Pruning Anubias

[JeremyJ]

I have several well-established anubias nana that have come from a very neglected tank, and as such most of the leaves are black with the residue of a BBA explosion.

If I prune most of the leaves, will the anubias begin to sprout new leaves from the rhyzomes? Will the new growth appear over the length of the rhyzome or only at the ends?

I know the growth will probably be be slow (46 gal, CO2, 95 watts), but the blackened leaves aren't particuarly attractive...

[nvision]

the rhizome will survive even without any leaves. just give it some light. new leaves will begin to sprout from the "head" of the rhizome; they will not be able to regrow in the middle.

[superjohnny]

Are blackouts just for GW algae?

If not I'd get your algae eaters to work and do a blackout. Do a 50% water change and clean your filter, turn off your lights then take a blanket and completely cover your tank so no light gets in. Leave it like this for 3-5 days in complete darkness. Your fish can go without food for a few days, no worries there. When you take the blanket off you'll be amazed at how the water looks. Do another 50% water change and that should get your algae back under control.

edit> if you're taking any trimmings I'd love to have them. email me (superjohnny@attbi.com) if you'd like to sell some. Thanks :)

[aquatic-store]

to make the rhizome sprout new stems you can also slash it with a razor blade

marc
Http://www.Aquatic-store.com

Co2, Plants, Substrate, Filters, Heaters, UV and more

[RTR]

Anubias nana rhizomes can and do readily sprout along their length if they are at least several inches long. These sprouts are the start of branches from the rhizome.

[djlen]

I've found that Anubias will sprout from just about anywhere on the rhizome. Just don't bury the rhizome in the substrate.

You can safely dip anubias in a solution of bleach and water(19:1) for a minute. Then rinse well, sit them in fresh water treated with "tap water conditioner" to neutalize any residual bleach. This will kill any BBA on the plants, and anubias are tough enough to withstand the dip. If you just put them into your tank as they are, you risk introducing the algae spores into your tank.
Len

[JeremyJ]

Fortunately, the BBA had been eradicated (or at least rendered dormant) in the tank for some time, but it left a black residue on the anubias leaves. The anubias are being moved to a new tank.

I assume that once the leaves are black, they'll never go back. It is unfortunate, as the nana growth very dense and mature.

I'm intrigued with the notion of slicing the rhizome to stimulate growth along its length. I've already trimmed the leaves from a section of one of the plants to reveal a nice, thick rhizome...