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[seangee]

Bristlenose got fed up with the bunch of crypts that used to be in front of the hygrophila and ripped it out this week. Decided not to track down the pieces and re-plant at today's water change. Also decided not to to the weekly frogbit thinning thing because the roots are covered in corydoras eggs. Since I haven't moved the eggs or corydoras they probably won't come to anything but I do get the occasional survivors

 

[Retired Viking]

Wow they really do grow long roots fast, the cardinal tetras look good.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Everytime this thread gets bumped, I get that Amy Winehouse song stuck in my head

Looks fantastic! I hope some little cories make it. When you get a survivor, do you just spot a tiny cory with the others? That would be wonderful, but I don't think I could resist saving the eggs either.

I decided to trim the roots on my frogbit today because I'm having to do daily water changes, and the roots are getting bent, tangled and pulled loose, so I hoped trimming them would reduce that. Bit worried I might have cut them too short, did I potentially kill my frogbit?

The roots had got like this

 

[seangee]

I decided to trim the roots on my frogbit today because I'm having to do daily water changes, and the roots are getting bent, tangled and pulled loose, so I hoped trimming them would reduce that. Bit worried I might have cut them too short, did I potentially kill my frogbit?

They will be fine. I used to trim mine regularly in the beginning, which only makes them grow faster. They do slow down if you leave them. Now I only trim occasionally and just run my hand uder them once a week to avoid them getting tangled. Usually I just take the biggest (or yellowest) plants out and bin them. If you happen to break off leaves while trimming just leave them. They will grow their own roots and turn into new plants.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

They will be fine. I used to trim mine regularly in the beginning, which only makes them grow faster. They do slow down if you leave them. Now I only trim occasionally and just run my hand uder them once a week to avoid them getting tangled. Usually I just take the biggest (or yellowest) plants out and bin them. If you happen to break off leaves while trimming just leave them. They will grow their own roots and turn into new plants.

Haha, oh no, they're going to grow faster now?? lol!
I love the look when the roots are all long (when they're not tangled), but since I'm doing so much maintenance at the moment, it just wasn't practical. I also had a piece of wood in there that I love the look of, but it's turning into a nightmare combo with frogbit, the roots just keep snarling in the wood:

I'm sure you can see the problem. Drop the water level to do a 75% WC, and it's a mass of frogbit caught in the wood and getting stuck. Have removed the wood now and trimmed the roots, will have to see if I can find a nice long smooth piece of wood, or move this over so the base is in the middle, and coral the frogbit to the left.

I'd wondered what to do about single leaves, thank you so much! The frogbit has definitely suffered a bit from all the water changes. Was a bit worried it can't take it, but gotta be done.

I appreciate the info about frogbit, thank you I've only had water lettuce and duckweed (gah!) before.

 

[seangee]

I love the look when the roots are all long (when they're not tangled), but since I'm doing so much maintenance at the moment, it just wasn't practical. I also had a piece of wood in there that I love the look of, but it's turning into a nightmare combo with frogbit, the roots just keep snarling in the wood:

Just keep the roots at 1-2". You may have to trim every week. Alternatively use your spray bar to push them all down to one end of the tank or use some airline to create a barrier.

 

[seangee]

Looks fantastic! I hope some little cories make it. When you get a survivor, do you just spot a tiny cory with the others? That would be wonderful, but I don't think I could resist saving the eggs either.

Hmmm - maybe it is time to set up a fry tank. Was watching the Thai tank tonight and there are loads of eggs on the leaves in there too - I suspect kubotai.

Oh and 2 bubble nests in the office tank.

 

[ClownLurch]

Haha, oh no, they're going to grow faster now?? lol!
I love the look when the roots are all long (when they're not tangled), but since I'm doing so much maintenance at the moment, it just wasn't practical. I also had a piece of wood in there that I love the look of, but it's turning into a nightmare combo with frogbit, the roots just keep snarling in the wood:
View attachment 117941
I'm sure you can see the problem. Drop the water level to do a 75% WC, and it's a mass of frogbit caught in the wood and getting stuck. Have removed the wood now and trimmed the roots, will have to see if I can find a nice long smooth piece of wood, or move this over so the base is in the middle, and coral the frogbit to the left.

I'd wondered what to do about single leaves, thank you so much! The frogbit has definitely suffered a bit from all the water changes. Was a bit worried it can't take it, but gotta be done.

I appreciate the info about frogbit, thank you I've only had water lettuce and duckweed (gah!) before.

I’ve two bits of branchy type wood similar to yours. I remove them prior to W/C and gravel vacuum. Otherwise as you say everything gets tangled even when coraled up by air hose.

 

[seangee]

What happens when you skip the midweek frogbit thinning session...

 

[vanalisa]

What happens when you skip the midweek frogbit thinning session...
View attachment 122017

 

[seangee]

Bah. As we enter week 300 of the war on duckweed I treated it to a massive and brutal culling and pruning of frogbit prior to netting as much duckweed as I could see. The duckweed has recruited an unexpected ally in spoiling my perfect environment and in the past few weeks Billy the bulldozer bristlenose has been on a mission to uproot every last piece of hygrophila, despite repeated threats to relocate him into a plastic tub without any companions . I have also lost a piece of black card off the back, but tonight was not the time to move the tank away from the wall. Won't even see it when the frogbit grows back, and the hygrophila if it is allowed to.

Next time round I think I may chuck the frogbit. The only way I will be rid of the duckweed is to spend a few weeks / months netting out the fragments daily without floating plants in the way. I can always re-introduce them later.

 

[seangee]

DIfferent perspective. Cleared out 90% of the frogbit today and took advantage of the extra light to point my phone at the side of the tank

 

[seangee]

The lotus is taking full advantage of the increased light. Frogbit is back up to around 40% - perhaps I should not let it get more than that.

 

[AquaBarb]

The lotus is taking full advantage of the increased light. Frogbit is back up to around 40% - perhaps I should not let it get more than that.

View attachment 124969

Looking nice and healthy Sean nice colour tones

 

[seangee]

Its about 6 weeks since I ditched the frogbit becauise I got fed up with unpicking it from the duckweed - and of course a change is as close to a holiday as I'll get any time soon . Still not completely used to it looking so bare but it is coming along and the lotus is doing its best to cover the surface. Added some h.siamensis in the middle section to make up for the loss of plant mass that was the frogbit. It would be cool to have a matching lotus in the back left but that is Billy the bulldozer bristelnose's zone so its a waste of time planting anything there.

Someone enjoys the extra horizontal surfaces