Stem plant problem

[malken]

Every so often I plant a stem plant in my tank and within a few weeks the portion in the substrate rots and the rest of the stem floats. It always happens to my more rare/ interesting plants like red temple and green hedge.

What am I doing wrong here?

 

[gmh]

Could be insufficient lighting. Are the plants 'leggy' with long stems and the leaves growing mostly at the upper part of the stem?

 

[malken]

sometimes but I have a 96W light over my 30G tank so I'm disinclined to think it's a lack of lighting.

The substrate is flourite/ TMS
I use DIY CO2

 

[Fishy_Fun]

i wouldn't think its rotting as i only have 65W over my 29G.If they keep rotting before they root try some plant weights.i use them on plants that aren't rooted and they sink to the bottom without being pushed into the substrate to rot

 

[pcnicholson]

Temple plants are marginal plants I believe.

 

[malken]

I've always been wary of plant weights. I guess I've always been concerned about the metal contaminating the water.
Is that a legitimate concern? It occurs to me that I've never actually been advised against them, they have just always seemed potentially hazardous.

 

[malken]

Temple plants are marginal plants I believe.

what do you mean by marginal? I've never heard that term in this context.

 

[midiamin]

Hedge not aquatic either. Will hang around for awhile and then die when submerged. It's marginal also.

 

[tanker]

The reason why they float after a while is because both temple and hedge are bog plants and do not do well under water. The rooted sections eventually die and then the plant floats.