Averagr length of times your plants live

OnceLoyal

Candiru
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Just curious for you hardcore plant guys. So you plant your tanks and they seem pretty established. % wise do most tanks stay well stocked? Like your trimming and clipping away for years? Or is this something your constantly adding. Out with the old and dying and in with the new?
I see so many beautiful tanks and a couple months later they are finished. I may hit this plant thing hard and if so need my expectations set accordingly.
 

skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
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hello; I have had individual plants last for years. I have had some plants that send out runners exist for several decades as genetically identical to the parent plant.
 

Fat Homer

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Unless i get bored of the plants otherwise i've kept some plants for over 3-5 years in my tanks...

Its just that when i tear apart a scape i'll trim just the tops off the plants i want to keep and replant them again in the same tank...

Othertimes with carpeting plants when i get bored of constantly trimming them back i'll pull it all out and dump it...
 
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OnceLoyal

Candiru
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Very encouraging responses so far!!! I see so many her "rescaped" and am curious if they get bored or everything freekin dies lol.
 

philipraposo1982

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Once you get into.aquascaping and different plants it about just switching it.up.alot


There is no lifespan.so to say with plants. Many of they reproduce and grow and grow.

Start slow and be patient. Small changes need time to show their effect on the plants.

Plants can become.pricey depending on what you grow.

I made a ton of.money selling my rare crypts and rare stem plants. Also selling large anubias and aponogetons.

Very rewarding with plants but can put your patients to the test at times.
 
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skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
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if they get bored or everything freekin dies lol.
Hello; My experience leans to the "bored" answer. I tend to let a tank continue until some factor forces things. Having to move, a tank leak, and the most recent for me an outbreak of "slime algae".
I have been able to keep the plants alive and did replant them into new setups. I see no absolute reason to throw out plants and then to go buy all new. I keep a few 5 gallon buckets for tank use only. I put the plants in a bucket with a light source and can keep them alive for weeks if needed.
I lost a strain of crypt in 1999 that I had kept going from the late 1950's. I had them in a bucket and left them outside too long. They got "sunburned" is my guess.

Anyway it is possible to keep a strain of some plants going for a long time. Not all plants however.
 
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TheWolfman

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My plants usually do great until I stop taking care of them then they will die back a little. The big thing that stepped up my plant game was using ferts after that it had great success.
 

OnceLoyal

Candiru
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You guys ever have any issues with fert messing with fish?
 

skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
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You guys ever have any issues with fert messing with fish?
Hello; Foer some plants such as crypts, vals and others no extra ferts are needed. For root feeders such as amazon swords some sort of fert in the substrate at the roots is useful.

One note - Over the decades I have gone to a much lighter stocking of fish in my planted tanks. I may have stated this in another thread or this one, but in some ways fish are secondary to plants. I have in the past kept a fairly high fish stocking in my planted tanks but no longer do so.
I have also gone to more low light tolerant and/or shorter lighted period plants. Swords will grow under these conditions but do not flourish.

Also CO2 is not needed. I have never used it.
 

Fat Homer

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You guys ever have any issues with fert messing with fish?
For me its with shrimp, but yes it is a delicate balancing act that needs to be learned...
 
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