supersmirky

Hey Mike

Here's a pic of my red lilly and how it just goes shooting for the top of the tank vs how nice and compact yours stays. Any clue why mine grows huge leaves and becomes so tall like this?

JAXON777

You might try and shade it somehow and maybe it will not get so big. They do the same thing in my low light tank.

Kjm

Orrr...pinch the top leaves off.

Engold

Trim it....Clip off the ones that are too long.

supersmirky

ahh...okay, too much light then. I didn't think of that. Like them when they stay small and pretty.

Tex Gal

No, it's not too much light. (At least that's not how it is with the 4 different types of lillies I have kept.) They like to shoot their leaves up to the top and float on the surface to get MORE light. If you pinch off the leaves it will put out more leaves. Keep pinching and they will get shorter and shorter - like a dandelion in your yard. It will stay short for a while and then try to shoot long-stemmed leaves out again.

supersmirky

Cool..thanks. Do you just pinch as close to the bottom as you can get so you get the stem and all?

CrownMan

I think mine stays so compact because of the lower light and no co2. When I had one of the lilies in my co2 tank a few years ago, I would pinch off any stem that tried to go to the surface. I would pinch it off as close to the bottom as I could. After awhile, it would stop trying to send one to the surface.

In a large tank like mine and yours, those are neat plants. They do add a lot of color and unique leaf structure to an aquascape.

supersmirky

My leafs have grown to a large circumference!! I agree...adds lots of color!

Tex Gal

Yes, pinch them back to take the entire stem off. I've kept these for years in no CO2 and low light. The only ferts I had was root tabs. They always wanted to go to the top. Pinching them off is the key. They'll stay short for a few months and then try again to get to the top. Just keep pinching the long leaves off. It'll get like a dandelion - stay short and put out leaves.