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I've tried a couple batched of hornwort now and they've each slowly died on me. I' ve tried anchoring and floating. I prefer the effect of the floating hornwort as it makes a nice dull green tint through the tank. But, I am wondering if there is a trick to keeping this stuff alive...

my pH is is 8.2 and I dont do anything to lower it, that's how it comes out of the tap here. I dont measure hardness and my nitrates are 20-40ppm. I also keep jungle vals, wisteria and anacharis. All of those seem to be doing pretty well, especially since I upped my lighting from 8-11 hrs/day.

The tank is a 20g, with a life-glo 2 6700K 15W bulb (.75W/gallon). See below for stocking info.

Thanks!

Well I do believe that your PH is to high for hornwort. I never have a problem growing the stuff, and my PH is around 7.0, with 2 to 3 wpg As for anchoring it, that is a waist, I did it once and the plant grew to the surface and spread like wildfire once it got there. leaving these single long stems heading from the gravel to the surface where a thick floating carpet of the stuff grew. You can try upgrading the light on you tank to at least twice what you have, but that is the only thing I can think of off hand.

mts.gif" border="0"> I vote do you?
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your PH is too high and you lighting isn't really helping it at all... i have low lighting on my tank with hornwort it just doesnt grow as fast as others report it to grow. also try adding liquid ferts this will help! i anchor mine with a butter knife from the stainless stell utensil drawer for a wall of the stuff. just make sure you dont burry the plant at all or it will rot... try a PH adjuster to lower it and see if there is any improvement!

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Is it really the PH? I grew hornwort in a PH of 8.0 and it grew great. Is the .2 that much of a difference for plants? But I also have 2wpg and was doing ferts at that time, and it was grown buried. I say some fertilizer and as much light as possible(back of the tank) should help it grow.

Tigermom

well tigermom.. from all that i have experienced with mine the lack of light ferts and the acidity desolved the plant.. but with higher light and ferts it would keep up with growing and therefor was not affected. the combination was the downfall of the plant! so for scott he would need ferts and a lower acidity in his water to help the plant to grow... or lights and ferts and leave the acidity alone... but the altering of the water is cheaper than new lighting! and would be the more frugle way arround it... unless some plant expert can prove me wrong this seems to be the case through the information i have recieved and witnessed...

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Never heard anything about that brandeeno. But I am no plant expert myself and never pay much attention to the specifics of plants. If the plant can be grown in my conditions as far as lower light and no Co2 then I plop it in (never had a problem doing this). I figured that most plants can do what a lot of fish can, which is adapt to there water chemistry.

Also I hope you didn't read what I was saying as I was saying you were wrong. I was just saying that I didn't see much of a difference in the PH and didn't know it could actually make a plant die. My response was based on my experience with the plant.


Tigermom

lol sorry tigermom if i was a bit defensive...

and i didnt intentionally mean to prove you wrong... but yo know how words can be construed or percieved in different manners...

umm well as adaptaion or acclimation to new chemistry may be possible for most plants (and most plants do this...) some plants are killed with improper chemistry nearly immediatly or they donot lack the proper means of adaptation to that specific attribute.. like some brackish fish may be able to take differences in salt concentraion, but they cannot tolerate fresh or complete marine... if that makes sense.. just stating what i believe to be true, but i am open to be proven wrong...

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Scott- I may not be much help, but I will tell you about my hornwort. I have it growing great in three tanks. My water is well water. The ph & nitrates are so high, they are off the charts. My 55g. has 2 65 wt. bulbs & 12000k daylight.

The 10g. sits under it with a low light old florescent bulb that I'm sure is not over 15 wts..

My 18 g. sits by a window with an old 15 wt. bulb in it. So high or low light does not seem to be a factor with mine. Also it is growing well in high ph & high nitrates. So I guess this info. just serves to confuse the matter.

Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) is usually pretty forgiving. Yes, your pH is out of it's comfort zone, which is usually given as 6-8, but I've seen it quoted as up to 9. It does prefer medium light, though, so I suspect that this is where you're running into trouble. This doesn't seem to be a factor in Patty's experience though, so perhaps she's got a more tolerant 'branch' of the family?

I vote! Do you?