Hemianthus micranthemoides

[LC]

It's a stem plant...you can grow in just floating in the tank as long as there are enough nutrients in the water. Looks like the bottom is "melting", not the tops so that indicates the light isn't strong enough. Yes, 20w is 4wpg in a 5gal tank, but 20watts isn't much light even if it were over 1gal.
You aren't overdosing excel are you? Although I don't recall HM being sensitive to it (is it...isn't it? :wall. As long as there is a majority of green, it can be saved. Do you have fish in the tank or just shrimp? Feed often/change water often?
If I'm trying to save a stem plant, I let it float so it gets all the light it can. If you have some nutrients in the water, it will show new growth within the week.
I don't know about emmersed grown HM...just haven't heard of it. I don't claim to know everything either so I won't say it isn't a possible scenario

I'm following the instruction on the back of the bottle, so I don't think I'm overdosing. I have a pair of German blue rams, 1 otto, 3 shrimp. Don't think I'm over feeding as well since I alway watch them eat everything. Water is changed once a week about 30%. As to floating, there are some floaters already, and seem to be rooting, but alway gets push down by the HOB filter and ending up stuck against the filter intake. I so have a few 15w CF that I can switch, you think the extra 10w will help?

 

[Bk718]

I think that lighting is fine. Adding more to it will increase the chances for an algae out break..
HM can be grown emersed just like HC, hairgrass and other stem plants..
I agree with beviking, let them float.. if you can take 2 suction cups and some airline tubing and you can make a simple floating wall right at the water line, that way the stems stay in place..

 

[LC]

thanks guys, I appreciate all your suggestions. we'll see how it turns out.