Growing roots in the water

[Nemo]

Hi all, my 1st post here

All right, at first it was fun to watch. Now it is becoming an unsightly mess. All of the stem plants are growing roots in the water column outside the substrate. Is this something I have to learn to admire, or is there something that needs to be done I'm not doing?

The ludwigia repens is doing so well, the leaves are a gorgeous mahogany brown. But the roots it has grown outside the substrate are so thick; they are ruining its look >

The problem I'm talking about is with roots way up in the water column. The roots are growing where the leave nodes are, and are forming a system/network in the water. Some of the roots actually head down towards the substrate but it is a long way down! Others just branch out in the water itself the way roots usually do in the ground - like the roots of the water lettuce.

Is this something normal I should deal with via pruning, or is it an indication of some deficiency?

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Params:
gH = 4; kH= 4; pH = 6.6; light 3.7 w/gallon
Fertilization: DIY CO2 to 20-30 ppm; KNO3 to 8 mg/L; KCl to 12 mg/L; SC Flourish
Substrate: 2.5" 100% Fluorite

[Poustic]

Hi there!

With only just over a year of experience with plants, my plants had been doing the same thing for a few months, but then started not doing so well (the bottom part of the stems started going brown below the "upper roots" and then leaves started falling off.  I recently completely reviewed my fertilizing strategy and started using root tabs (to compensate for lack of good substrate) and increasing the N, P, K and trace levels using liquid fertilizers.  So far the new shoots that are growing have no roots on them.

[guest123]

For fertilizing, Seachem has a "recipe" they suggest that is a combination of their Flourish product line.  It includes the
Flourish, Flourish Excel, Flourish Iron, Flourish Phosphorus, Flourish Nitrogen, Flourish Potassium and Flourish Trace.

I have include the "recipe" here but you can get it on a Seachem pamphet at pet stores.  

If you are looking for Flourish products I can get them cheaper than the pet store, approx. 45% off.  Let me know if you are interested.  Email me at


Day 1   
Flourish   1 mL per 25 gal.
Excel   5 mL per 10 gal.
Iron   5 mL per 50 gal.
Phosphorus   0.5 - 1 mL per 20 gal.
Nitrogen   0.5 - 1 mL per 20 gal.

Day 2   
Trace   5 mL per 20 gal.
Excel   5 mL per 50 gal.
Iron   5 mL per 50 gal.

Day 3   
Potassium   5 mL per 50 gal.
Excel   5 mL per 50 gal.
Iron   5 mL per 50 gal.

Day 4   
Trace   5 mL per 20 gal.
Excel   5 mL per 50 gal.
Iron   5 mL per 50 gal.
Phosphorus   0.5 - 1 mL per 20 gal.
Nitrogen   0.5 - 1 mL per 20 gal.

Day 5   
Potassium   5 mL per 50 gal.
Excel   5 mL per 50 gal.
Iron   5 mL per 50 gal.

Day 6   
Flourish   1 mL per 25 gal.
Excel   5 mL per 50 gal.
Iron   5 mL per 50 gal.

Day 7   
10% water change
Prime   
Alkaline Buffer   
Acid Buffer   
Equilibrium