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I recently aquired some "Corkscrew Val" for a backing to my Betta tank and to all Do's and Dont's I trim it like a lawn at the water level weekly some leaves can grow up to six ins in one week.
Now they are sending up stems and I can assure there were none there one day ago and now there are three and growing extremly fast one book told me they can grow 2ins per hr.
Has any one flowered these and exactly what do they look like.

I don't know what I am doing right as I have never been able to grow Val to this extent in any tank at all.

My feeding program is only Flourish Excel 1ml four times a week, Flourish Potassium 2ml three times a week and Flourish nitrogen 1ml twice a week. After doing several testings Seachem worked this program out for me.

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Keith :

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Val flower stems are very thin and long and have a slight curly wavy appearance topped with tiny whie flowers.

As to why it's happening now, probably because they are stressed. By trimming the leaves at the top you are basically killing the leaves , they will rot from the top down. Most aquatic plants when under stress will go into last gasp propagation mode. They sense the end is nigh and try to speed up propagation. A typical example would be damaged Java Fern leaf which will suddenly sprout lots of plantlets on it's leaf before the end. It's the same phenonomen here.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

On the other hand, I've had Vallisneria throw up flower stems when they're perfectly healthy.

However, trimming Vallisneria leaves is a bad idea, for much the reason that Bensaf gives.

Vallisneria has a habit of growing pretty tall - even the so called 'dwarf' varieties will put on a surprising height if left to their own devices and given surroundings that they like. I once made the mistake of putting Vallisneria gigantea in the Panda Fun Palace - boy did that stuff grow! Not only did the original specimens (which I bought mistakenly labelled as standard Vallisneria spiralis) grow to two feet in length, but they put out runners and created an absolute forest of daughter plants. For a while I put up with them and made money selling off the surplus, but eventually, they attracted a nasty case of hair algae and I had to dispense with them for good.

Even standard spiralis will reach 18 inches if you give it surroundings it likes. The rampant gigantea will hit two feet with ease, and in some aquaria will reach 3 feet. Great stuff for a tall tank with Altum Angels in it, but a bad idea in a tank less than 2 feet tall.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Even though I have been growing aqu plants for many years my knowledge could be far better.

Ever since I got these Spiral/Corkscrew Valls they have never stopped growing some of them can grow up to 6ins + in a week, thay are also sending up new leaves and new runners which are growing extremly fast.

I am ceretainly far more experienced in growing garden plants and orchids I have noticed especially with the Australian natives they will produce new growths from the top of the plant if things are not the best. Some will shoot these all the time it is just that variety. They will also shoot new growths if fed any nitrogen at all.
I personally think some plants have a mind of their own and adapt extremly well to varing conditions.

Thank you both for your imput and I will keep a very good eye on their progress.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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