# Elodea not rooting



## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

They grow tap roots while floating. Quite long ones at that. They form about every 3 or 4 inches at the bottom of new nodes.
When you plant those roots,they form root hairs.

I would float them until I have a few nodes like that. Cut them into individual plants, then plant them as a bunch(they look prettiest like that).


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## Sondra.mh (Aug 6, 2015)

Ive seen some roots when new plants start growing off the stems but they seem to disappear. So will it not grow roots in substrate at all or is it just easier for the roots to grow floating?


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

I haven't had much luck rooting by just planting a stem. They seem to want to decide where the root must go.
But when I plant a piece with a decent tap root, it grows root hairs and grabs hold.


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## love4betta (Jan 9, 2016)

Elodeas don't really feed through roots anyways, why do you need them to root? Are you trying to attach them to something? That said, some of mine have rooted even burried in substrate so I don't know what to tell you...


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## Sondra.mh (Aug 6, 2015)

Just want them to stay in the substrate without anchors. 
I'll try cutting the new stems when they produce the tap roots. When I do cut it do I cut 2 or 3 nodes below the roots then plant?


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## touch of sky (Nov 1, 2011)

Also, you can take a small stone, I use a small river stone, and push it slightly in the sand next to the freshly rooted stem. If you want, you can put a stone on either side. This sometimes helps to keep it from being dislodged from the sand. After the plant has rooted, you can remove the stone if you wish. I do this with some stem plants, especially if my larger fish keep dislodging them before they have a chance to get rooted.


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## Sondra.mh (Aug 6, 2015)

I have some stones for that too but still need the anchors as they are in my turtle tank. They like to just swim through things.


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## touch of sky (Nov 1, 2011)

I can imagine turtles would uproot plants!


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## Sondra.mh (Aug 6, 2015)

They aren't too bad when they are about palm sized. Put a bigger one in a few weeks ago and he just smashed through them. He isn't aloud in this tank now. He can have plastic plants.

Here's the tank and the Elodea



How long should I let the tap roots get before trimming and planting? Have a couple at the moment that are just a couple of centimeters.


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

They easily get up to 7". As long as there is enough root, get it under the soil.


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## Sondra.mh (Aug 6, 2015)

Thank you. I'll leave it a bit longer. Just want to get it before it disappears.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Picture does not indicate enough substrate depth for root's of near any plant's to anchor in.
With turtle in the tank(destructive),I would just let the stuff float and place some wood in the tank with anubia plant's attached. (lot's of anubia).
Turtle will easily uproot plant's in substrate.
If I insisted on plant's other than attached to wood like the anubia,I would consider planting the plant's in pot's two thirds full of plain top soil,and capped with fine gravel.
This in my view would give you best chance at plant's remaining rooted.


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## Sondra.mh (Aug 6, 2015)

My substrate is 3cm. Also Have Vallisneria and Hairgrass. The vall I used anchors until it grew enough roots to hold. Now it stays and is just shooting off runners. The hairgrass I don't expect to do well but they don't rip that up. I'll try the way mentioned and if that doesn't work then I'll just give up and maybe just put some vall there instead.


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