# Cabomba furcata - how to grow bushy?



## punky (Feb 10, 2007)

Hi, I have had cabomba furcata for the last month in my tank and it does grow very well and fast. My only wish is to grow it more bushy rather than tall and skinny at the bottom. It grows bushy only at the top.

I have 3wpg and pressurized CO2. Any tips? Will increasing light intensity help?


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

I have this plant and like you I find it refuses to grow nice and bushy! I am trying it in my main tank now by planting a larger block of very short stem tips (about 3" out of the sand) and then I'll pinch them out once they're established to try and get them to bush very low down and see what happens. Other than that I may chuck it and stick with the C.piahuyensis that grows lovely and bushy in the same tank and others!


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## Dryn (Sep 6, 2007)

My cabomba is a little leggy at the bottom too. It is because there is not enough light getting to the bottom leaves. Most stem plants in this situation end up this way. Spacing them 2 Inches apart helps a lot, but still a little leggy.


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## punky (Feb 10, 2007)

ed seeley said:


> I have this plant and like you I find it refuses to grow nice and bushy! I am trying it in my main tank now by planting a larger block of very short stem tips (about 3" out of the sand) and then I'll pinch them out once they're established to try and get them to bush very low down and see what happens. Other than that I may chuck it and stick with the C.piahuyensis that grows lovely and bushy in the same tank and others!


So does the C.piahuyensis grow bushy? Do both plants have the same amount of light on them?


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

punky said:


> So does the C.piahuyensis grow bushy? Do both plants have the same amount of light on them?


I've had them both in the same tank and the C.piahuyensis is definitely bushier. At the moment this species is in a much lower light tank and still nice and bushy. The C.furcata on the other hand still grows long and stringy... C.furcata is much better coloured though - my other species just has lighter green colouration with pinkish tips.


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## punky (Feb 10, 2007)

I am going to try and pinch the heads, replant them and see how things work. I'll try to fit another compact flourescent above it to see if light intensity increases growth in the lower-middle parts.


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## punky (Feb 10, 2007)

I found this. All this guy does is continously trimming it! He's got 4wpg+, pressurized CO2 & heavy ferts.


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

I have found that the high light MAKES my cabomba (not furcata) and Ambulia grow leggy.
They just grow too fast to fill in IMO and IME.
I have put both in very low light, non c02 set ups and they grow SLOW and BUSHY.

Now I don't think this will work with the Furcata and the other more difficult Cabomba variations, but it is interesting to see the difference with the basic stuff.


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## Mr. Fish (Oct 24, 2007)

Keep trimming it not giving it a chance to grow tall, then it should encourage new
growth thru the sides making it more bushy....


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