All stem plants shooting roots from the nodes

[Andre01]

is this a sign of deficiency?67L tank with eco-complete substrate, 3 watt per gallon,pressurised co2.any ideas?cheers.

 

[ceg4048]

Use a pair of scissors or your fingers to remove them. These are called "aerial roots" and are normal for many fast growing stem plants.

Cheers,

 

[jack-rythm]

I have them all over my hygrophila polysperma rosenervig! Does my head in !

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[ceg4048]

So the best strategy is to find slower growing plants that do not put out as many aerial roots. Generally the faster the growth the more roots. Avoid plants like Heteranthera zosterifolia, for example, which are notorious for putting out these roots. Try something like Nesaea or Rotala instead. Also avoid the faster growing Luwigias for example, but the slower forms like acuata, glandulosa and ovalis, or the vertiicillated version such as "cuba" or "pantanal", although more difficult to grow, don't have as many aerial roots.

There are lots of well behaved plants that folks don't think about but which are much lower maintenance and are more elegant.

Cheers,

 

[Brian Murphy]

So the best strategy is to find slower growing plants that do not put out as many aerial roots. Generally the faster the growth the more roots. Avoid plants like Heteranthera zosterifolia, for example, which are notorious for putting out these roots. Try something like Nesaea or Rotala instead. Also avoid the faster growing Luwigias for example, but the slower forms like acuata, glandulosa and ovalis, or the vertiicillated version such as "cuba" or "pantanal", although more difficult to grow, don't have as many aerial roots.

There are lots of well behaved plants that folks don't think about but which are much lower maintenance and are more elegant.

Cheers,

Really like this plant from pics .... hope to try growing some very soon .... after I get my Co2 etc sorted out

 

[Antipofish]

So the best strategy is to find slower growing plants that do not put out as many aerial roots. Generally the faster the growth the more roots. Avoid plants like Heteranthera zosterifolia, for example, which are notorious for putting out these roots. Try something like Nesaea or Rotala instead. Also avoid the faster growing Luwigias for example, but the slower forms like acuata, glandulosa and ovalis, or the vertiicillated version such as "cuba" or "pantanal", although more difficult to grow, don't have as many aerial roots.

There are lots of well behaved plants that folks don't think about but which are much lower maintenance and are more elegant.

Cheers,

Good advice as usual, although interestingly, my rotala started putting out aerial roots once it got so long that it started growing horizontally due to the surface flow. Im wondering if I had pinned it down would I have got several new vertical stems Clive ?

 

[Nathaniel Whiteside]

Mine did exactly the same Chris. Started sprouting roots once it hit the surface.

 

[jack-rythm]

Um this is interesting. Now you mention it Whitey my plants do it when touching the surface too! Maybe I shouldn't let them

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[ceg4048]

Hi,
Roots on aquatic plants are used for various reasons. What I mean by that is that other than nutrient uptake, roots are useful to use as snares or anchors in order to keep the plant from drifting into strong currents and being destroyed. Once the plant reaches the surface it then has access to infinite CO2 so this triggers some changes in the physiology. In a tank, there are so many unnatural stimuli that various combinations of events can trigger these changes. Simply having high CO2 levels, for example, could simulate reaching the surface. Poor CO2 and poor flow around the plant makes it strung out and leggy in order to reach the surface more quickly to find CO2. People see this behavior and they automatically think "Oh I need more light" which is exactly the wrong thing to do.

Cheers,

 

[Andre01]

Many thanks,ceg 4048.