Cabomba Advice

[Sime]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone had any tips for keeping Cabomba successfully?

I have the red species which is doing well - growing very fast and tall athough isnt as "bushy" as it could be - but thats ok.

However, whenever I try a big clump of the normal green variety it ends up just a stork at the bottom then eventualy just breaks and floats. The top is still bushy though.

I'd love a corner of realy good Cabomba but I dont want to buy any more if this keeps happening - just wondered if anyone had any tips?

many thanks,

Simon.

 

[WhispTech]

I have the same issue and was told from the guy at the store that it might be to much lighting. Also In my thread about pruning a member said that you take off the bottom and replant the top.

Im not an expert though so could be wrong since I am just learning too.

 

[Sime]

that would make sence, it seems to grow up to the light and strive to reach it - leaving the bottom horrible.

I've seen lovely clumps of it in pictures, i wonder if everyone has to replant the tops? hmmm

Simon.

 

[guppygirl]

No, having a leafless bottom means you don't have ENOUGH light. You said it yourself,

it seems to grow up to the light and strive to reach it

How much lighting do you have over it?

 

[Sime]

but as soon as it grows it shades the stem at the bottom so that doesnt get any.

I have just over 2 wgp at the moment but the LFS says it's quite easy to grow.

I don't understand why the red it doing so well but the green isn't

 

[guppygirl]

I've had some trouble with the green too, but what I said still stands true.
What nutrients are you using, maybe the cabomba isn't getting enough nutrients.
What size tank do you have?

 

[Sime]

thats an idea - i could set a fertilizer tablet under the clump.

I just add leafzone, my tank is a rekord 60 - about 12 / 13 gallons (UK) i think.

 

[WhispTech]

I was talking to the guy about why and looked at some other sites and such and they said that cabomba does that if TOOOO much lighting because it growing is put into liek hyperactivity lol and the internodes become longer and because fo this teh bottom seems to fall off or something.

I have noticed a big change in my plant(weed) since switching tanks where my internodes are now shorter and my plant seems to be abit more bushier. It is also growing properly by the looks of it.

The changes between teh two tanks is that teh plant is now in deeper water and not as close to the light and i have a better bulb I think in this unit where the wattage isnt over 2 watts per gallon.

This is just my experience with it thus far though.

Also since this change my bottom branches have not been falling off although still look scragly.

I am waiting for the top to grow up so I can prune and replant it.

 

[majiktouch]

I haven't had much luck with camboba, but It was one of my first plants and died in about 6 months. I never got more. I have some hornwort that I purchased at the same time and it is doing very well.

 

[Dubby]

I was talking to the guy about why and looked at some other sites and such and they said that cabomba does that if TOOOO much lighting because it growing is put into liek hyperactivity lol and the internodes become longer and because fo this teh bottom seems to fall off or something.

The distance between internodes tells you if they are getting enough light - more the distance means insufficient light hence the leggy look.

Also in the case of the Red Cabomba if its only the tips which are looking red then it signifies insufficient light. In fact that is the case with almost all red plants.

 

[WhispTech]

well im no expert lol

thats what i got from what i loked at.

maybe their info was wrong because i saw liek 20 different answers on this stuff.

Im actually thinking of ripping it out because it real is useless lol.

I like leafy plant haha

 

[guppygirl]

Yes, Dubby is right. It gets leggier when it has less light.

 

[Iron Man]

I don't know about all that. When you plant a houseplant in a larger and deeper pot it does the same exact thing...it will grow 10 inches of stem before it will sprout a new leaf. My cabombas have been in my 55 gallon for 2 weeks and they have gone a much deeper green, sprouted, bushed out, bloomed, grown roots on the stems all the way up....and some have done that stemmy growth thing. The ones that have done the stemmy growth thing are just wanting to be propogated (sometimes my plants talk to me), just like the ones growing roots all the way up, which they will be soon.

That is my experience anyway I'm not saying anyone is wrong here.