its this normal?

[808]

i've recently decided to do real plants after 17ish years of using fake plants. this is in a 20L with a 20w flourescent light. so far i got 2 anubias nana (i think that's what it's called), some java fern tied to two pieces of driftwood, and 1 cabomba plant. they have been in my tank for about a week and a half so far. recently, i noticed some long thread looking things hanging off my cabomba plant. they come off the main stem and just hand down, and they are long, like around 2", maybe little longer. i don't think it's my plant dying because the plant doesn't really have anything that's that long. appearance wise, the plant looks healthy, and i can see no brown parts on the plant. what exactly are these things hanging down? this is my first time having plants, and i've never seen this plant looking like this in the stores. am i doing something wrong or is this natural? on a side note, if it's the lighting, i'm currently heading to the lfs to get a coralife 30" pc so i can grow a wider variety of plants.

 

[travis simonson]

Are the long thread-like things white in color? It really sounds to me like 'water roots'. I've found that many plants, like cabomba, will send out water roots from the above ground parts of their stems when first planted. This is the plant reacting to not having an established root-bundle in the substrate and I've noticed that plants usually quit putting them out once they establish a good root system in the gravel. You can simply trim them off if you don't like their appearance. They are not indicative of your plant dying

 

[808]

aaah, that must be it! yes, they are white in color. i guess i'll leave em. as long as the plant isn't dying then i don't care what hangs off. but does it mean that i should get the bottom of the bunches more buried in the gravel or something to help those roots? i've got kinda big pieces of gravel. if all goes well with these plants then i'll look in to changing out the substrate.

btw, that is an awesome tank travis! makes me glad i'm getting in to live plants now...hopefully my 20gal will look like that someday. what is that grass-like covering in the front, whatever it is, i must have it! haha

 

[travis simonson]

Thanks 808 The darker green grassy stuff to the left of center is Lilaeopsis brasiliensis. To the right of that is Riccia fluitans (sort of bubbling).