Does anyone use lead weights to keep stem plants from floating around? Are
they safe?

I recently saw some in a store, but neglected not to get any. I'm sick of
constantly having to pull up my stem plants and then replanting them in the
gravel. I have to clip them every 4-5 days or they'll take over the tank.
I would love to just wrap a lead weight around them and drop them in.

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

"Craig Brye" wrote in message
...
Does anyone use lead weights to keep stem plants from floating around?
Are
they safe?

I recently saw some in a store, but neglected not to get any. I'm sick of
constantly having to pull up my stem plants and then replanting them in
the
gravel. I have to clip them every 4-5 days or they'll take over the tank.
I would love to just wrap a lead weight around them and drop them in.

--


Why are you pulling them up to prune them? This is silly and damaging to the
health of the plants. Wash your hands and arms well with hot water, dry
them, and reach in there and prune. Aside, the lead weight are fine, it's
been discussed to death. No reports of negative impacts from lead weights.

The reason I pull them up is to replant the top half! As to the health of
the plants, most stem plants are fine with this. Of course plants like
Cabomba and such can be fussy about this, but I'm sure you knew this!

Maybe it has been discussed, but I couldn't remember so I asked a question.
This is what the newsgroup is for.

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

"WD" wrote in message
news:ady8a.293355$2H6.4525@sccrnsc04...

"Craig Brye" wrote in message
...
Does anyone use lead weights to keep stem plants from floating around?
Are
they safe?

I recently saw some in a store, but neglected not to get any. I'm sick
of
constantly having to pull up my stem plants and then replanting them in
the
gravel. I have to clip them every 4-5 days or they'll take over the
tank.
I would love to just wrap a lead weight around them and drop them in.

--


Why are you pulling them up to prune them? This is silly and damaging to
the
health of the plants. Wash your hands and arms well with hot water, dry
them, and reach in there and prune. Aside, the lead weight are fine, it's
been discussed to death. No reports of negative impacts from lead weights.

I also use the lead weights without any identifiable adverse effects. And I
also like to periodically uproom my stem plants and replant only the tops.

Bob
"Craig Brye" wrote in message
...
Does anyone use lead weights to keep stem plants from floating around?
Are
they safe?

I recently saw some in a store, but neglected not to get any. I'm sick of
constantly having to pull up my stem plants and then replanting them in
the
gravel. I have to clip them every 4-5 days or they'll take over the tank.
I would love to just wrap a lead weight around them and drop them in.

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

In article ady8a.293355$2H6.4525@sccrnsc04, "WD"
writes:


Why are you pulling them up to prune them? This is silly and damaging to the
health of the plants.

There's nothing "silly" about pulling stem plants up to prune them. This is
usually how stem plants are pruned...keep the nice new growth to replant while
getting rid of the leggy bottom portion. Usually looks better to do it this
way, although some people get away pruning a few types of stem plants (rotala
is one, sometimes I can achieve this with my ludwigia) from the top and still
have good looking plants (i.e. they don't have the crewcut look).


Erica
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/mitoem/mitoem/index.htm

"Craig Brye" wrote
Does anyone use lead weights to keep stem plants from floating around?

I do.

Are they safe?

Completely. Possibly they are not even made of lead.

I recently saw some in a store, but neglected not to get any.

A wise purchase :-)

I'm sick of constantly having to pull up my stem plants and then
replanting them in the gravel. I have to clip them every 4-5 days
or they'll take over the tank.

The price of success I'm afraid.

I would love to just wrap a lead weight around them and drop them in.

Wrap away. No problem. Different plants require different
approaches. I have a mixture of :

1. Potted - Pennywort
2. Weighted - Bacopa
3. Planted - Hygro, Dwarf Sword, most others
4. Attached - Anubias, java fern

A weekly trim and a monthly 'hack back' keeps mine looking dandy.
Regards

--
Graham Ramsay
Blairgowrie (UK)
www.ibrox.freeserve.co.uk/aquarium.htm

I have some stem plants in my tank, They are growing really well. The
thing is I haven't trimmed them yet, and they are growing to the top
of the tank. Since I have a lid on top they tend to bend and curl up a
bit.

I'm wondering what happens if I don't trim them?

So stem plants die off eventually if I just leave it as is?

