Pennywort

[Mark Z.]

Hi,
I really like the look of pennywort, but am having a problem and would like advice.
When I buy pennywort, it has larger leaves with nice trailing roots, but over time, the leaves become small and the roots disappear and the stems fall apart.
I anchor it with weights. Every day I dose with liquid CO2 and once a week I dose with Leaf Zone. My other plants are doing very well (cabomba, anubias, crypts, crinum callimustrada, swords, lilies). I have an LED light rated for plants.
Any idea as to how I can keep my pennywort healthy?
Thanks,
Mark

 

[Colin_T]

Don't submerse it. Pennywort normally grows in shallow water and its leaves float on the surface.

If you buy it in winter it regularly dies when put in warm water so try to buy it in warm weather like in late spring or during summer.

Check the pH of the water where it comes from. A lot of plants don't like acid water.

 

[Byron]

This is most likely a light issue. Plants that are relatively fast growing (all stem plants) require more intense lighting than slower growing species. Most of the other plants mentioned here are slow or moderate growing so they would have less issue with the light. I like Pennywort as a floating plant, and if you let it just float it may do better.

Having said that, you have another serious issue, and that is the daily dose of liquid CO2 and Leaf Zone. Taking the latter first, and assuming it is API's LeafZone, this is not a complete fertilizer as it only contains iron and potassium. Too much iron can cause the very issue you describe. Plus, the other essential 15 nutrients may not be at sufficient levels. Especially if you are adding some form of artificial CO2, which brings me to this product.

Assuming this is API's CO2 Booster, it is a highly dangerous substance to be adding, if fish are present. It contains glutaraldehyde which is a very strong disinfectant. At recommended doses it will kill some plants (Vallisneria species seem especially sensitive), but if it gets overdosed it can kill plants, fish and bacteria. CO2 in most fish tanks is sufficient for plants unless you are attempting an aquatic garden with high-nutrient/light plants, which is not the case here.

Discontinuing both the CO2 Booster and LeafZone, and using a complete fertilizer such as Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium or Brightwell Aquatics FlorinMulti should help the Pennywort but it may be still better floating.

 

[Mark Z.]

Thank you for the advice!
I have been dosing the CO2 and Leaf Zone for about six months, and the results have been wonderful. I will stop that and try the Sechem Flourish and see how that works. My cabomba has thrived, so this week I also added rotala to see how that goes.
I would like to keep the pennywort anchored because I like the look of the leaves that way, so I will see how that goes. I'll also try increasing the light time a little.
Mark

 

[TheTenthDoctor]

I tried pennywort too and it completely died on me. Twice. I anchored it to the bottom too, perhaps I should try what @Colin_T said, floating it

 

[Essjay]

After reading on here a few months ago about using pennywort as a floating plant so I got some. It is thriving floating on my main tank, though it struggled in the betta's tank.