In this article, we want to explain the easiest methods for maintaining older carpet plants. After all, new growth is much better looking than older growth, especially when right at the very front of your planted aquariums.
Takashi Amano showed the world how to do it carefully in planted tanks, but not everyone fully understands it. Many hobbyists just let their carpet plants grow and grow in the foreground until suddenly their carpet plant grows very high and just like the other aquatic plants in the aquarium.
Glossostigma elatinoides is a typical carpet plant suitable for growing a dense carpet in the foreground of the planted tank. Hemianthus Callitrichoides (dwarf baby tears) is probably one of the best carpeting plants. Be careful when cutting this carpeting plant, as they are very fragile. On the other hand, trimming these aquarium plants, like most carpeting plants, if they are well-rooted is really simple and quick, then you only need to pick out the leaves with a net when they will rise to the surface.
The new growths are dense, short, and fill the space quickly. The amount of time spent on this maintenance is minimal. It takes only 5 minutes to trim the carpet plant and 2-3 minutes to collect the carpeting plant leaves from the surface of the aquarium. So the whole operation is not long-lasting.
Maintanance
Maintenance can be simple when you have the correct tools. The curved scissors are suitable for precision work, especially for small and more delicate plant species such as Hemianthus callitrichoides (Dwarf Baby Tears). Trimming well-rooted, larger plants such as Cryptocoryne or Staurogyne Repens with regular scissors or fingertips is perfectly ok. Remember that potassium and phosphorus are elements that support the root’s growth so liquid fertilizer would be highly beneficial.
In few weeks after trimming your carpeting plants, they will form a nice carpet again. The huge benefit to this method of tripping your favorite carpeting plants is that this does not disturb your substrate, resulting in a water change after every trimming. In the same way, you can take care of other plants such as Eleocharis, Riccia, mosses, and others. By trimming plants in this way, we will keep them clean, free from algae growth, detritus, and other impurities. More about trimming in this BLOG.
Depending on the growth rate, it’s recommended to trim your carpet plants every 2-4 months. However, trimming more often may be needed. Many factors affect the growth of aquarium plants. High light, fine substrate, water parameters, and low lighting all directly affect the rate at which your aquatic carpet plant.
Remember that maintaining a healthy thick carpet is not an easy task. It takes time and patience. Many aquascapers state that to have any success, you must inject CO2 into your planted tank to grow a lush carpet. Take a look at our COMPLETE CO2 SYSTEM if you want to have a healthy plant. Therefore we would rather not recommend to use carpeting plants in a low tech tank. Also take care of the high light while having carpet plants in your planted tank because too intense lighting may cause the excessive growth of algae.