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Trim, or leave alone? (HC)

1K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  dasit88 
#1 ·
I just filled this tank of mine that I let go emersed for a few months. Because of the sloping, I was getting bad growth near the front middle because of excess water and it is recovering.

I bought a cheap filter from the lfs because my fluval lily pipe project isn't done yet, and the tank really needed to be filled.

I'm injecting pressurized co2 at a rate that is lethal to livestock, temporarily, to give the plants a jump start. It has been pearling nicely so far. I'm dosing NPK and micros.

The plants are starting to extend out a lot, and I know that the bottom layer will die off if you don't trim it regularly.
 

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#2 ·
I trimmed my HC a few days ago, about a month since starting the tank.

Was similar to you - a few shoots going upwards. I read that trimming encouraged sideways growth, but wanted to trim for aesthetics anyway. Completed the trim about 4 days ago and already seeing new growth.
 
#3 ·
Butcher it

Butcher it. Trim it down short, just make sure you do it in sections. Say a 1/3rd of the tank at a time. That way it wont shock the system.
There is a video out there where Tom Barr shows how to trim foreground plants.
Also HC is a nitrate loving hog so make sure your feeding it or trimming will just make it worse (lack luster growth).
 
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