[Buster67]

I have a few Vallisneria spirallis plants in my tank and they have a habit of sending new runners out in only one direction: left. They always send new shoots that way, never to the right of the mother plant. What is up with that? They are located with a large rock behind them, but other than that there is nothing stopping them from sending runners out in any direction they please.

Also, the plants have been in the tank for about two months now, but the Valls that are in the foreground are the only ones that have sent new runners out. The plants that are located more in the mid-ground area have not send any runners out, although they have grown much taller than the others.

Any ideas what is happening? Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[FrostyNYC]

Is the light more intense in that direction? Less intense? Is your CO2 outflow in that direction?

 

[Buster67]

Hi Frosty,

Not running CO2 and although there is a window in the direction the runners are going, I don't think the tank receives much light from that direction. It is a north facing window so not much light is coming in at this time of year. Certainly not more than is being provided by the tank light, which is using 2 x 54 watt T5 HO bulbs.

I usually keep the light fixture over the mid-back part of the tank. The plants that are not sending out new runners are directly under the light and growing tall while the plants near the front glass are short/stocky and sending runners.

I wonder if it has to do with the water current. The filter pours out to the right of the plants and the runners are going to the left, in the direction of the water movement.

By the way, the tank is 48 x 18 x 18.

 

[Ariel301]

It may be your water current. I looked at mine, and they are doing the same. Runners only going one direction, downcurrent. Neat observation!

 

[Buster67]

Thanks Ariel, it's cool to know I'm not the only one experiencing this.

Now I'm just wondering why some of my valls grow tall without babies and the others are short and stocky with 6-7 babies each, all in a row.

Anyway, it's not a problem at all, just curious why some plants behave one way and some the other. Maybe the water current encourages shorter, stocky growth and spreading by runners.

 

[mgamer20o0]

in the end you could always just move the runners once they get a few inch tall. it never seems to grow where i want it lol

 

[Buster67]

Just moved one string of 6-7 runners to the right (up current) so they have more room to spread left (down current). This is the first time I have snipped off a string of runners and replanted them, so I hope they take.