Pruning Pointers

[Jhereg10]

You can see pictures of my tanks here: Caution, picts are avg 2MB (I'll switch to some lower size/res soon)

http://www.dscworld.org/aquarium.html

You can see my other tank/plant specs by going to the link in my sigline below.

Question is, what general tips and specific suggestions do folks have for pruning? I sort of like the "framed" look by having some floating plants at the surface, though I've cheated to keep them from blocking light from the remainder of the tank. I ran translucent fishing line from left to right at the surface, and anchor the floaters to it about 4" from the front glass...keeps the back surface clear with some periodic arranging. The front mass is getting a bit out of hand tho. It is primarily hornwort on the left, anacharis on the right, with duckweed in the gaps.

I'm not all that happy with the hornwort (duh). The Anacharis also is rooted at the back right of the tank and forms a "curtain" up the back and across the surface to the front.

There's a large sword (which you can't see well, since the leaves are at the surface) in the back left. The chain micro-swords are fairly recent, so haven't filled in fully yet. Also, the frill just in front of it is getting VERY long, not bunched (probably because I haven't kept it pruned back).

Again, general suggestions welcome. Growth is going like gangbusters, and I want a more "manicured look" than what I have now.

Thanks!

[NJ Devils Fan]

Could the pictures beeeee any bigger? LOL.

The anacharis you can just cut wherever you want. With swords, all I've heard is that you cut the bigger leaves from as close to the substrate as possible.

[Jhereg10]

Hey, I warned ya!

LOL, the problem is, with a 4' long tank, the only way to get decent detail to show is to have a darn big picture. I will be scaling them down a bit, tho.

Thanks for the tips. I have noticed that my large sword will have no more or less than 4 leaves. One starts dying, I clip it off near the base (like you mentioned) and immediately a new one starts sprouting up. Neato!

I'm thinking, now that I have substantial growth, about removing the hornwort completely. It's just too freaking hard to control/sculpt. It won't stay as a few plants, breaks off into free-floating branches all the time, which wander randomly around the tank.

Someday, I want a tank that looks like an Amano (grin) but don't think I'm near there yet. Can't find java moss to save my life around here. Am told it doesn't transport well.

Thanks!

[Rocketman]

Hey, I had some hornwart, a massive amount in fact. One day, it all just died. Bang, problem I had been wanting to solve for months just up and solved itself.

Since I can't put scissors underwater, I've always used my fingernails to clip...why hasn't anyone ever raised this question? Is this what everyone does, or are there special underwater scissors I don't notice?

I always cut, (with my fingers, again,) my Sword as close to the base of the plant as possible. Works really well.

[Starry]

I use normal scissors, with a purple plastic handle in fact. I try not to cut fish along with plants, but other than that, I don't see problems. Mind you, I'm a neat freak, so things are always cleaned well when I'm around.

[Jhereg10]

Um, why can't we put scissors underwater? I've been using them too, just as Starry mentioned. I have some small grooming scissors with rounded tips I've used, makes it harder to poke a hole in something you don't want poked.

I have done the fingernail thing before too, tho.

What I've noticed is that hornwort starts off in that nice bunch you buy at the LFS, grows explosively, then as you noted, it dissolves and lots of very small bits float around. Just when you think it's dead and gone, those small branches each turn into a huge strand, which turns into a wad, which then at some point, disintegrates and the cycle starts over. I get the feeling this is its primary method of propagation? If so, it's useless as a decorative aquarium plant (though I suppose it would be valuable for breeders?).

[NJ Devils Fan]

He doesn't use scissors because of rust. To prevent rust, obviously just dry them off very well. I use my fingernails and scissors. If I don't feel like bothering to walk about 15 feet to get the scissors, then I will just use my fingernails.

[Rocketman]

NJ Devil's Fan was speaking for me, by the way, if you didn't catch the "He"

[NJ Devils Fan]

Yes, I was speaking on my man's behalf.