I've had tanks on and off for 30 years and am getting back into them for my son. But I've always had plastic plants. My wife convinced me to go live, and so far so good.

I've been reading through the threads here and see comments about adding CO2, adding nutrients, different substrates and etc. My plants seem to be doing fine, but I want to make sure they continue to. I can't tell you what kind of plants they are and don't currently have access to a working camera - but should by this weekend.

My tank is 6-gallons, unheated, and contains 4 white clouds, and innumerable snails that hitch-hiked in with the plants. The plants seem to be doing really well so far. Two types - the spindly ones don't seem to be growing much but are putting out runners. The leafed-out ones grow like crazy. I cut them down and re-plant the clippings. They are in small to medium gravel. Lightbulb is marineland natural daylight that came with the tank. .16 amps

My main question is - should I just throw the clippings away? I'd like for the tank to be well-planted, but would settle for a sparser landscape if it would be better for the plants.

Would appreciate any thoughts.

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Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

Sell or give away the clippings, some people make decent money off clippings.

So in other words, stop replanting??

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Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

If you feel the tank is becoming crowded then stop replanting. What type of substate are you using?

In my 30G tank I am about planted out. Once I feel that I am at the right level of plants I am going to try to sell/give away the clippings just so that hopefully someone else can enjoy live plants like I do.

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I just pretend I know what I'm doing

I'm using small and medium aquarium gravel.

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Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

Whenever I have tried live plants before in just the regular small gravel stuff you get at the petstores, I never had any luck. Like my 55g has some sickly plants in it and it is just normal gravel. Of course I don't like using fertilizers so that might be why. This next summer I am going to do the same thing to my 55 that I did to my 30. Then I won't have sick looking plants in my family room.

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I just pretend I know what I'm doing

So far, they're thriving. But now my wife is looking to get a 'real' tank. Hopefully I can talk her into 75 gallons plus. Will probably go with sand for substrate in that one.

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Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

Another reason identifying the plants is important is to know how to plant them. Certain plants will eventually die if there roots are buried in substrate and need to be weighed down to the bottom or tied to a rock or piece of driftwood. Try to get some photos of the plants and people on here can let you know to best care for them.

Still not having luck with pics, but was able to identify one plant - anacharis. As this grows to the top of the water, should I just keep cutting back and replanting?

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Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

One thing you will learn when dealing with live plants...you're never done planting. There are soooooo many different varieties and colors out there. I'm constantly changing things around in my tanks. I'm still learning the art of aquascaping but it definately is fun in the process. ;o)

Let me see if I understand this.

You have a 6 g tank with 4 white clouds, unheated, with plants.

Your only problem appears to be what to do the excess plants?

Hmmmmm no dead fish, no cloudy water, Just excess plants.


In my humble opinion. Congratuations.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!1

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Thank you. The only problem has been uninvited hitchhikers - snails and recently what looked to be some kind of predatory insect. Looked like a larva from dragonfly or damselfly. Got that out of there - no apparent harm to the fish.

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Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

Ya those hitch hiking snails suck. I just wait until they are big enough to grab with my fingers and put them in the tank with my figure 8 puffer. He makes them feel right at home.

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I just pretend I know what I'm doing

The snails have been more of a blessing than a curse, to be honest. They clean up great.

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Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.

Glad you got the larva out.

Snails (almost) always bloom at first. The a year later there are only a few left.

So I wouldn't worry.

Meanwhile they are cleaning the tank and the eggs providing food for the fish.

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

will u have success planting if u use sand?