am I suppose to trim these roots?! It's a jungle

[thrujenseyes]

This Anubis is attached to a lava rock (how I purchased it over a year ago).
The root system has grown out of control but I've let it as I think it looks really neat and my tiny inhabitants seem to dig it.
My question is am I harming it by letting it get this way?
Am I suppose to be trimming it? And if so...how...methodically? Just a little? A lot?
The plant itself sprouts new leaves often and takes up almost my entire aquarium (6 gallon fluval edge). I love it but am unsure I'm treating it well.

a close up and full shot of entire plant.

 

[Byron]

I have never trimmed roots of Anubias, or most other plants for that matter. When I move a large sword I may take off some of the roots, but not otherwise.

I had an Anubias in my 90g in 2001 that I left alone and it spread and spread. In 2008 I took it out, the rhizome was over two feet in length, and I cut it apart and used the pieces to aquascape my 3-foot 33 gallon tank. Here's what that looked like then; all the back plants are the Anubias bits.

 

[thrujenseyes]

I have never trimmed roots of Anubias, or most other plants for that matter. When I move a large sword I may take off some of the roots, but not otherwise.

I had an Anubias in my 90g in 2001 that I left alone and it spread and spread. In 2008 I took it out, the rhizome was over two feet in length, and I cut it apart and used the pieces to aquascape my 3-foot 33 gallon tank. Here's what that looked like then; all the back plants are the Anubias bits.

Omg Byron that's just gorgeous and very cool that you go so much out of it!!

I sometimes wonder if I should cut mine up into smaller pieces instead of basically having a huge umbrella under my lights that shade the whole tank but I'm scared I'll somehow kill it.


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[NickAu]

I wouldn't cut the roots, they make great hiding spots for fry and shrimp and look cool.

 

[luca1980]

Looks cool Jen, I would leave it!

 

[StandbySetting]

As above - not only are they a good hiding place for fry, plant roots harbour micro fauna which shrimp and fry can feed on.

 

[flchamp89]

Leave them I do.

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[thrujenseyes]

I'll leave it, then. You're all right, good places for my little ones to hide and play and find food. Plus, I agree that it looks really cool.

I probably should have purchased the dwarf or nano version of the Anubis but this was my first purchase for my little tank and I had no idea how big it would get, plus I loved the look of it attached to the rock.

Side note: I bought a little orange sunkist shrimp a while back and swore he died because I stopped seeing him scampering about. I searched for almost a week and then I spotted him hiding in the leaves of this plant. This plant is a jungle and god knows what else may be hiding in it!

 

[flchamp89]

The few I have love my big java fern

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[thrujenseyes]

The few I have love my big java fern

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I just googled and that's a gorgeous plant. I'll do some research and see if it's too much for my little tank.

 

[flchamp89]

They get big for sure. I have it in a 10g lol. I didn't think id like it as much as I do. Had mine couple weeks now.

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[flchamp89]

If you look in back corners you can see mine. I cut mine in half. Glued to rocks.

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[thrujenseyes]

If you look in back corners you can see mine. I cut mine in half. Glued to rocks.

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WOW that looks like a natural little jungle! I love it!!!!
Are there some kind of leaves in the front right bottom corner?
What are the inhabitants in there?....do I see an endler in the bottom left corner by the drift wood?!

 

[flchamp89]

That a lilly in front right corner with big leaves.
5 guppy hybrids
5 rcs
5 ghosts
Mts pond ramshorns

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[thrujenseyes]

That a lilly in front right corner with big leaves.
5 guppy hybrids
5 rcs
5 ghosts
Mts pond ramshorns

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your little guppy/endler looks like mine.
and how do you manage to only have 5 rcs? I thought they multiplied like crazy?
I see snail eggs (?!) on the glass in the last pic.
Your combo of plants is very impressive!