Elodea question

[karen]

Last week I bought some live plants for my tank. Is it normal for elodea plants to be "dirt magnets"? I've noticed them to have gotten some dirt on their leaves- should I rinse them off as not to pollute the tank or would I be getting rid of "good" bacteria? Also, they seem to be growing quickly. How can I best prune them back, since my tank is not too big (5 gallons of water in a 10 gallon tank)? Thanks

 

[joan]

I always took mine out and just rinsed them. Your tank should have enough bacteria in the substrate, on the walls, on the decorations, and in the filter. When they grow too long, I just cut them with scissors and toss out what I didn't want.