Chad Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 Made an impulse buy at PetSmart the other day (first time, honest!! 😉) and I came home with an Anubias plant that turned out to be a bunch of shoots tied together rather than just one rhizome. Shocker, right? Anyway, I intended to cut 'em apart and plant separately after floating them for a bit but I've come to love them as a bunch and would like to keep them that way. Is there a downside to just leaving them tied together as they are? Will there be problems down the road I'm not foreseeing? Any help is always appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GameCzar Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 I would think they would be fine as long as the rhizomes aren't smothered.  They might not grow as fast, but Anubias are slow growing anyway.  4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 It should work fine either way. I’ve bought a few pots of Anubias from Aquarium Coop that were two smaller plants instead of one big one. I just consider it a bonus. 😀 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Posted October 20, 2021 Author Share Posted October 20, 2021 Yeah, I get ya. I was more concerned with leaving them tied as is, if that would cause growing/dying issues down the road. Â 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 If you like the way they look as a bunch I’d untie them and glue them to your hard scape so that each rhizome has some space around it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Posted October 20, 2021 Author Share Posted October 20, 2021 This is where my obsessive compulsive attention to detail comes into play. I love how the bunch looks right now, the placement of the leaves with one another and shape in the tank are perfect. If I untie it now, I'll lose that "perfect" shape and direction. It's not the end of the world, I know, but I was just wondering if I could keep it untouched is all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalmedByFish Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 On 10/20/2021 at 3:50 PM, Chad said: I love how the bunch looks right now, the placement of the leaves with one another and shape in the tank are perfect. If I untie it now, I'll lose that "perfect" shape and direction. I'd vote for taking it apart and gluing the pieces to something so each rhizome gets water flow. See if you can tell where the next leaf might grow on each piece, and aim them so their new leaves won't run into each other. Maybe you could take a picture of it as it is, then use that picture to help you recreate something similar when you're gluing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 On 10/20/2021 at 1:50 PM, Chad said: know, but I was just wondering if I could keep it untouched is all. Yup, aquatic gardening is all about experimenting. Give it a try and let’s see a pic! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 On 10/20/2021 at 4:50 PM, Chad said: the placement of the leaves with one another and shape in the tank are perfect. If I untie it now, I'll lose that "perfect" shape and direction. This is either going to be good news or bad news but: the leaves will change their orientation based on the light source you give them. That could be good, because if you separate the rhizomes and glue them with a little space in between, they may eventually arrange their leaves to be nicely interspersed again! But it could be bad because your beautiful bunch may not keep its orientation once it’s been in your tank for a while. Plants are never static—that’s why they’re fun! So either way, you’ll end up with something slightly different from what you started with. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Posted October 20, 2021 Author Share Posted October 20, 2021 On 10/20/2021 at 6:17 PM, Hobbit said: This is either going to be good news or bad news but: the leaves will change their orientation based on the light source you give them. That could be good, because if you separate the rhizomes and glue them with a little space in between, they may eventually arrange their leaves to be nicely interspersed again! But it could be bad because your beautiful bunch may not keep its orientation once it’s been in your tank for a while. Plants are never static—that’s why they’re fun! So either way, you’ll end up with something slightly different from what you started with. You just had to come in and wreck my party, huh?! 😉 Well your point is very good, love to say I'd thought of that but I hadn't. All I thought was, "Anubias grow super slow for me! Shouldn't be a problem!" Thanks, great advice all. I'll get the glue gun out... tomorrow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Posted October 20, 2021 Author Share Posted October 20, 2021 Well, here's the before pic. It's that bigger green one atop the rock pile. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 I like jamming epiphytes into the nooks and crannies of wood! I love Anubias. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Posted October 21, 2021 Author Share Posted October 21, 2021 For sure @Streetwise. I'm tinkering with this tank and love that look too. Anubias' have grown terribly slowly for me, but they haven't died so I'm liking them too. Java fern on the other hand... grows great one month then browns up the next. Can't figure it out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 On 10/20/2021 at 5:52 PM, Streetwise said: I like jamming epiphytes into the nooks and crannies of wood! I love Anubias. I second that! One can't have too many Anubias. I am loving the way they grow emersed in the paludarium. You can leave what you have unchanged if you are not daring to alter the current state, but all above suggestions are viable, and your landscape will evolve with time anyway. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 @Chad, I would consider Java Fern to be light-shy. Consider shading it with hardscape, floating plants, or sun-thirsty plants. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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