Cardamine Lyreta (aka Japanese Water Cress)

[yashinfan]

Anyone keeping this in their tanks because I desperately need advice! The plant is so fragile and mine keeps breaking off and regrowing so I have many 3 inch plants. Any tips on keeping it?

[Starry]

I used to have this plant. Mine didn't break the way yours is, but it NEVER rooted. It grew fine, everything in my tank was taking off, and this one just never rooted, not even a bit. I eventually got rid of it because it drove me nuts that it kept coming out of the gravel. Pretty plant though. Is yours rooting?

[Slappy*McFish]

Make sure it isn't in a strong current/water flow, as it will tear apart rather quickly. Mine has no problems rooting and I plant mine in groups of 10 stems or more, as opposed to planting every stem seperate. It also prefers cooler water(75F and below), needs good lighting, and CO2 addition will help this plant tremendously. Without CO2, I've noticed this plant to grow leggy stems with sparse, small leaves.

Here's a pic of it in my 10 gal when I let it go "wild."

http://prod.bsis.bellsouth.net/coDataImages/p/Groups/144/144721/folders/92857/621971Overgrown10gal.jpg

[yashinfan]

HOLY COW! Mine looks nothing like that!! :'( I'm so jealous!! Mine is how you described ones that don't have CO2 because I don't have Co2! Current is pretty strong and the temp is 77F. Light is just natural, so I guess I have all the elements for an unsucessful plant. Maybe I should just stick to swords? :) I didn't think they would be hard to grow because they sold it in PetSmart...

[MrGoodbytes]

That's a lot of Cardamine! Mine used to get all spindly and viney in my display tank, but I moved it to another, and now it is sending out shoots with relaly big leaves (I lowered the temp).

Graeme