Alternatives to Hornwort

C

chee

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Jan 6, 2010
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i have hornwort in my tank and though i like how it grows i weight it down with a rock and a piece of fishing line looped around 5-6 strands of the plant so that it looks like a big bunch. well the tips are nice but it is going brown fairly often and getting really messy. plus i hae read that it prefers to float in a tank which i don't want to do. i have an Amazon Sword which is doing well.

is there any alternatives that would be a similar plant and take the same type of conditions as the Amazon sword, (and here's the kicker) and are common enough that i could find them in a pet store.

thank you
 
najas grass (Najas quadalupensis) aka guppy grass is happy to float OR be rooted. I have some rooted in sand in a 10G with a 15W t8 lamp and it's doing great.

Plus - it doesn't have that annoying hornwort tendency to shed it's leaves when it's mad at your light or your water.

Finding it at a local store? I don't remember ever seeing it at a chain store. Ask around at a local fish club...someone may GIVE you a bag of it. I certainly would..."got plenty"! You may find some in the For Sale section here on AC too.

Anacharis aka Elodea would be my 2nd choice...but it's a but finicky to get it to root and stay rooted IME. Works OK as a bunch plant tho.
 
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The only reason why I decided not to list Rotala indica is because it dies/sulks if conditions are not right and requires a good amount of light. It grows well for some and but is also finicky for others.

With any of the Najas species (guppy grass), although I have been able to root it in my substrate, one slight wrong touch and the plant has a tendency to easily snap/break into smaller pieces and can be very messy and invasive. Plus, I have never found Najas in any of my local LFS stores. :)

And I second Ludwigia. ;)
 
Pennywort was always one of my favorites. Easy to care for, and attractive too.
 
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