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Reducing growth

tomh

tomh

Member
Joined
29 May 2013
Messages
57
Location
York
Hi,

Just a bit of advice if any on my Lotus, is grows excessively and has done since it was planted, the leaves grow straight to the surface within a couple of days and then across the tank so within 5 days the leaves are half the length of the tank. I am therefore trimming it daily so that I dont end up with the stalks across the surface..

9454720478_95242eb872_c.jpg

I have had a similar problem with the other plants on the left but having left them they have stopped growing so much.

Am I promoting its growth by trimming it so much? If I leave it will it just settle down and only grow to the surface rather than fill the whole tank in a couple of weeks?

I am dosing with Neutro+, Liquid carbon and injecting co2.

Thanks

Tom
 
I have 2 T5s, 39w I think.

Coincedentally I am trying to get more light to the bottom of the plants at the back as I have been trimming them and replanting the cuttings to thinken out the rear plants. The photo is a few weeks old so there is now a lot more growth.

Cheers
 
Hi all,
I just thin mine to 3 floating leaves in a 60cm tank. I do this once a week, taking the oldest leaf off. I've done this to the same plant for at least the last 3 years. If I'm away for any length of time, leaves will cover the entire tanks surface.
foxfish said:
Umm it's a lily, it leaves are supposed to float on the surface, that is the nature of the plant!
Click to expand...
I'm with "foxfish" on this, I don't think you can stop them producing floating leaves long term.

cheers Darrel
 
foxfish said:
Umm it's a lily, it leaves are supposed to float on the surface,that is the nature of the plant!
Click to expand...

Yeah I appreciate that but if I leave it for a week it just keeps growing so I end up with a tank full of meter long stems. From other tanks I have seen they all look about the length of what my photo is showing, I just wanted some advice on if that was because those people also trim them constantly.
 
Hello,
If you find it excessive then you should think about getting rid of it and substituting something slower growing.

You can also bend the stem and restrain some leaves so that they stay low, but this too can become tedious.
8398039894_9b721c6461_c.jpg

As mentioned by Big Clown, you can reduce the growth rates by reducing light, CO2 and nutrients, but this will have a global impact on the tank, so that all plants will reduce their growth rates.

Cheers,
 
I've had mine in a 60cm tank, for over a year.
By pruning out any large leaves regularly i've encouraged it to stay small & compact.
Started out as a LC tank, but has had co2 for the last couple of months.
8587322064_fc8e77a80a.jpg
 
Ok thanks everyone, it really looks great so I wouldnt want to remove it. Just so you get an idea of the growth the photo was taken about 8 days after it was planted as a bulb.....

ceg4048 said:
You can also bend the stem and restrain some leaves so that they stay low, but this too can become tedious
Click to expand...

I did run some of the leaves under the bogwood but again that only slowed it for a day or so.

I guess I will just have to keep trimming :crazy:
 
Hi Tom
There are several different types of Nymphea (waterlily) sold on the maket. Most common is the Nymphea zenkerii (Tiger Lotus) - and even that "spcies" come in a lot of variations. This means that any single plant can differ a lot from any othr plant in its growing manners - some are more willing to "stay low" and some just keep going straight to surface. That said, it is still the nature of the plants, to end up with leaves floating, covering an area of surfac, some can just be trimmed down longer, than others.
Your plant sounds like a "straight to tbe surface" one......... so you either learn to love it, take a chance on anothr one or exchange to another type of plant, that fullfill your needs, without doing floating leaves 😀
Mick.
 
I wish mine was like that in 8 days.
I bought a bulb, it now has 3 leaves about an inch long, after about 8 days lol
REALLY red though so am very happy.

also bought a bigger potted lotus from the green machine, tall and flimsy, and more greens in it.

both are great but not similar at all, haven't seen a lot of growth if any though lol.

maybe they take a while to get going?

also the bigger one came with damaged leaves, if I remove these leaves will it make a new leaf?
 
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