Why Can I Never Keep Hornwort Alive?

[LucyHurst]

I dont know! It's supposed to be the easiest plant around, but whenever I get any it just falls apart, rots and disappears. Am I the only one?

 

[Bufo Bill]

I dont know! It's supposed to be the easiest plant around, but whenever I get any it just falls apart, rots and disappears. Am I the only one?

My tank had a real algae problem, so I bought some tropical hornwort. It is the place the algae loves to grow most out of all the little nooks it could choose! It looked very dodgy for a month but has started to pick up this week. I think we are obviously very gifted and talented aquarists who just happen to be able to kill the unkillable. You'd think we could make a living on chatshows and become minor celebrities and all sorts, but no. Obviously we are to be ostracised by jelous, less talented individuals such as David Beckham and Sir David Frost, and others who's first name is not David but are still less talented than us. Pah!

 

[BigIan]

i had some hornwort in my tank when it was cycleing and it soon died but the stuff i have in it now is growing inches every week and needs trimming constantly

 

[LucyHurst]

yea thats something I forgot, it attracts algae like theres no tomorrow!

 

[BigIan]

mine normasly attracts lumps of cabomba that are floating round

 

[RadaR]

Some algae removal chemicals can kill hornwort.

 

[handsomeboy]

for serious? cause i had a little strand in my goldfish tank that i plopped into my planted tank and in a week it was the size of my head.
what kinda setup is it

 

[LucyHurst]

I've tried to keep the stuff about 4 times now, first was in my goldfish tank, I think it was just gravel and a load of other plants I shoved in (this was before i knew a thing about fish or plants) then i when i set up a little 5 gal tropical tank i shoved a bit in there thinking maybe the goldfish were eating it.. then i tried again in the same tank, but i had major algae issues going on there.. then i tried again a few weeks ago in a very successful 5 gallon planted tropical tank.
I would say maybe it doesnt like my water, but its quite normal. Its kinda hard (dont know exact hadness) with a high pH.. but thats shouldnt be a problem right?
I'm clueless..

 

[RadaR]

My water is hard and I have a pH of 7.5 yet hornwort grows very well.
It's not fish eating the plant is it?

 

[Qays]

You may have had a coldwater hornwort.

 

[LucyHurst]

I doubt its the fish, one female betta, one oto, and three corys.
The last lot I got from a member on here, it was growing really well in his tank (i went and collected it) which was tropical.
It just seems really delicate and starts to fall apart after a few days, then after about a week all i find are rotting bits in the filter sponge.

 

[studmaster]

You may have had a coldwater hornwort.

I would agree with this, I recently bought some hornwort and I've read it is very hardy, for a week or so it didn't grow much, then it started shedding some leaves (?) and dying. It was right around when my AC broke and the water was between 82-84 every day. The AC was fixed and my tank went back down to about 78 and it's growing like crazy now.

From what I've read there are different strains requiring different temps....best bet is to call the fish store you bought it at and ask them what temp they keep their planted tanks at....then try to keep your tank around that.

 

[ChrisP]

I had a piece about 2cm long come in with another plant Themuleous set me, within a few days it was probably about 6"+ long.

Ive got so much of the stuff now I cant stop it, I probably take out well over a few metres every other week.

Its a great algae buster though!

 

[LucyHurst]

Ah right! I guess that must have been the issue. So is there a way to tell if its cold or tropical hornwort? or do I just keep trying til I find one?

 

[dasmall1]

Idk. I had hornwort in my tank and got tired of trimming it. So, I put 3 small strands in my 350g pond, and, a week later, the pond was filled ( I mean filled almost top to bottom ) with hornwort. It didn't even die over the winter when the temperature was below 0 F. Can't get it out. If I could get some potassium permanganate I would be a millionare!