Yet another HC question

[Bunbuku]

A few questions for the gurus...

1) When HC is grown using they dry start method then submerged, is it more likely to stay low to the substrate compared to conventional submerged methods ?

2) What is the rule of thumb for when to trim the HC? Do you wait till it reaches a certain height or wait till the HC entirely covers the substrate?

3) How short do you trim it? I was told in one forum the Amano trims them down to the bare root


My tank - ADA 60P Iwagumi style (HC, Bylxa, a few Anubias petite from an old setup) with Amazonia II, 150 Watt MH lighthing, CO2 suppl. My HC lawn is about 3 months old, 1" high after recent trim. Decided not to trim more off bec I discovered baby tiger shrimps hiding under the lawn, so I tried not to disturb their hideout too much.

 

[Tom Barr]

1. yes
2. About 1" some let it go more, but it can start to pull up if you are not careful
3. Depends on you, to the nub or 1/4" seems better.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[defdac]

How do you go about actually trimming it? Scissors as horizontal you can or is it possible to use it in 45 degress and just "hack away"?

It feels like it would detach from the substrate if you try to push a couple of scissors under the rug.

 

[ceg4048]

How do you go about actually trimming it? Scissors as horizontal you can or is it possible to use it in 45 degress and just "hack away"?

It feels like it would detach from the substrate if you try to push a couple of scissors under the rug.

Curved scissors do the trick: Do!Aqua Scissors Curved Tip - Small [DASCT] - £26.99 : Aqua Essentials

Cheers,

 

[Tom Barr]

How do you go about actually trimming it? Scissors as horizontal you can or is it possible to use it in 45 degress and just "hack away"?

It feels like it would detach from the substrate if you try to push a couple of scissors under the rug.

Yes, you need to have a healthy rug and not allow it to get much beyond 3 cm deep, when intense pearling occurs, the parts can be pulled off, much like riccia stones that are not trimmed often.

The HC in my 180 was in need of a trim before I left, but due to no power for 4 days when I left, the HC melted, in this ratty state, I just pulled the mat back carefully, took the best parts and replanted in clump style.

Given the labor, this might be the best method over time.
Trimming is fine if you have the time and want it to look nice at most all times, still, after the hack, you still have to wait a few weeks for the plant to grow back in, you do not get to really clean and move plants around near the mat and so on.

It's a trade off to some degree, but the more I deal with large mats, the more I like the replant method.

Still, for a smaller tank, the trim method does work well.

I like the look of both Gloss and HC when it first covers the gravel in 1- plant deep layers.

But a nice compact 1" deep rug ain't bad either.
So trim, replant when it gets to the level much beyond the 1" or 3 cm level.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Bunbuku]

Tom how big are the HC plugs you replant, and how deep do you insert into the substrate?

eason I ask is I have had difficulty getting replanted HC to stay down in the substrate - but then it may be the Amanos that are digging them up.