[Marc_G]

(mods, I think this belongs here, but if this belongs in a different forum such as aquascaping, please move it)

From my earliest days as an aquarist, say age 10, I wanted to have pretty, lush, growing plants. That was 45 years ago. However most plants of my youth withered and died under weak incandescent bulbs typical of the 1970s and 80s. In the late 90's I got serious and started investing in better lights (various fluorescents, then metal halides) and experimenting with CO2 and through the early 2000s I was able to keep plants alive and see modest growth. Then life happened and I went dark for more than a decade. A year ago I rebooted my hobby with the latest LED lighting and a CO2 controller. Almost instantly, my plants started growing like gangbusters.

But now I feel like the guy in The Sorcerer's Apprentice. But, with plants. They are growing. And growing. And crowding each other out.

Seven months ago:

Today:

I have nightmares of being evicted from my home by the plants, who want my space for their own, to expand.

My modest swordplants now have leaves 16 inches long, and are reproducing at a prodigious rate. The Val threatens to take over the entire substrate if I don't keep it in check. Measly sprigs of remnant stargrass burst into lush forests seemingly overnight, and the Ludwigia repens branches and grows almost faster than I can prune it back. The Crypts take it all with a measure of quiet acceptance, while consolidating their hold on my substrate against the Val onslaught. While only one stem of Alternanthera properly took root, and is reaching the surface soon, it sent little plantlets out that have grown on the surface, hungrily feeding on light and CO2, growing into fist-size hunks of plant brilliant red. Java ferns, once thought to have died out, have resurged, and the water Wisteria require weekly pinches lest they outgrow all contenders.

This isn't a problem, really, and I'm not complaining. This growth is what I dreamed of. A lifetime goal has been met. I've succeeded in growing plants, along with more than my share of algae to be sure.

Where the problem comes in is: WHAT NOW? I've filled my quarantine tank to bursting with a just a tiny fraction of the overgrowth... it has no fish or CO2 and very modest light, just a few snails, so plants wither there... and unfortunately there's no other place for another big tank in my house, nor do I have the energy to set one up. Multiple Tank Syndrome calls to me, as it does to most of us, but between space, cost, and time/energy constraints, I'm immune. For now, at least. And even if I set up another tank, in six months I would just be in the same place, times two.

I need to seriously trim back this tank, in a big way. I just feel so guilty throwing out plants. I'm too lazy to sell them online, though it could probably be a lucrative hobby, but work, family stuff and other demands on my time make me worried I wouldn't give proper attention to my fellow hobbyists. I've considered going to meetings of a local aquarium club, to give away or sell the excess, but inertia takes hold of me.

So I ask you all. Once you achieve success... what do you do to keep it in check? Sadly I can't quit my corporate job and become a pro plant guy

 

[minorhero]

You have now reached the point where you have figured out how to keep and grow plants and instead need to consider the other question, that of 'should you keep a plant?'

Basically you need to pull a lot of stuff and get rid of it, either selling, giving away, or trashing the leftovers. Then rescape the tank with an eye towards how big and/or invasive a plant will be. The swords have matured and are going to keep throwing out full sized leaves. The val is of course invasive and will grow all over if allowed, The stems are high maintenance plants, requiring pruning and replanting of tops to keep them from getting too tall, etc, etc,

This would also be a good time to consider changing up plants, maybe instead of swords add some smaller plants that don't get as tall etc.

 

[Marc_G]

Great comments @minorhero . I've already started on this path. Early on, when the plants were just starting to win out over algae, I had huge amounts of stargrass and wisteria (each grown from just a few stems bought from a fellow forum member). Those fast growing plants soaked up nutrients and kept the algae at bay until other plants could get going. My swords took a while before exploding.

I've since removed almost all the stargrass, though it keeps recovering with a vengeance, and most of the wisteria, with the same caveat. I might want to lean more towards more variety of crypts and stuff like that. I need to give it all some thought.

 

[JasonVes]

(mods, I think this belongs here, but if this belongs in a different forum such as aquascaping, please move it)

From my earliest days as an aquarist, say age 10, I wanted to have pretty, lush, growing plants. That was 45 years ago. However most plants of my youth withered and died under weak incandescent bulbs typical of the 1970s and 80s. In the late 90's I got serious and started investing in better lights (various fluorescents, then metal halides) and experimenting with CO2 and through the early 2000s I was able to keep plants alive and see modest growth. Then life happened and I went dark for more than a decade. A year ago I rebooted my hobby with the latest LED lighting and a CO2 controller. Almost instantly, my plants started growing like gangbusters.

But now I feel like the guy in The Sorcerer's Apprentice. But, with plants. They are growing. And growing. And crowding each other out.

Seven months ago:
View attachment 1050497

Today:

View attachment 1050498

I have nightmares of being evicted from my home by the plants, who want my space for their own, to expand.

My modest swordplants now have leaves 16 inches long, and are reproducing at a prodigious rate. The Val threatens to take over the entire substrate if I don't keep it in check. Measly sprigs of remnant stargrass burst into lush forests seemingly overnight, and the Ludwigia repens branches and grows almost faster than I can prune it back. The Crypts take it all with a measure of quiet acceptance, while consolidating their hold on my substrate against the Val onslaught. While only one stem of Alternanthera properly took root, and is reaching the surface soon, it sent little plantlets out that have grown on the surface, hungrily feeding on light and CO2, growing into fist-size hunks of plant brilliant red. Java ferns, once thought to have died out, have resurged, and the water Wisteria require weekly pinches lest they outgrow all contenders.

