Plants Growing out over tank water.

Hi guys
Been a while, Iv been so busy with work these past month , haven't had much time to do anything.

Question is, Is there a special way to prune water plants?

Some of the plants in my tank seem to be growing out over the water line, The leaves it seems are being burnt by the Tank bulb and
The leaves of the bigger plants seem the be cutting light off the smaller plants growing below it, causing those plants to turn brown and die.

Is there a way one should prune plants? Iv never really done this before. Usually all i did was remove dead leaves, cut off partially rotting leaves and a 10% water change,

Any tips? ideas?

 

Zippy320 - I've had similar questions in the past - I mean you get tools sets specifically designed to help you become a master aquascaper. Best advice I ever got was ... use sharp scissors. Something that does not crush the plants stems. Some might says you need to remove the plant - make cuttings and then replant those cuttings and these guys have mostly beautiful tanks that are well balanced with dense planting patterns. So, depending on the type of plants, use commonness. Trimming valis vs anubia vs moss is different. Valis I might nip tips off 3 cm below the water line and throw that away, Anubias maybe 5 leave from the top and retie the cutting, moss hard trim and discard - everything you cut and remove form that tank is bio mass that the plants removed and scrubbed from your tanks water. But here is the best "tip" ... Take a before and after photo - file it away, take another 3 weeks later and so on. Keep a record of what does and what does not work for you. Lastly disposal, either onto a compost heap / earthworm thing or let it dry out completely before it gets to the rubbish bin.

Later Ferdie

 

these threads helped me alot:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/g...ing-plants-nature-aquarium-takashi-amano.html

and:

im not sure if u can see this:
http://www.apsa.co.za/board/index.php?topic=2968.0

 

Thanks for the links @shihr

 

no prob..

 

Here's even a nice video for you guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b0NGJkPGfY

Just a question though.. if you have a planted tank with a few fish like this guy.. wouldn't it be less stressful to put the fish in your quarantine tank during the pruning?

Or is it more stressful for them to get caught and placed in a different tank than just to swim away from "THE CLAW" all the time? lol