# Glossostigma elatinoides (Glosso) growing high



## green_valley (Sep 14, 2011)

Well, I have 10g, with I believe over 40watt CFL light. My glosso has been growing tall, instead of sideways. I know that I heard about this before. How can I make grow to substrate instead of growing towards light? Or is the only solution to have high light?

thanks


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## outcast (Jul 4, 2007)

the solution is to give it a really good trim now that the roots have established and it should spread out. if the lights are too high, you'll see it actually grow like a stem plant uncontrollably


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## HypnoticAquatic (Feb 17, 2010)

high light even absurd amounts of light will not make this grow horizontally it takes training the plant by trimming to get the desired effect your looking for, its a stem plant it will grow and act like every stem plant. bi weekly trimming or so depending on the ammount of light co2 etc etc


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## scags (Sep 22, 2003)

I dunno, in my experience lighting is probably the issue. I got some glosso, a pre grown carpet and shortly after putting it in my tank it refused to grow horizontally and continue to spread as it had been "trained" to do previously. The the thing that made the imapct and changed it? Upping my lighting, I added an additional 24 watts directly over the spot where it was planted and finally after another trim it began to spread. 

I have read and read glosso likes tons of light, but it really comes down to PAR I think. You can use less powerful lighting as long as it is very close to the glosso.

And don't forget with higher light you need higher amounts of co2.


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## outcast (Jul 4, 2007)

i find most people incorrectly assume glosso needs higher light. I've grown it mid-low light with diy co2 at around 25-30ppm. without issue. I've grown it with mid low light with just metricide dosing, but it greatly reduced its growth (which is nice) High light + co2 = weed. high light w/o co2 = algae headaches


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## HypnoticAquatic (Feb 17, 2010)

outcast said:


> i find most people incorrectly assume glosso needs higher light. I've grown it mid-low light with diy co2 at around 25-30ppm. without issue. I've grown it with mid low light with just metricide dosing, but it greatly reduced its growth (which is nice) High light + co2 = weed. high light w/o co2 = algae headaches


 +1 even with high light it will still grow virtical without trimming! my led = 400 hps/mh 18" high still can get glosso grown 6"+ *thats with no trim for several weeks it can an does act like bindweed for your yard it will try an smother plants out if possible it is a weed! trim it how u want it to look in no time you will know the length of time you can do between trims for your specific tank as it changes from tank to tank with diff spec's. i trim every 2-3 weeks or its a mess.


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## Bahugo (Apr 18, 2011)

I would pull the glosso and plant it like this, it will be much less of a headache then trying too get it too go horizontal by just trimming it in the tank. 



















I can't find the specific article but it came from Here somewhere. 

I have done it with vertical stems, just when you goo to plant them "bend" the leaves so they are horizontal instead of vertical if that makes sense.


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