How to cut aquarium plants correctly? This question can not be answered in a general way, because you need to distinguish between plants.

A distinction is made between:

• Floating plants
• Stem plants
• Rhizome plants
• Mosses
• Ground cover plants
• Rosette plants

Floating plants

Proper pruning is hardly possible with floating plants, especially with small specimens such as duckweed. Therefore, these are removed directly in large quantities, for example with a landing net. Larger floating plants such as shellflowers, on the other hand, are usually removed individually from the surface. Frogbit, for example, often forms very long roots. If these disturb the appearance or obstruct other plants, they can easily be cut off with scissors. However, you should never remove them completely, but only shorten them.

Stem plants

Stem plants often grow quickly in good conditions. This often shades the lower parts of a plant, which can cause the lower part to lose its leaves. That is why you should regularly cut these plants. The place does not matter. The cut part can be additionally put into the bottom soil. After some time it will take root and form a new plant of its own. The remaining lower part will also continue to grow and may form side shoots.

Rhizome plants

With rhizome plants, it is possible to cut off the adhesive roots (not the rhizome) without any problems. Likewise, the removal of leaves is not a problem for the plant. If a rhizome plant in general has become too large, it is also possible to divide the rhizome itself. This way you can make two or more smaller plants out of one plant, which can continue to grow in another place. To do this, use sharp scissors so as not to crush the rhizome.

Mosses

Mosses do not require special pruning. So you can simply use scissors and so trim the moss. Also, you can use your hand to pluck out individual clumps. Since only a small part is needed to grow moss, cut off parts should be removed as cleanly as possible to avoid unwanted spread.

Ground cover plants

To ensure that the lower parts of the plant also get enough light, ground covers should be cut when they become too tall. You can use standard scissors, but special aquarium scissors with a rounded blade are best suited. The cut plant parts can either be vacuumed or a landing net can be used to fish them out.

Rosette plants

When cutting rosette plants is important that the rootstock itself remains in tact. However, easy to cut both the leaves and the roots of such a plant. To do this, take scissors and cut a leaf along the petiole. When pruning roots, the only thing to keep in mind is that the plant has enough hold in the substrate. To divide the plant, you can carefully split the rootstock using scissors or your hands. Then you can plant these parts separately in different places.