Re:What to do with my sword plant

[smalltownfan]

The one sword plant that started about five inches high is huge now.  The tank is 48" long, 18"wide and 30" high and the sword is at the surface taking over about a third of the aquarium.  To the point I may have to pull it out and replace it with something else.

The plants have been growing to the point that every two weeks I have had to do some serious trimming to keep it under control.  The fish are all healthy and thriving.

The one sword plant that started about five inches high is huge now.  The tank is 48" long, 18"wide and 30" high and the sword is at the surface taking over about a third of the aquarium.  To the point I may have to pull it out and replace it with something else.

This winter I will probably slowly remove some plants and replace them a bit at a time.

If somebody had a really big tank.......

[cemantic]

I can appreciate that I should pass the big sword plant on if I remove it.  The downside is the aquarium is infested with snails and the leaves of the plant are generally healthy but some small holes in the leaves.  I may just cut it back and keep it.

I feel bad with all the plant material I throw out every other week but I'm thinking most people do not want the snail problem.

Looking into Assassin snails to help but that is another post.

[rkmike]

I have Kubotai loaches and they've made quick work of any pond snails, they don't touch the Nerite snails and I think they're keeping the MTS snails down to a manageable number (they don't seem as bad as they used to be). I'm looking for a big anchor plant for my 125, so if you decide to part with it let me know!

Mike

[cemantic]

hi Mike

I did a major trim yesterday and decided I would keep the sword for now.  I cut or ripped out everything around it and once you can see it properly it looks great and the fish love it.

I now have tons of plants in five buckets.  I just felt guilty about throwing all these plants away every other week.

Something I didn't say in the other post was with the way the Sword propagates.  I had never left it so long and kept pulling it's hard branch like things out when I did the bi-monthly trim but it was just one mass of plants when I did it this time and the Sword's branches it puts out had tons of new little sword plants.  Saved them all.