What do you do with all your cuttings?

[Zamboniman]

I've had aquariums on and off for years. During that time I've made a few attempts to keep live plants but have always failed for one reason or another, mainly due to lack of knowledge.

Thanks for forums like this one I learned about substrates, CO2, lighting, fertilizers and dosing regimens, etc. Finally a few months ago I got the nerve to try again and forked over my hard earned money once again on some plants.

Well, now I'm having much the opposite problem. My plants are growing like crazy! With the side benefit that my water quality is the best it's ever been. When it comes time to trim them I'm left with vast amounts of trimmings that I often just have to throw out.

Seems weird to be throwing out much greater quantities of the same plants that I forked over cash for a few months back. Kind of a nice problem to have I suppose!

I've used some of them to fully plant another tank of mine and have offered to give some away to people I know with tanks, but that's about it. What do people here do with all their cuttings after tank maintenance day?

[Mgamer20o0]

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63091

we have a section for members that can give away plants.

i have given away so many plants here i stopped counting. trying to get some money for live stock so i am now i am trying to sell some of them.

there is always ebay. some fish stores will give you store credit for the plants. local fish clubs are another good place to get rid of extra plants. you can even post on craigslist.

[Star_Rider]

I toss wisteria, watersprite, java moss, anacharis

I keep anubias(several vartieties) cryptocoryne(several varieties), swords, and a few others.

[bkw1982]

you could always give them to me........C'mon Star rider be friendly and share the love of the plant don't toss it, pass it :cool2:

:)All ur plants are belong to us:)

[Star_Rider]

I won't purposely ship anacharis...LOL

wisteria is a PIA..freakin weed...LOL
next time I'm thinning my tanks I'll keep you in mind...LOL

[DaisyTattoo]

I have a 29G with several Cana snails in it. I toss extra in there and they eat it up.

[pl*co]

I float mine in my cichlid tanks. The smaller pieces I keep to feed my Apple Snail.

[DebbyS]

We have a pond at work and as the weather is warming up (except it was cold yesterday and today...), I've been putting spare watersprite in it. I think the goldfish are eatting it though. But don't fear, the plant won't get into the Rio Grande water system because the River is three or four miles west of us and the plant would have to hitchhike across a major freeway, some railroad tracks, downtown Abq and a lot of desertscape. I also think some anarchis I put in the pond last year *may* have survived, but it's hard to tell at this time; I'll keep watch.

[Ketso]

We have a pond at work and as the weather is warming up (except it was cold yesterday and today...), I've been putting spare watersprite in it. I think the goldfish are eatting it though. But don't fear, the plant won't get into the Rio Grande water system because the River is three or four miles west of us and the plant would have to hitchhike across a major freeway, some railroad tracks, downtown Abq and a lot of desertscape. I also think some anarchis I put in the pond last year *may* have survived, but it's hard to tell at this time; I'll keep watch.
You are seriously under-estimating the power of nature.

All it would take is for one bird to have one small piece stuck under a feather to transfer it to any body of water nearby. I would rethink what you are doing, IMO.

[DebbyS]

Thanks for the caution, DeMonZ. I understand about the idea that some foreign plant may cling onto a bird and the bird make it's way ~3 miles west to the river, but I think it's really unlikely. Our birds are mostly home-body sparrows, with the occasional house finch, robin, pigeon or crow, and they don't stay long because the company dog takes an interest, and people pass by the pond all the time. Also, as noted, the goldfish, originally cheap feeders, didn't get to their present, pretty, plump 4-5" lengths by eating algae alone (though it's probably 98% of their diet after +2 winters). However, if I get any hint at all that the WS might make the long journey to the river over our hot-sun, high-desert, low-humidity landscape (though we did get tons of snow over the winter--hooray!), and of course if the river actually has any water in it at the time, I'll pull out any surviving WS and compost it :) Ditto any snails I've introduced, though they are tiny compared to our common garden snails & slugs.

[Ketso]

I understand about the idea that some foreign plant may cling onto a bird and the bird make it's way ~3 miles west to the river, but I think it's really unlikely.
3 miles is unlikely? What about half way around the globe? Again, I think you are underestimating the power of nature.

Well, I know it's not a plant, but take into consideration the Zebra Muscle. It is native to Eastern Europe. Yet, it managed to spread to many of the inland lakes of OH, PA, IN, KY, NY, etc., etc. All from taking a joy ride across the Atlantic Ocean attached to atleast one sea going vessel. It was literally billions strong in Lake Erie and has cost tax payers (you and myself included) millions of dollars. And who knows how much more it will cost in the future. Like I said before, I know the ZM isnt a plant, but with WS, as adaptive as it is, imagine the possibilities of what could happen. Is it worth the possibilities, just to have a few bunches growing in a goldfish pond?

As for a plant, how about the Eurasian Water-Milfoil? It was first found in Ohio waters in 1950. It was introduced by people much in the way you are doing, and in 60 or so years, it has managed to get into nearly every major body of water in OH.

Like I said, it's my opinion. You have yours. Do as you like. But I am sure there are lots of folks hoping you rethink your actions. I know, for me, after seeing how fast and easy WS is to grow, I wont even throw clippings of it in the trash. I let them dry out and light a match to em.

[nickmcmechan]

i would agree, you are underestimating nature, no matter how unlikely events can be, they can happen

[ct-death]

3 miles is unlikely? What about half way around the globe? Again, I think you are underestimating the power of nature.

Like I said, it's my opinion. You have yours. Do as you like. But I am sure there are lots of folks hoping you rethink your actions. I know, for me, after seeing how fast and easy WS is to grow, I wont even throw clippings of it in the trash. I let them dry out and light a match to em.

//AGREE!

As a person who is faced to combat Invasives for a living with a $1.5Million dollar budget (and LOOSING the batle)! I cannot urge you enough to stop...

The damage is done, but please stop the practice.

I'll give a real-world example that began 7-8 years ago:

We had water-checstnut growing in a lake bed that someone introduced (we later caut them and found it it was introduced 4 months before it found it's way into our lake system! That was 12 miles away in 4 months!!! :eek:

Here's a 2nd real example:

We had a rock-slide on a mountain/hilltop in March. It left a kettle-bowl w/ water. By September of the following year we had a full PIRCH population in there!!! That's 19 months! Birds were feeding and pooping over the water - that's it!!!

So please be responsable! My budget is $1.5 million and I'm loosing the battle on only a 1,000 acre lake system :(

Sorry for my rant, but this really hits home for me...

[Gumby131]

i toss mine, but im trying to make a lawn out of amazon swords

[nickmcmechan]

Buy a compost bucket and stick your cuttings in there...then use it to feed your garden