Controlling Vals - Please help friends

nagukush

nagukush

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Jan 1, 2008
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Hi Friends !

Desperately need some help here...

Due to my inexperience and foolishness, I planted a few half-dead vals in the front of the tank, the idea was that I thought it would look good to have 2 dense patches of vals on either side of the driftwood cave...

Now after increasing light and adding DIY Co2, the Vals are growing like crazy ! They have reached more than 17" height and are spreading rapidly. I had planted about 5 to 6 plants and within 10 days or so, I now have almost double the number !

The new plantlets are emerging in a linear fashion and looks like they will form a curtain of plants, right in the front of the tank, hiding everything !

Should I remove them and replant them at the back so that they form the curtain as a background ? I'm not sure if I should uproot the plants because I'm afraid that they'll have established well till now and the roots may upset everything... Are Val's roots very large and deep ? Will they survive if I uproot them and replant them again ? Should I cut the long roots and then plant the vals ?

Can I pick up the baby plants on the runner and place them in a different direction so that they dont go like a linear curtain and form a dense patch instead ?

I'm really confused and dont know what to do... Is it bad to have a few tall vals in the forground ?

Kindly bear with me and kindly guide me a little here friends...
Thanks and Regards
Kush
 
I would move them as well if you are displeased with how they look in the front. Even if they have a little melt, they will bounce back quickly after replanting.
 
So do I just pull out the plants, holding the base ? Will the roots be very long and deep ?

Also will pulling out one val, also pull out the runners and daughter plants along with it ? I guess the whole setup will be in a mess if this happens... kindly advice if induvidual plants can be moved ?
 
The runners and plantlets will come up as well unless you pinch them off (there is a stem that connects them). I would pull it up slowly and pinch off any runners if you don't want to move them. I am not sure how long or deep your roots will be, I imagine that depends on the size of the plant and the depth of hte substrate.
 
Thanks for the replies friends...

I'm really worried and scared about pulling out the established plants... kindly advice if I should move them or can I have them in the foreground area ?
 
vals tend to be used as a background plant due to their eventual size

i would move all the plants and runners to the back if it were me

bear in mind that they get so long that they may cover the surface and reduce light to other plants

from memory i think you have said you have tiger lotus in your tank as well

between the vals and tiger lotus you can expect the whole surface to be covered - what are your other plants?
 
They should be fine if you move them. Clearly you're giving them conditions they need to grow quickly.

Keep in mind that if you leave any in the front, they'll continue to form runners there. Pruning is something we have to do on an ongoing basis for fast-growing plants.
 
Hi Friends...

Thanks for the replies and kind advice...

I also have one another problem, the background area in my tank is shaded by the top filter and the light there is not as good as where the plants are currently... Will they still survive and grow as well in a slightly shaded area ( i mean the background) ?

Kindly advice...
Thanks and Regards
Kush
 
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