# keeping plants where they are ...



## coryp (May 28, 2008)

hi guys i wonder what you do too keep your runner plants tame .... i just pulled over 70 vals outa my tank....started with 3 .... you wouldnt belive where they were spreading too lol ... any ways i wonder if its plausable too set up walls to barricade them in have any of you did this?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

It's definitely possible to prevent plants from growing into locations where you don't want them to go, but this usually has to be done when the tank is first start up. Using clear pieces of plastic, you can build "barriers" such that plants cannot pass them. You have to ensure that the barrier reaches right to the bottom of the substrate (i.e. is against the glass) and goes to just above the substrate surface.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I use manual labour. 

All my runner plants go in the opposite direction to what I want. Most like to send up shoots UNDER my log. Which is an interesting problem to resolve.


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## coryp (May 28, 2008)

yea really lol i noticed one of my vals growing at the frount of my tank at the glass so i started pulling some of them out because my backdrop was getting a little thick and they were running every where and i have sort of sections in my tank corners but they just grew under the rocks and started growing there too so i donno what im going to doo i pulled a good chunck of them out and then bought 3 pots of "dwarf" hairgrass and then spent a good 3 or four hours yesterday planting the strands so now hopefully ill get a good carpet of that going ... cant complain if it spreads every where lol


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Same here, I tried but they always find a way to go around your barrier. The only thing that works is to trim them every week.

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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

my locally collected vals are starting to become a cheerful menace.


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## Julian (Jun 29, 2008)

yea the val is about the only thing in my tank growing well right now. man does it ever spread fast


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Disturb the roots every week and no new growth will happen. The easiest way is to use a chopstick and just muck about the perimeter of the val. By disturbing the roots regularly, the plant has to reestablish the roots before it can grow plantlets. Or like Anthony said, use a cup or container to grow the vals in. Try cutting the bottom 1 - 2 inches off a water bottle; clear so it can be easily hidden.


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