This isn't a problem, really, and I'm not complaining. This growth is what I dreamed of. A lifetime goal has been met. I've succeeded in growing plants, along with more than my share of algae to be sure.

Where the problem comes in is: WHAT NOW? I've filled my quarantine tank to bursting with a just a tiny fraction of the overgrowth... it has no fish or CO2 and very modest light, just a few snails, so plants wither there... and unfortunately there's no other place for another big tank in my house, nor do I have the energy to set one up. Multiple Tank Syndrome calls to me, as it does to most of us, but between space, cost, and time/energy constraints, I'm immune. For now, at least. And even if I set up another tank, in six months I would just be in the same place, times two.

I need to seriously trim back this tank, in a big way. I just feel so guilty throwing out plants. I'm too lazy to sell them online, though it could probably be a lucrative hobby, but work, family stuff and other demands on my time make me worried I wouldn't give proper attention to my fellow hobbyists. I've considered going to meetings of a local aquarium club, to give away or sell the excess, but inertia takes hold of me.

So I ask you all. Once you achieve success... what do you do to keep it in check? Sadly I can't quit my corporate job and become a pro plant guy

I too am in a similar situation and the only solution , i'm afraid , I have found is more tanks (nano tanks) .We must be of a similar age and it sounds as though we have gone the same path within the hobby . These new lights are fantastic . I restarted the hobby about 12 Months ago with a small 30 litre planted tank and now have 4 . The one plus is they very easy to do water changes . On the other 3 i have no co2 , but i do have the LED lights , and the plants still grow just as well as the CO2 tank , slower , but they still go nuts . I've already fallen into the trap again of ' tank syndrome ' but with the small tanks it is so much easier to do water changes etc . One tank at this time does not even have a single fish in it ,but only plants a piece of wood . If you do find a good solution outside of takeing plants to the local shop , please do pass that info on its much needed . Thanks Jason.

 

[jdr336666]

Old Japanese proverb. Gardening is about creating space, not filling space. Now the fun begins.

 

[DezMan]

Sell them and start over

 

[JasonVes]

Sell them and start over

Sell them and start over

I have considered that , in fact have given quite a lot away , but it seems to me 12 Months is not that long and the tanks do keep looking better , and although the plant growth is phenomenal , i just cant get it in me to get rid of them . Maybe its just those decades of battling so much with plants I just cant bring myself to the point of breaking the tank down

 

[jdr336666]

i just cant get it in me to get rid of them . Maybe its just those decades of battling so much with plants I just can't bring myself to the point of breaking the tank down

Exactly. Once I got the plants growing I would trim them and then find a new place for them in the tank. After a while, there was too much overgrowth. So, I now keep cuttings in a holding tank. I don't have enough to sell. They stay in the holding tank until I can think of a place to put them in the show tank.

Or, gasp, I throw them out.

 

[DezMan]

I can’t wait to get that point I just started my journey in November

 

[ThreadFin]

I actually kind of use that philosophy to start new tanks. I really like the fast growing plants in the beginning to establish a tank and get the ecosystem settled in and algae under control.

Then I start looking at what can go and what can I replace it with. My 6 month old tank has finally settled in and I'm starting to replace.the pogostema octopus with more "refined" species.

Next is to get the hydrocotyle under control.
Here is the tank after a very heavy pruning last week.

 

[RadOtter]

I ran into problems with my amazon swords as well. I couldn't bring myself to throw them out. 16" Echinodorus do pretty well just pulled out of the tank and planted in a flower vase with some aqua soil. I use a cheap $5 "pool light" but they do perfectly fine with just your ambient house lighting.

 

[Marc_G]

I ran into problems with my amazon swords as well. I couldn't bring myself to throw them out. 16" Echinodorus do pretty well just pulled out of the tank and planted in a flower vase with some aqua soil. I use a cheap $5 "pool light" but they do perfectly fine with just your ambient house lighting.

Love this vase approach!

 

[Marc_G]

Yesterday I did the first step of pruning down the plants and creating some space. I was tempted to call the fish store and see if they would take some swords in trade for credit but I just don't have time to deal with that. Very busy with work/family stuff. It hurt, but I pulled out some huge plants and lots of stems and such, and trashed them.

I take solace that this represents only maybe 20% of the swords in my tank and I have dozens of smaller ones that can grow to take their place...

 

[ThreadFin]

Throw them in a bucket they will last awhile until you can get to the store or give them away.

The leaves will take a beating but as long as the roots are good they will come back.

 

[Marc_G]

I will consider it for future pruning of the tank. Those ones in the picture are already in the bin.

 

[dfarr67]

My LFS happily gives credit.

 

[dfarr67]

I cannot get any red plant to do well- what's the story here?

 

[RadOtter]

I cannot get any red plant to do well- what's the story here?

Without knowing the specific "red" plants you are referring to. There are many factors involved that differ greatly across genera. Or whether the red pigment in the family is due to betacyanin or anthocyanin. So it is a bit of a catch-all solution but most people recommend increasing your Phosphate:Nitrate ratio. It worked out for me quite successfully with Rotalas, Echinodorus, and Alternantheras. In both high-tech and low-tech tanks.