Help with Bolbitis heudelotti

[jolt100]

Hi, can anyone tell me how to reduce the height of Bolbitis? I have had this for years in different tanks and conditions but it grows so large it leaves the water, leaves get to 50+cm the rhizome gets to 1cm and the shoots are very large.I have tried trimming the main rhizome and trying to keep only the smaller shoots but it still grows and grows . My water is soft (2DH 50mS)and I dont add Calcium.
Over the years I have had it in low flow and high flow, low nutrient and high nutrient, no CO2 and directly in front of the outlet with high CO2 but it still maintains its growth pattern. I have had it growing on wood and just rooted in graveland the roots get so dense the tank has a black mat that nothing can grow through. I dont like having to keep uprooting it and throwing it in the bin . I have seen ads with Bolbitis with stems only 1-2mm thick and when I first got it 20 years ago thats how it grew.

Is it because it needs regular trimming rather than being left alone?
Any suggestions welcome :idea:

Thanks

John

 

[samc]

i have read that takashi amano trimms all the leaves that get too big off and the plant 'learns' to grow smaller. thats what he does with needle java so i should imagine that it would be the same for bolbitis.

cant say for sure this works as i have never tried it

 

[jolt100]

Thanks Sam, thats what I was starting to suspect, I had chopped a lot of the very large leaves in one tank in my fishhouse and at the moment its not growing out of the tank, just along the surface, but I didnt know plants could learn, sounds like Triffids to me, scary!!
so out come the big scissors, it may take while

thanks again
John