Pennywort Problem

[Aquabum]

I'm hoping that someone can help me with a problem that I'm having with my Pennywort plant.

For some reason (it's been happening for a while), the new leaves that grow are big, light green and healthy, but after a while, they start to disintegrate. I have to prune the leaves that are affected and that worries me because I don't know what causes this. Is this normal? Luckily, new leaves grow to cover the pruned areas. She gets enough light, CO2, and KNO3 (I hope). Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, KH is 5, PH is to 6.8 and GH is 6.

I use Seachem Flourish twice a week and add KNO3 twice a week to get 10 ppm. I can't tell you my P04 levels because the kit I bought from the LFS has expired (didn't realize this until I saw the date a few days ago) and I'm returning it to get a new one this Monday to get an accurate reading.

Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong? I have other plants and they are growing well, so I don't understand what the problem could be.

I appreciate your help.

Lissette

 

[djlen]

This has me stumped. I've seen Pennywort grow in my brother-in-law's basement at 50° in a 40 gal. tank with a 15watt NO hood over it, and grow well I might add. BTW, no nutrients added.
I take a lot better care of mine than that and they grow well and flourish.
The only thing I can imagine, based on what you report, is that something is eating the leaves, but from the fish you post that reside in the tank..........I don't see it.
Are you letting some float? If not, try that and see how they grow.
Just thought of something. Are the ones that 'disintegrate' the lower leaves?
Pennywort is a stem plant and not well adapted, over a long period of time, to being planted in the substrate. Like many stems, their roots are not viable for very long in the substrate. They should be pulled at least monthly and replanted, just like other stems.
Let us know how you make out with them, cause if that isn't it, I'm out of ideas.

Len

 

[Aquabum]

Thanks Len.

I can't believe that it's grown in such little light, like in the basement. Maybe I'm giving it too much light?

You're right, of course, my fish don't bother the plant. It looks real pretty, but this is the only problem that I have with the leaves.

I knew it wasn't normal. Some of the leaves that decay are on top as well as the bottom (it starts from the edge of the leaf itself and then works it's way to the middle). They don't all decay at one time, some are slower to do this. And some don't do this at all.

I prune the roots every two or three weeks (this can be tedious). I have the stems buried in the substrate and in order to keep them down I use a plant anchor. You said to let them float. You've got me thinking about that now. I'm still relatively new to plants.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Lissette

Edit: I will let them float as per your advice and take off the anchor. I will post results as I get them.

 

[djlen]

I know the roots can be unsightly, but if you are trimming all of them off the plant, you are interfering with the uptake of nutrients to some extent. They will be taken up through the leaves, but also need some roots on the plant as well, especially in the case of Pennywort, for nutrient uptake. I have found that this plant will definitely grow well with the base roots in the substrate, but it really grows great when floating as well. When growing well, the leaves will get large(about the size of a silver dollar) and hide many of the roots anyway. I would try just letting them grow without root pruning and see how that works. Let some float and root some into the substrate and let us know how it works out. You definitely have enough light. That's not the issue.

Len

 

[Aquabum]

Thanks Len, I will do as you said and I'll definitely keep you posted.

Lissette