# Jungle Vals Taking Over



## jaybird002 (May 12, 2006)

I was happy when my jungle val finally started to grow. Now it has multiplied about 5 times, and they are taking over my 29 gallon tank. Their leaves, folded double and triple along the surface, cover about the back third of the tank. Can I thin them out by cutting a few leaves from each plant. Would that harm the plant? The val leaves are even crowding out the fast growing hornwort and probably blocking light to the rooted plants (regular vals, crypts, swordplants, anubias nana).

Also, I notice the blue green algae is making a comeback, with some appearing on the hornwort. Any idea why? This algae used to be a real problem. Then it disappeared when I put an ivy-type house plant in the tank. It rooted in the gravel, with the leaves growing outside of the tank. This seemed to suck up the nutrients the algae depended on. Also I haven't changed the 55 w compact fluorescent in about 1-1/2 years. Any ideas for dealing with this yucky blue green algae?

Thanks.


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## crispo069 (Mar 13, 2007)

if you decide to thin them out, you should remove the entire root and cut away from the runners. Otherwise, they will continue to run and sprout new leaves. If and when you decide to do that, I'd be interested in them for the price of shipping.


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## jaybird002 (May 12, 2006)

Crispo,

I was thinking of cutting a few leaves from each plant. You are suggesting removing some of the plants entirely instead. If you can tell me how to ship them safely (so they get there in usable condition), I will let you know if I decide to remove a few plants. 

Thanks.


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## crispo069 (Mar 13, 2007)

if you cut the leaves, the root system will stay intact. Which means that they will continue to throw runners and sprout new growth. If you grab the bunch from the base and carefully pull it up, you should be able to remove the entire root "ball", then the runners will also come up and you can remove an entire string of vals that way....when you have removed enough, you can stop the line at the next runner. Just snip it there and leave the rest untouched. As far as shipping, you can wrap them in wet papertowels or newspaper and place them in a ziploc bag and then in a US Postal Service box. As long as you dont crease the bend in the plants, they should arrive ok. Go to www.tropica.com and they will show you clear illustrations of the root system. If you look up the nana var. it will also show you an illustration of the runners.


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## jaybird002 (May 12, 2006)

Crispo, do you want to give me your mailing address? If I decide to weed out my jungle vals, I will let you know and send you some. Guess I am still a little intimidated by the process of packing and shipping them. Maybe I will leave one jungle val in the corner of the tank, just because it looks so neat. Removing the others will give more room for the regular vals, which have thinner leaves and won't block the light to the other plants. My email is [email protected]

Thanks.


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