Can I Use A Rubber Band To Weigh Down Hornwort?

[daizeUK]

I've heard that hornwort will rot if pushed into substrate or wedged under a rock etc. but I don't want it floating around the tank.  Would a rubber band be a safe method of keeping the strands bunched together and weigh it down?

 

[phantomlink]

It might work, but those pieces under the band will rot and might possibly break apart depending how strong your current is and thus they're floaters again.  I experimented with Hornwort before and I enjoyed it, it lived well in my 125 gallon but when I added pumps for current for my loaches I had to take them out, and they pretty much died/plugged my intake of my tanks I put them in
 
Might try it again in the future we'll see...

 

[DJH584]

I've read on this forum that people use cotton thread to tie plants to bogwood. Would cotton be a more a suitable material to bind the hornwort strands? 

 

[tribalbrit]

tie wrap!     cotton rots and so will a rubber band.

 

[daizeUK]

Dang.  But tie wraps contain metal, they'll rust surely?
 
I might have to find another plant anyway at this rate, can't seem to buy hornwort anywhere.

 

[tribalbrit]

tie wraps are all plastic... I dont mean the ones you use in the kitchen. I mean the ones you can buy in diy or motror supply shops.

 

[daizeUK]

I know the ones you mean now.  I twigged after I thought about it a bit that you didn't mean the metal kitchen ones!

 

[tribalbrit]

I might have to find another plant anyway at this rate, can't seem to buy hornwort anywhere.
 
Plenty on ebay..

 

[daizeUK]

Yes I did buy some from eBay a while back.  Received four very small strands that disintegrated quite quickly, mainly my own fault for putting them overnight in cold water, still I was hoping to get bigger healthier bunches this time.  Since my tank is low tech any little strands won't grow very fast. 
 
I could have sworn I saw my LFS selling great bunches of hornwort, but when I asked about it they looked like they'd never heard of it.  Maybe it was cabomba I saw and mistook it.  The LFS does have lovely great bunches of cabomba but I don't think it would survive with my low lighting.
 
Seapets recommends Limnophila sessiliflora as a low-light alternative to cabomba so I'm considering that instead.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

Surely if cotton rots it would actually be the best option? you tie the plant down and by the time the cotton disintegrates the plants roots will have taken hold of whatever you tie it too?

 

[daizeUK]

I guess the problem is if it partially rots and floats around the tank and fish mistake it for food.
 
I'm currently using a bit of cotton thread to temporarily tie some java fern on to a rock, and I also have a piece of vallis that keeps uprooting.  I've used one of the lead ties from the shop to weigh down the vallis until it roots properly.  I'm not sure if the lead ties are safe long-term but I think it should be okay as a temporary measure.

 

[phantomlink]

Surely if cotton rots it would actually be the best option? you tie the plant down and by the time the cotton disintegrates the plants roots will have taken hold of whatever you tie it too?

The plant doesnt really root, it just keeps growing out from itself.  Any part of the plant that goes under the substrate just rots away its a weird plant