Hornwort making a mess of my tank!

[MDDad]

I have a low light setup. Got a clump of hornwort a couple weeks ago. My platies love hiding in it, but anytime the water moves, or it floats towards the HOB filter, chunks fall off and needles float all over the tank.

Will this stop or is it dying?

If it is dying, why, and are there low light/low tech alternatives for a good "hideout" type plant?

[PerfectDepth]

This is not unusual when hornwort is moved to a different tank or with any sudden changes in conditions. The plant will adapt to new conditions by shedding all the old growth to concentrate all energy toward the new growth at the tips. To avoid a huge mess it's best to grow hornwort in the particular tank in which it will reside by just dropping a few small cuttings in the tank to start with.

Since it has been a couple of weeks, you should have some new growth already present, so you can just trim and remove everything but the tips.

[Fresh2o]

Unhappy hornwort can be like a Christmas tree in February. Needles everywhere.
An alternative is guppy grass. Though it does not have the density of hornwort, it does grow rapidly.

[MDDad]

As of now, The plants are falling apart so much, they are about half their original size, and the platies no longer find it worth hiding in.

[MDDad]

The tips of the stems look good, and may even have new growth.

Would I be better off to try to plant them in the substrate instead of letting them float?

[MDDad]

So the last 2 days, only a tiny bit has fallen off, there even appears to be new growth. Perhaps it's settled in now.

[Fresh2o]

New growth and less needle drop is always a good sign.
To answer you previous question, not sure if is worth burying. In the times I've have them, I don't recall seeing roots develop after doing this. I usually secure part of the plant against a rock or other hardscape to keep it from floating around he tank.

[flchamp89]

Originally Posted by Fresh2o

New growth and less needle drop is always a good sign.
To answer you previous question, not sure if is worth burying. In the times I've have them, I don't recall seeing roots develop after doing this. I usually secure part of the plant against a rock or other hardscape to keep it from floating around he tank.

I secure or float as well. But it always goes where I dont want it lol