Red1313

is there one or do I just go in with a pair of sissors and start chopping away?

Butterfly

Plantlets growing from the leaf (java fern etc) need to be at lease an inch before removing. Just tug firmly and they will come off.
Stem plants that get too tall can be trimmed at leaf nodes and the trimmings replanted.
Wisteria and water sprite grow fully developed little plants attached , just tug them off.
What are you needing to trim?
Carol

Red1313

I'll be honest I'm not really sure what is even in the tank anymore ...
I know that there is a amazon sword, dwarf lilly, some sort of fern that's on a rizome (not java) and the res of the plants are... stem plants with really fine soft "needle" looking leaves. I'll see if I've got a pic anywhere.

iloveengl

Could they be hornwort? Off the top of my head, that's a really common needle-looking aquarium plant. That being said, I have no idea how to trim anything. I'll pay close attention to this thread, though.

Red1313

No they're not hornwort. (I don't like hornwort) but the fish/plant guy talked me into these and I love the look of them. They're a really light green.

EDIT: OK I managed to get a screen shot out of a video that shows it pretty well. You can't see in it but this plant is growing itself into knots almost its folded back on it's self to grow.

Attached Images

mysteryplant.jpg (16.4 KB, 52 views)

Butterfly

Does it look like this ?
http://www.plantgeek.net/images/plan...ulcherrima.jpg
Carol

Red1313

pretty similar not quite as many "leaves" but yeah

Butterfly

Good enough At each leaf there is a node cut/pinch it there. Remove leaves from portion being put into substrate. Now you have more plants
Carol

Red1313

oh goody!
I've got a 20 gal that's mostly plantless right now and all the white clouds are looking foreward to real plants when they get there.
With the lilly do I just snip off the floating leaves near the base?

Butterfly

Since the lilys are bulbs you can't re-plant the leaf stems. But if their longer than you want or crowding the tank you can snip the leaves off close to the base.
Carol

Red1313

ok. I really like them but they were trying to kill my sword by blocking the light from it.

Butterfly

Yeah Lilys tend to try to take over
Carol

Nate McFin

The plant above looks like Cabomba, from the pic anyway. Whenever I go in to cut back I always try to picture what I want the end result to be and dont cut that part out. I have gone in and just cut and plucked and snipped then I end up with alot of cuttings and a mess in the tank. Trimming can make the look of the tank if you can see what you want before you cut.
PS you can sell, swap, or give your cuttings away rather than throw them out.