “Parvulum Green” and ADA’s “Broadleaf-Red” form tends to melt in the beginning.
 
MichaelJ said:
This one - bought it there as well.

Cheers,
Michael
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Might be “Parvulum” form doesn’t do well in low-tech and even in emersed box from my experience, I tried many times. May be try this narrowlead red cultivar and buy them as emersed plant or pots instead of in-vitro? here’s mine in propagation tank; 10w light, gravel and sand, no Filter. Though, it doesn’t turn red in this conditions.
834915E1-0D89-44E2-A7DA-7A0F7A810A00.jpeg
 
147B3606-6596-43F7-AA68-00B1294566EC.jpeg

On the right you can see Helanthium tenellum 'green' (tissue culture from Tropica) grown in low tech. It does just fine in this scenario. I've not trimmed with scissors because I like the grassy look compared to the shorter Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, but I've heard this is possible. I've only ever pulled out plantlets but it's not the best method as it also pulls out bits you want to keep.

I've just started a carpet of it in my high tech tank to see how it does there.

From my understanding this form of Helanthium will not turn red at all. As @Nont said, there is a Helanthium tenellum 'Red', currently being produced by Dennerle which will do as you're expecting.
 
The only behaviour i have experienced with the plant is that under lower light / shaded area it's growing taller.

In some shaded area there is some with 10cm plus leaves while under higher light it dows grow taller than 5 - 7 cm.
 
Courtneybst said:
From my understanding this form of Helanthium will not turn red at all. As @Nont said, there is a Helanthium tenellum 'Red', currently being produced by Dennerle which will do as you're expecting.
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I do not know know which type i have, since my supplier do not get tropica plants. It was definately a tissue culture specimen be cause when i first planted it it was in its emmersed form.

It was like this one broader tip:
helanthium-tenellum.jpg
 
@Courtneybst

I definately do not have the "red" strain. Still green after lowering the lights. I should have between 150 -200 at subastrate.

20230302_183600.jpg


I bought another one from an in vitro company that state it will turn red-purple under high light. It will take a bit to know since in vitro takes a bit longer to adapt.

For the maintenance of the carpet i ended up cutting it low to the substrate in some area. It seems to grow back pretty quickly. Have got decent growth for a week. But it may no be ideal under low tech since growth is slower.
 
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