I attempted to use the Ghori BrutalHack (TM) trimming method on some limnophilia aromatica and ludwigia repens, and what I've ended up with so far are some long, naked stems with little leaf growth and no branching. I did this the week after the last meeting.
In fact, for both plant species, many of the stems appear to be rotting.
Is this just a matter of patience, or are there some other steps I should be following.
Please don't tell me the BrutalHack method only works in perfectly balanced, ultra high-tech set ups.
As an FYI, I dose Excel daily and Flourish with water changes (approximately every 3 days). Lighting is T5 for 10 hrs/day.
Blaise
what have I done?
-
B Considine
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:13 pm
- Location: HoCo
-
Ghazanfar Ghori
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3258
- Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2003 5:26 am
- Location: United States
-
B Considine
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:13 pm
- Location: HoCo
Here's what I did:
Flush with excitement after the meeting at Ghazanfar's I promptly chopped the limnophilia and ludwigia to half height at my next water change. Rather than replant the tops, I gave them away to friends. I also hacked some Rotala, which has bounced back.
I have since proceeded with my regular schedule for water changes, ferts, etc.
What I've ended up with are tall, rangy stems with new growth at the very top, little if any branching, especially on the limnophilia. I certainly have seen nothing like the pictures Ghazanfar posted of his 90P. Ghazanfar, this is why I PM'd you a while back asking if the hard trim works for all stems.
Dave, I would definitely say I have a low to medium light tank at best. My lighting is a Coralife 36" T5 strip with 2 6700 bulbs. I do not run CO2, but do dose Excel daily. I dose Flourish with each water change, which is every 3 days (about a 20% change each time). I occasionally add iron.
I do not do the NPK thing because, frankly, I'm afraid to try it.
If I've botched it beyond repair, no real big deal. I'll wait until someone has either/both plants at auction, and start again. I just want to avoid this situation next time I'm in the mood to try to kick things up a level.
Blaise
Flush with excitement after the meeting at Ghazanfar's I promptly chopped the limnophilia and ludwigia to half height at my next water change. Rather than replant the tops, I gave them away to friends. I also hacked some Rotala, which has bounced back.
I have since proceeded with my regular schedule for water changes, ferts, etc.
What I've ended up with are tall, rangy stems with new growth at the very top, little if any branching, especially on the limnophilia. I certainly have seen nothing like the pictures Ghazanfar posted of his 90P. Ghazanfar, this is why I PM'd you a while back asking if the hard trim works for all stems.
Dave, I would definitely say I have a low to medium light tank at best. My lighting is a Coralife 36" T5 strip with 2 6700 bulbs. I do not run CO2, but do dose Excel daily. I dose Flourish with each water change, which is every 3 days (about a 20% change each time). I occasionally add iron.
I do not do the NPK thing because, frankly, I'm afraid to try it.
If I've botched it beyond repair, no real big deal. I'll wait until someone has either/both plants at auction, and start again. I just want to avoid this situation next time I'm in the mood to try to kick things up a level.
Blaise
Hmmm.
I am no expert, but I think I've done what you did before as well. And here is what I learned, for the not even two cents it is worth. I do have a couple of tanks that run in this fashion, my 33g flatback and 30g long, though light levels may be a spot higher, it isn't by much.
When stems get extremely "leggy" on me, or if I am pushing the limits of being able to keep them light and nutrient-wise, I need to baby them.
I tried cutting the tops - I tend to replant them though - and the top would grow, but the cut base would rot. I think I wasn't pushing the system fast enough - does that make sense? To have thing regrow quickly enough to save the "stumps".
This has proven doubly true for bare stems, those that lost leaves from being shaded out or what have you - I can grow out yatabeanus, get some bare stem on the bottom. Clip it, replant the top, it does great, but that stump only shoots new growth maybe half the time.
For easier stems, it'd work for me about all the time. Rotalas (the easy ones like pink and colorata), easy ludwigias (don't know why this one wouldn't regrow, unless it was bare stems) those kinds of things.
Higher light, faster growth system, it seems to work better - I can absolutely butcher the Stellata in my 180g, and it regrows, shooting new growth very quickly.
I'm not going to say it only works in "ultra high tech" setups, but it does require a setup that is promoting fairly fast growth...
I am no expert, but I think I've done what you did before as well. And here is what I learned, for the not even two cents it is worth. I do have a couple of tanks that run in this fashion, my 33g flatback and 30g long, though light levels may be a spot higher, it isn't by much.
When stems get extremely "leggy" on me, or if I am pushing the limits of being able to keep them light and nutrient-wise, I need to baby them.
I tried cutting the tops - I tend to replant them though - and the top would grow, but the cut base would rot. I think I wasn't pushing the system fast enough - does that make sense? To have thing regrow quickly enough to save the "stumps".
This has proven doubly true for bare stems, those that lost leaves from being shaded out or what have you - I can grow out yatabeanus, get some bare stem on the bottom. Clip it, replant the top, it does great, but that stump only shoots new growth maybe half the time.
For easier stems, it'd work for me about all the time. Rotalas (the easy ones like pink and colorata), easy ludwigias (don't know why this one wouldn't regrow, unless it was bare stems) those kinds of things.
Higher light, faster growth system, it seems to work better - I can absolutely butcher the Stellata in my 180g, and it regrows, shooting new growth very quickly.
I'm not going to say it only works in "ultra high tech" setups, but it does require a setup that is promoting fairly fast growth...
Dave
-
B Considine
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:13 pm
- Location: HoCo
I can bring you some regular repens, I don't have the repens x arcuata hybrid though.
Haven't kept aromatica in a while - I was melting like you just did, and stopped trying, heh. I'm better about CO2, but worse about dosing the tanks on a regular basis, it tended to stunt and whither on me.
Dude, CO2.... long term cost savings.... soooo worth it!
Haven't kept aromatica in a while - I was melting like you just did, and stopped trying, heh. I'm better about CO2, but worse about dosing the tanks on a regular basis, it tended to stunt and whither on me.
Dude, CO2.... long term cost savings.... soooo worth it!
Dave
