hornwort help

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Bengals

Bengals

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
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57
Location
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Hi everyone. Not sure if anybody can help me but my hornwart has started to turn brown and disintegrate along the bottom of the plants. I've tried to tack them down by tucking it into the substrate so maybe that's what does it? The tops are very green and only inches from a really really bright LED (finnex ray 20). I dose excel daily and give Seachem Flourish 2x/wk. Nitrates are always < 50.

Photo of disintegrating hornwart along the right side.
 

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Usually when plants lose leaves and turn brown on the bottom is due to lack of light down there, So the top of the plant is shading below it so the bottom of the plant cannot get as much light, causing it to die off. I would just trim off the bad parts and replant it in a more lighted area if you can.
 
I can give it a try. I was worried that the excel might be melting it but it wouldn't make sense for the top to look OK. Maybe it is just too long. It's ~24 inches long.

Hmm.
 
I have not had any experience with hornwort, but that is usually the case for other plants. Give it a try and see how it goes...Excel shouldnt be melting the bottom and not the top, hmm....anyone else care to chime in?
 
Hornwort is actually a floating plant. Considering you have higher light, dose excel, and only use Comprehensive your issue is most likely nutrient deficiency related. Do you know what your nitrates and phosphates levels are?

I would suggest looking into dry ferts. This is what I use... Micro & Macro | Aquarium Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums. It has all the ferts you need in macro and micro nutrients.

I also suggest using these dosing bottles... Fertilizer Dispenser | 1000 mL (32 oz) | Green Leaf Aquariums. PPS-Pro dosing calls for using two but I prefer using 3 dosing bottles so I can better custom dose my macro's to the needs of my tanks. You mix nitrates in one bottle, phosphats and potassium in one bottle, and the micro mix in the third bottle. It's very easy and you just dose 1ml of each solution for every 10 gallons of tank water.

Here is a good thread about dosing PPS-Pro. Only read the openning post as you don't need to read all the comments after it. It also gives the amounts needed to mix the solutions... Newbie Guide to PPS-Pro - PPS Analysis and Feedback - Aquatic Plant Central.

Excel isn't causing this issue. If it was the entire plant would melt as Anacharis does when Excel is used. Hornwort isn't sensitive to liquid carbons.
 
Forgot to add that in a planted tank 10-20ppm nitrates and .5-1.0 phosphates are the levels you want to shoot for.
 
Hi Rivercats,

Thanks for the note. I'll go ahead and get them. Not sure what potassium is though nitrates are between 10-20 though they go down to ~5 after pwc. Figured it was a bit odd as none of the other plants were doing badly. The dwarf sag has some dying leaves but those were the original leaves when I got them. All the new stuff is coming through bright and green.

edit - Is there a good liquid test for potassium you'd recommend?
 
It's helpful to have a Phosphate test kit and know your levels in a planted tank. I use the API phosphate test kit.
 
Rivercats said:
It's helpful to have a Phosphate test kit and know your levels in a planted tank. I use the API phosphate test kit.
Click to expand...

Found it on amazon and ordered it along with the ferts and 4 bottles. Figured I needed an extra one to dilute my Metricide as well since I bought a huge container of it and will need to dilute it down.
 
Remember you need to store the Glut in an opaque, totally light blocking container so you will need to spray paint the bottle really well so it's totally covered in paint. I know they make spray paint that can stick on plastic. Just be sure to monitor that no paint comes off and lets light in. Glut is very light sensitive and will break down and be useless if stored exposed to light.
 
Hm. I was going to just store it in a dark closet? If not I can spray the bottle black I suppose.
 
Hi Rivercats,

Just wanted to follow up. I tested my tank tonight and the nitrates came in around 10ppm and phosphates 1ppm. I couldn't exactly figure out how much phosphate is OK but I read somewhere that 10:1 nitrate: phosphate is OK and that seems to be where I'm at? Just wondering what you think. Also when my dry ferts come in should I dose the nitrate if the tank is giving me 10 ppm already? Also do you dose all 3 (mix, nitrate, and potassium) daily?

Tx again!
 
My hornwort does the same...not to worry about cuz the tops still grow. I anchor mine down and let the tops float. I use Flourish excel and can 'almost see' the hornwort grow! Even in lakes and ponds with wild hornwort the bottoms are brown while the tops are brilliant green. I know cuz I have dragged up enough of it with the boat anchor LOL. Its a very hardy plant that species of , pretty much grows from the lakes of Canada to the Gulf Coast and beyond Most of the Aquarium varieties are floaters but you can plant it I suggest weighing down with the weights they have on the bunches when u buy it. I have it floating in one tank, and planted in another. My shrimp love it cuz it catches food in the leaves, and algae grows in it. Be forewarned, it is a prolific grower and ferts and Co2 only enhance it. It can and will take over a tank so cut alot and often! Also as it grows lower leaves will fall off and can clog up your filter intakes and make a mess through out the tank.
 
Bengals said:
Hi Rivercats,

Just wanted to follow up. I tested my tank tonight and the nitrates came in around 10ppm and phosphates 1ppm. I couldn't exactly figure out how much phosphate is OK but I read somewhere that 10:1 nitrate: phosphate is OK and that seems to be where I'm at? Just wondering what you think. Also when my dry ferts come in should I dose the nitrate if the tank is giving me 10 ppm already? Also do you dose all 3 (mix, nitrate, and potassium) daily?

Tx again!
Click to expand...

Those readings are good but what you need to do is when you get your ferts don't start to dose until after your weekly WC. Then at the end of the week right before your next WC take your nitrate and phosphate readings to see what your numbers are after a week of dosing. This will give you an idea of how much your plants are using vs how much your dosing. Then if one or both readings are too high or too low or just right you can adjust dosing as needed. I do my weekly nitrate and phosphate testing this way. This is also the reason I mix nitrates in a seperate dosing bottle and phosphates/potassium in another dosing bottle. You want your readings
10-20ppms for nitrates (I prefer 10ppm for my tanks) and .5-1.0ppms for phosphates.

You will dose nitrates from one bottle, phosphates and potassium from one bottle, and micro's from one bottle daily. Dose your macro's at one end of the tank and micros at the other end.
 
That's why people need to shop around since I've seen it being sold for up to $40 for a gallon not including shipping.
 
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