Am I the only person on the planet that can't keep hornwort alive?

[gonzobluefuzz]

No fear of jacking an ongoing thread I figured I should ask this way

Anyone know of any low-light requiring plants?

Java fern, java moss, most crypts, most anubias, egeria and hornwort.

Is that why I cant keep the stuff??? Any time I try and keep hornwort it grows like crazy for the first little while but after whacking it back a few times the stuff literally melts away am I nuking the stuff @ 3 wpg?? Anubias and crypts  do OK

Parameters:
78 F to ambient (no A/C   )
Ammonia 0
PH 6.8
nitrite 0
nitrate 10.00 pre bi weekly water change
Kh 2 deg
Gh 4 deg
Phosphate 2.0
no CO₂
Ferts: Flourish Excel daily, Flourish every second day, Flourish Trace every third day

Any ideas


cheerz

[jgolden]

Dunno about that, but I know why I'm replacing my hornwort every second month - I put it in the tank for the livebearers, and moreso, because for some reason my Plecos will go for it, leaving my rooted plants alone. And I'd rather they went after the hornwort, to be honest...

[BigDaddy]

I know vals don't do well with Excel... can't remember if hornwort is the same though.

Honestly, at 3 WPG, you aren't fert'ing enough.  Hornwort grows extremely fast and is a nitrate sponge.  Don't trust your test kit.  Add 5 ppm of nitrate every other day and you'll see your hornwort thrive

[darkdep]

You don't have enough nitrate in the water.  Hornwort will die off when it's nutrients expire.

[BigDaddy]

You don't have enough nitrate in the water.  Hornwort will die off when it's nutrients expire.

Didn't I just say that 10 minutes ago?

Honestly, at 3 WPG, you aren't fert'ing enough.  Hornwort grows extremely fast and is a nitrate sponge.  Don't trust your test kit.  Add 5 ppm of nitrate every other day and you'll see your hornwort thrive

Yeah... I did.  APW must be drink again.  Geez, and pretty early too!   

[darkdep]

I was just confirming what you said.  You have such a history of being wrong

[gonzobluefuzz]

Thanks for the replys..... looks like I may need to re-think my ferts or/and figure out a PMDD type system for this tank .....and I had/have such a love hate relationship with chemistry.   love to hate it     to many variables... works great on paper / in a test tube.........never seen algae in a test tube LOL.   guess I gotta go deep into Tom Barr diatribes or something

Thanks again


Cheerz

[BigDaddy]

Download Chuck Gadds Planted Aquarium Calculator

It will tell you how much KNO3 you need to add 5ppm of nitrate to a given volume of water

[bitterman]

Hornwort is hard to keep compared to duck week and I'm killing it im my system due to lack of food.

Bruce.

[PaleoFishGirl]

I can't keep hornwort *or* duckweed    My hornwort just disintegrated into little pieces that I had to keep picking out of the filter intake.  I think the rainbows eat the duckweed (weird, I know).

Hornwort's an ugly, scratchy plant anyway