If lead weights are not dangerous or a problem then why have most retail
sources (at least in Denver) stopped carrying them?

I've had to resort to using potsherds that I've drilled and tied together with
string or fishing

The only way I've been able to get more lead weights is by buying plants that
have them on them.

Craig Brye wrote:

Does anyone use lead weights to keep stem plants from floating around? Are
they safe?

I recently saw some in a store, but neglected not to get any. I'm sick of
constantly having to pull up my stem plants and then replanting them in the
gravel. I have to clip them every 4-5 days or they'll take over the tank.
I would love to just wrap a lead weight around them and drop them in.

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

"E. Mito" wrote in message
...
In article ady8a.293355$2H6.4525@sccrnsc04, "WD"
writes:


Why are you pulling them up to prune them? This is silly and damaging to
the
health of the plants.

There's nothing "silly" about pulling stem plants up to prune them. This
is
usually how stem plants are pruned...keep the nice new growth to replant
while
getting rid of the leggy bottom portion. Usually looks better to do it
this
way, although some people get away pruning a few types of stem plants
(rotala
is one, sometimes I can achieve this with my ludwigia) from the top and
still
have good looking plants (i.e. they don't have the crewcut look).


Hm. Good info. Perhaps I'll try this for a time. ty.

"JohnDoe" wrote
I have some stem plants in my tank, They are growing really well. The
thing is I haven't trimmed them yet, and they are growing to the top
of the tank. Since I have a lid on top they tend to bend and curl up a
bit.

I'm wondering what happens if I don't trim them?

So stem plants die off eventually if I just leave it as is?

If I am a bit lazy and don't trim my stem plants
for a few weeks then they do keep growing up
and along the surface.
They start blocking out the light and acting as a
trap for algae and gunk though so I don't recommend it.
Main culprits are Bacopa and Ceratopteris.
There are better surface plants if you need some shade
although Ceratopteris can be grown free floating.
(btw not sure if Ceratopteris is, strictly speaking, a stem
plant as such but you get my drift)

--
Graham Ramsay
Blairgowrie (UK)
www.ibrox.freeserve.co.uk/aquarium.htm

Mail order.

"william kossack" wrote in message
...
If lead weights are not dangerous or a problem then why have most retail
sources (at least in Denver) stopped carrying them?

I've had to resort to using potsherds that I've drilled and tied together
with
string or fishing

--

I'm wondering what happens if I don't trim them?

So stem plants die off eventually if I just leave it as is?

No, but they won't look very good. If you don't prune them, they'll block out
the light to other plants by growing over the top of the tank. Some will also
switch to emersed growth, growing up out of the water. This looks nice in a
pond, but in a fishtank, it can be kind of ugly. Once it's growing above the
water, the plant often stops producing leaves underwater, and you end up with
unattractive bare stems in the tank, and all the growth above the waterline.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

I try to resist mailorder for such small things because you end up paying as
much for shipping as the item cost. I've been keeping my eyes out for sheet
lead that could be cut into strips but I have not had the time to really look
for any.

However, the potsherds approach seems to work.

Bob Alston wrote:

Mail order.

"william kossack" wrote in message
...
If lead weights are not dangerous or a problem then why have most retail
sources (at least in Denver) stopped carrying them?

I've had to resort to using potsherds that I've drilled and tied together
with
string or fishing

--

I use lead-free solder. Available at any hardware store. It is not as
dense as lead, but it is dense enough. If you really want lead, you
might can find solid lead solder or 60/40 -- I think it is used to
repair radiators. Watch out for acid core solder; you don't want that.

--Bob




william kossack wrote:

I try to resist mailorder for such small things because you end up paying as
much for shipping as the item cost. I've been keeping my eyes out for sheet
lead that could be cut into strips but I have not had the time to really look
for any.

However, the potsherds approach seems to work.

Bob Alston wrote:

Mail order.

"william kossack" wrote in message
...
If lead weights are not dangerous or a problem then why have most retail
sources (at least in Denver) stopped carrying them?

I've had to resort to using potsherds that I've drilled and tied together
with
string or fishing

--

william kossack wrote in message ...
If lead weights are not dangerous or a problem then why have most retail
sources (at least in Denver) stopped carrying them?

They're dangerous to swallow. Toxicity's generally only a problem at very low pH.