# Too fast growth of Limnophila sessiliflora



## dzoni (Oct 28, 2005)

I've got a problem with Limnophila sessiliflora - it is growing just too fast (about 40cm/16inches per week), with very big gaps between individual leaves sets. I placed this thread to fertilizing section because I think, that it is a chemistry problem - not light. 

Aquarium parameters:

50 gallons
3 WPG
NO3 20 ppm
PO4 1 ppm
Plantex CSM 30 ml weekly
CO2 more than 30 ppm (don't know exactly)
KH 10
GH 22

All other plants are fine - everything is pearling all the time...can anyone help on this? Could it be caused by too high level of CO2?


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## dukydaf (Aug 31, 2004)

Maybe it is Cabomba aquatica.You can see it for real so you know better but just considder this:

If it is Cabomba then the more light and Co2 you will have the bigger the gap between the nodes.


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## 247Plants (Mar 23, 2006)

Yep thats cabomba...i have about 50 stems in my 65gal and i get the same thing


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## dzoni (Oct 28, 2005)

Yes, you are right - there are two stems of cabomba among that sessiflora and the growth is more or less the same... so there is no way to avoid it?


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## Mnemia (Nov 23, 2004)

dzoni said:


> Yes, you are right - there are two stems of cabomba among that sessiflora and the growth is more or less the same... so there is no way to avoid it?


Use a slightly slower growing plant. I got this stuff when I was just starting out but it grows way too fast under high light and hence requires constant maintenance and trimming to keep it from taking over the whole tank.


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## dzoni (Oct 28, 2005)

Mnemia, you are probably right. I will have to get rid of it - I just wanted to make sure, that there isn't some way to slow this plant down a bit, because I really like it


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## John S (Jan 18, 2005)

if you got another tank with not so much light put them in it i did that and it slowed way down and not so langy


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

The green plant in that photo is not a _Cabomba_. _L. sessiflora_ is a lot more likely. It certainly is a _Limnophila_.

What is your tank temperature? Higher temperatures can contribute to legginess.


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## dzoni (Oct 28, 2005)

Temperature is about 25 C... and there are really both of these species (with the same problem), just the picture is not very clear. 

I believe now that it is a problem of too much light, but I always thought that lack of light causes plants to be leggy and not excess...

And also - when you notice Rotala rotundifolia on the right, it is also quite leggy and I saw it many times on pictures with tanks of higher wattages without this problem.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I'd suggest that if it's growing 16" per week (as it often does) then it's really not likely to be nutrient limited. IME, higher light = faster, but leggier growth with a few species, with cabomba being the worst. It really looked much better in my low-light, no CO2 setup. I finally got tired of trimming it in my higher-light tank and tossed it out.


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## GraFFix (Feb 24, 2005)

Same thing happens in my tank...I think if i watch the tank long enough I can see it grow. the length between the nodes also gets larger the faster it grows. 

Ive recently pulled it all from my high light, co2 tank and put it in my low tech shrimp tank and also in a low tech tank with kribs...and the plant is beautiful. It has maybe a 1/2" between nodes and really bushy. Ill keep it for these tanks, it wont be going back into the "high tech" tank.


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## dzoni (Oct 28, 2005)

OK guys, you persuaded me - it's going out of my high light right away. 

It's just a pitty, because I really liked it


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