# Pearl weed



## Matthew RJ (Jul 4, 2012)

Can anyone tell me how to encourage this plant to grow out instead of UP?


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Pearl weed is a stemmed plant not a bush.
This is after about three months.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=14281&pictureid=47153
First started.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=14281&pictureid=43369
Then start to trim it. That on the top is it also.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=14281&pictureid=51554
Then make it as short as you want it to be by trimming. Has very poor roots and can easily be pulled up if not careful when trimming. Will look trimmed for about a week and a half after you trim it. Easier to get lots started by laying down a long piece and putting gravel on a couple of spots including the ends. Will grow new stems up from the horizontal one.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=14281&pictureid=63610
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=14281&pictureid=62554


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## anastasisariel (Oct 4, 2009)

Matthew, its your lighting. If your lighting is adequate it will do it on its own. Even stems that grow up a couple inches will bend down flat and shoot out like runners. First time I tried to grow it I just didn't have enough PAR. Now I could honestly ignore it and it would carpet the whole tank by itself.

Raymond's tank shows you what it looks like in lower light.


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## Matthew RJ (Jul 4, 2012)

Wow. I have some cloudy water issues, but once I get that fixed and can get a decent picture, I'll need some help to get this plant in good shape. I don't think I have room to do all you suggested above.

Bump: Thanks for the replies.


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## anastasisariel (Oct 4, 2009)

That's in medium light without encouragement. Bubbles without co2 as you can see in the picture.


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## foster (Sep 23, 2012)

With higher PAR at the substrate its a creeping monster.


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## Matthew RJ (Jul 4, 2012)

So the cloudy water issue is probably due to sunlight and my lights on too long. I can't say how long the lights are on as I'm changing it trying to get algae (free form?) under control.

I have the fluval nano shrimp tank, but I've added a second light, fluval 13w. 

Here's my tank and I'd like this plant to be more of a foreground carpet plant. Do I trim or is there something else I can do to get this plant to behave? 










--- 
Bumping this thread. My lights are two fluval mini power compact lamp (13 W)
I have this same plant in my 40 gallons under T5HO, and it seems to be behaving and acting more like a carpet. I'm wondering if I should pull this plant up from the nano and move it to the 40 gallon.

If so, what carpet should I consider for the nano? I've got some dwarf sag. in the 40 that hasn't done anything. I'm tempted to move it and see if it likes the conditions in the nano tank more.


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## Matthew RJ (Jul 4, 2012)

bump. I just edited my last post with new considerations. I did a trim, but the plants are back to reaching for the top.


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## du3ce (Jan 26, 2013)

looks like u already got a carpet going on u just need to trim all the stems the same height and use your cuttings to fill out the empty spots soon enough u will have a carpet


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## Matthew RJ (Jul 4, 2012)

I guess I'm being impatient as I seem to trim weekly and it's messy job.


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