Let's open the package.
There was a delay in delivery because of bad weather conditions.
Plants often get damaged due to freezing temperatures and low oxygen levels when shipped via air.
That's why I prefer to buy live plants in local stores.
Pet stores in Manhattan do not sell Elodea.
My cuttings are about 23 cm long.
Initially, I keep all new things in separate aquariums from my fish.
I put some plants into a 3 liter nursery.
And these three, the greenest cuttings, go into 1 liter jar.
March 12th, 2018
I add seed shrimps into this nursery.
March 16th, 2018
About 5 cm cutting goes into this nursery with guppy fry.
A larger cutting goes into another aquarium with guppy fry.
A pinch of homemade fish food flakes should make seed shrimps, snails and plants happy for a week or so in a nursery without fish ;)
March 22nd, 2018
The Elodea cuttings in the 3 liter nursery did not survive.
The greener, less damaged cuttings in smaller tanks grow well.
April 5th, 2018
Elodea grows fast in the past month.
April 22nd, 2018
The 5 cm cutting has about 5 cm long roots and about 5 cm green sprout/ branch.
There is something interesting.
I need to open the aquarium for you to see it better.
Okay, let's do it.
The roots grow on both ends of the old Elodea.
I planted roots of this Elodea into the gravel.
May 30th, 2018
It takes about a month for this plant to double in length.
The Elodea in the other aquarium grow mighty well too!
It's more than double the initial length.
I trim this plant.
All cuttings go to other aquariums.
July 10th, 2018
This cutting with a root goes into my HD aquarium.
July 12th, 2018
I cut this plant in two.
Each part with a root goes into a 3 liter plastic bottle aquarium.
My goal is to get a variety of fast and slow growing plants in all my aquariums.
July 16th, 2018
It takes about 2 months for a 5 cm long Elodea to grow 10 times longer!
Here you can see the old stub of brownish-green color with a root and a new reach green more than 60 cm long sprout.
I make three 10 cm long cuttings from this 2 month old plant.
Only 1 cutting has a growing sprout.
All 3 cuttings are rootless.
July 24th, 2018
This Elodea plant has been grown in this 3 liters box aquarium for couple months.
The plant has 3 new branches.
I split the branches.
Each branch comes with a root.
Now, I use fast growing Elodea to control algae growth in all my aquariums.
I trim Elodea plants as necessary, every month or two.
Make cuttings of desirable size.
Grow them in old or new aquariums.
Share spare plants with friends or use it to make fish food flakes ;)
July 25th, 2018
Nine days ago I anchored these 3 cuttings with a seashell.
They were of the same size.
New sprouts grow on both short cuttings.
Let's trim the long plant.
All 3 plants are the same length now.
3 weeks later on August 15th, 2018
August 24th, 2018
Elodea is one of the fastest growing plants I've ever seen.
It's an invasive plant for sure, and there is some beauty in it.
Have fun and happy aquariums :)
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