Help! New hornwort shedding like a dead christmas tree!!

[Whitecloudminnowguy09]

Hi, I got some new hornwort in the mail today from an online plant place that has good reviews. When I took it out of its sealed bag and it smelled bad, which is usually normal, since it is was in a dark box for a few days, so I was like ok, it's fine. I place it in the tank, and it starts shedding a bit, and I know that is somewhat normal too, it will shed some too since the change of conditions. But it kept shedding, if I tapped it with my hand, it would shed like 50 needles. So that means something is off, either in the tank or the plant. The tank's parameters are fine (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 25 nitrates, 7.4 ph, etc) so maybe it was the plant??? But the plant was thick and a good green color.

A bit more in-depth, the plant had 3 main chunks, and I took 2 and placed them in my 20 long. The other in my 10g. I added new harlequin rasboras 2 days ago, so they are new btw. I have 6 wcmms in my 10g. The hornwort started shedding in BOTH badly. So I did a wc (was planning on one anyways today lol) on both tanks, tried to siphon and net out some of the needles, and got maybe half out of the tanks. But there still is more, and I am in panic mode. What do I DO. I took out the hornwort from the 20g long and set up my 5 g tank on my carpet and added black sand, which used to have BB, but dried out in a bucket and has been there in situations like these. I turned on my 5g HOB filter and added a filter floss piece to it. Put the light on it, a tank kit light, so not the best but that is all I had. I left the one in the 10g cuz it didn't shed too much more after at first so thinking it is ok overall? Same parameters in both tanks except ph is 7.6 in 10g (crushed coral).



My harlequins should be experiencing stress rn even tho they look like they are having a lot of fun, lol. They loved the net, making more water movement.


Thanks, btw no pics yet working on that........



SO NOWWW what do I do to get the rest out, it is so hard to get it out. I need help, I am so confused and upset, and sad at the same time. Just need some help on what next, never kept hornwort before. Pics will come soon but rn I cannot take some. (multiple reasons)



TIA need some advice, please! - WHITECLOUD

 

[GaryE]

Hornwort either goes wild for you, as it did for years in my harder water tanks, or it dissolves, as it does in the softwater I have here now. It won't grow for me in my current set up.

 

[Essjay]

Hornwort can do that if it doesn't like something. If it's grown outdoors in a pond then it's put in a tropical tank, the temperature change is enough to cause it, for example. I once had some that was growing very well - until I bought a new rock which I put straight in the tank and next day the water was cloudy and the hornwort was just bare stems and 'needles' everywhere. (It was the rock which turned the water cloudy not the hornwort mess as the rock did the same in a bucket of water)

In your case, it was probably damaged when it arrived as you said it smelled bad when you opened the package. Has there been unusually hot or cold weather either where you or the seller live which could have damaged it in transit?

 

[Whitecloudminnowguy09]

Hornwort either goes wild for you, as it did for years in my harder water tanks, or it dissolves, as it does in the softwater I have here now. It won't grow for me in my current set up.

Yeah I have somewhat soft water ig.

 

[Whitecloudminnowguy09]

Hornwort can do that if it doesn't like something. If it's grown outdoors in a pond then it's put in a tropical tank, the temperature change is enough to cause it, for example. I once had some that was growing very well - until I bought a new rock which I put straight in the tank and next day the water was cloudy and the hornwort was just bare stems and 'needles' everywhere. (It was the rock which turned the water cloudy not the hornwort mess as the rock did the same in a bucket of water)

In your case, it was probably damaged when it arrived as you said it smelled bad when you opened the package. Has there been unusually hot or cold weather either where you or the seller live which could have damaged it in transit?

Mhm, so here in GA yeah, 95 plus degrees every day. Maybe that is a factor.

pics uploaded:

 

[GaryE]

Whenever I order something live and for aquariums online, I check the temperature where the seller is, and my own forecast. If either is above 25c, I wait. Things get cooked in shipping. I only buy online in Spring, Fall and bad weather. I got some Corys this week, but it was unseasonably cool out.

 

[Back in the fold]

Maybe it’ll come out of it for you . Give it time it’s a tough plant .