Hornwort explosion!

[Fish-For-Thought]

Recently I had bought Hornwort from my lps. As soon as I got it home I soaked it in salt water to kill all snails and such a recommended. Wasn't sure how long to soak it so I soaked it for about 30 minutes which is when I didn't see any snails swimming around.

After all of that I put the Hornwort in the tank after throughly rinsing off and went to bed for the night. I then woke up the next mourning too see a piece of it had broke off but didn't really take much concern. By time I came home from work it had exploded into a trillion pieces that took me hours to scoop out with my net and I still get an occasional piece of it when vacuuming the gravel.

My water readings are 0 ammonia .02 nitrite and .05 nitrate. Do you guys think it was my water or perhaps the salt?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Recently I had bought Hornwort from my lps. As soon as I got it home I soaked it in salt water to kill all snails and such a recommended. Wasn't sure how long to soak it so I soaked it for about 30 minutes which is when I didn't see any snails swimming around.

After all of that I put the Hornwort in the tank after throughly rinsing off and went to bed for the night. I then woke up the next mourning too see a piece of it had broke off but didn't really take much concern. By time I came home from work it had exploded into a trillion pieces that took me hours to scoop out with my net and I still get an occasional piece of it when vacuuming the gravel.

My water readings are 0 ammonia .02 nitrite and .05 nitrate. Do you guys think it was my water or perhaps the salt?

It could have been the salt. Did it kind of look like it melted? I've had that problem in 3 of my 4 tanks. I can not, no matter what I try, get it to grow in them. Then in the forth it grew so well it took over, so I got to of it.

 

[Fish-For-Thought]

Didn't melt it just broke into a lot of smaller pieces.

 

[Ducky14523]

What are the fish? My barbs devour it until its nothing but tiny peices attached to the filter.

 

[Gboy66]

Maybe the salt. I wouldnt rinse it for 30. My hornwort grows like a weed...i dont know why others have had problems with it. Mine is probably 3 feet long after a month, and i bought it at probably 5"

 

[Fish-For-Thought]

I have 3 mollies and a dwarf gourami. I wouldn't think it would be them I heard mollies like to drop fry in them. All though I have been wrong haha.

 

[Ducky14523]

My mollies do eat some usually not to that extent though. Maybe yours iare vegan lol

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Didn't melt it just broke into a lot of smaller pieces.

Sorry by melt I ment all the leaves/needles fell off. Should have been more clear.

 

[Fish-For-Thought]

Ok yea sorry they all broke in pairs of 2 needles.

 

[toddnbecka]

Might have been the salt bath, but I've had the same thing happen a couple times with hornwort from the lfs. A few years ago I got some small bits of hornwort in a shipment of dwarf crayfish. They didn't fall apart like the others did, and have been growing like weeds ever since. I regularly thin out and sell quart or gallon ziploc bags of the stuff.

 

[Koikid88]

I bought most of my plants online with great results.
They even arrived on the coldest day since last winter.

After they were set up for a couple weeks, I decided to get a few plants from the lfs to fill in and complete the bare spots.

Few days later, snails everywhere and the plants from the lfs weren't looking as healthy.. they are the only ones growing insightly algae also...

So my tip to you is, look on ebay, and you won't have to quarentine the plants before placing them in... (If a trusted seller)