Hornwort = BAD!

[ina1032]

I will NEVER EVER buy hornwort again. I'll admit, the kid @ Petland told me it would shed, so I was warned....but I didn't realize it would shed THAT bad! I got a good 4 or 5 bunches and threw them in my tank. Within a day, BOTH of my filter intakes were completely covered in the plant sheddings. Within a couple weeks, the plant has started to turn brown, even though I put Fluorish in it and keep the lights on as much as I can. Needless to say, it took me awhile to get it out of my tank (much to the chagrin of my shrimp, I'm sure) and net as much of the floating "leaves". NEVER again!!! :mad2:

[duke33]

I don't think hornwort likes Flourish. Someone will chime in. Yes, it can make a mess.

[inkyjenn]

if you let it float, it sheds A LOT less

imo hornwort is the indestructible plant. i cant kill the stuff. ive had it turn white, get covered in hair algae and pruned it back to a 1" nub. the stuff always comes back within a couple of weeks. the stuff i have now is the remains of the stuff i bought over a year ago for my ten gallon tank. it had been pruned to a 1" thanks to hair algae and now (about a month since the pruning) its over 4 feet long.

i use flourish and i dont have any problems with it, but i tend to underdose

[Bk828]

I think hornwort is fine with flourish.
Question is what is your lighting over the tank (include tank size as well)

I also had it shed but eventually over the next week it picked up and slowly started growing

[ina1032]

I had it floating in a 75g along with a piece of driftwood (going on 2 months now and it still hasn't sunk!) If anything I probably undernourished it too with the ferts because I ran out. Embarassingly enough, I don't currently know what my wpg is...but I'm guessing maybe not enough? I use 2 "standard" bulbs, you know the kind that come in a "kit" you might buy @ Walmart.
Even though I was completely DISGUSTED by the stuff, I didn't throw it out (except for the furries that were floating about), I just moved it to my 10hex, but not currently using any light (little bulb burned out apparently). It's still causing a mess in that tank, I already netted out a big old clump of furries off the filter intake. The filter flow is VERY VERY low (barely noticeable) so it's not really getting disturbed by the water flow.

[msjinkzd]

what temp is your tank? they do better in slightly cooler waters than in higher temps.

[ina1032]

Temps are running a little higher than I'd like (upper 70's), but if I make it any colder in the house, I'll have to wear a parka and snow boots, lol. It'll prolly be my luck that the stuff will flourish and green up while it sits in an unoccupied 10g tank o' water in the dark. I just can't get the stuff to STOP shedding! GAH!! Good thing it was cheap.

[robbob2112]

Do you also use Excel? If so, that will cause hornwort to come apart and die over time.

Also, hornwort does really well with a high KH because it is one of the plants that can use calcium carbonate as its carbon source by splitting the molocules.

[ina1032]

No, I'm not that schooled in the fertilizer section, only one I've ever used is Fluourish. Can it go bad over time? I noticed the bottle I just finished off had a pungent smell and the liquid was more brown than normal.
I haven't had the plant very long, maybe a couple weeks?

[Alan R]

I will NEVER EVER buy hornwort again. I'll admit, the kid @ Petland told me it would shed, so I was warned....but I didn't realize it would shed THAT bad! I got a good 4 or 5 bunches and threw them in my tank. Within a day, BOTH of my filter intakes were completely covered in the plant sheddings. Within a couple weeks, the plant has started to turn brown, even though I put Fluorish in it and keep the lights on as much as I can. Needless to say, it took me awhile to get it out of my tank (much to the chagrin of my shrimp, I'm sure) and net as much of the floating "leaves". NEVER again!!! :mad2:

I never had any luck with it either. I have only had a few plants, but that is the only one i tried and threw out.

[severum mama]

I can't stand the stuff, lol. I had to clean it up out of a 55 gallon at the lfs once, and after 2 hours, a clogged canister, and a clogged Python, I'm pretty sure I was having blood pressure issues. The shop tanks use HO T5s so I know lighting wasn't a problem. We haven't ordered it since and I refuse to even try it in any of my tanks, lol.

[Commodore 64]

Heh. I'm liking my hornwort quite a bit. It's growing nicely under medium light and doesn't seem to mind my ferts (seachem dosing plan, EI based) or Excel dosing (5ml per day).

Honestly, it hasn't shed much at all, I get more java moss shed than hornwort.

[James0816]

I'm in the unsuccessfull club too. I like the looks of it but havin difficulties getting it to grow. I'll keep trying though. ;o)

[Polish]

I've got it in 3 tanks, doing fine in all 3. Lowest being 1.5wpg the other 2 are both 3.xx wpg. I dose Flourish in all 3, Excel in 2, Root tabs in 2, and Iron/Trace elements in 1. So all get different amount of stuff yet it all grows fine and doesn't shed.

[wetwillyjoe69]

My horn wort grows like crazy 1.5 inches aday, no joke. i have 2x 40w t12 bulbs 6500k temp and my ph 7.0 and my temp at a nice 85F no liquid ferts either in my 55 gal . it doesnt shed too bad either.

[ina1032]

so what am i doing wrong?! under fertilizing, not enough light, and maybe too warm of water temp? ok...here i go, full spectrum lights, fertilizer galore, and the ice machine workin' overtime....hehe.

[ccg]

I'm in the grew out of the tank club when i had it. (About an inch a day).
The tank set up was a 20g tall, (2) 55w 67k cf bulbs w/reflectors from AH supply, Dry ferts, and a gas CO2 setup. Sorry I don't know what your doing wrong. HTH

Colin

[Mgamer20o0]

it doenst like to be moved.... i redid my tank and it went from covering 1/2 of it to only a couple inch left. once it got hold again it took off. its great for sucking up ferts. once it gets a hold it will zap your nitrates to zero lol

[Que]

I had mixed results. I had a plant that kinda did OK and one that disintegrated in days... Not a plant I like or care for anymore. Much too messy for me.


Q