# Hornwort



## kaybee

Is it ALWAYS this messy or does it just have alot of initial die off? I put it in about 6 days ago. I'm going to do a vaccuum tomorrow. My other plants are doing fine. This is my 2nd attempt at Hornwort. I took the first bunch out because of the mess but after I had it all thrown out I realized I had fry in there! :sad: So I am trying it again. I am using the standard 2 x 15 watts that came with my tank. I think the hood can handle 2 x 25 watts if need be.

tia,
Kay


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## MyraVan

This is a 10 gallon tank? No 10 gallon tanks come with 2 x 15W FLOURESCENT bulbs. I suspect that you have 2 x 15W incandescent bulbs, which means that you have very little light in your tank. That's probably part of the problem. Try replacing the bulbs with flourescent ones. You can get 11W flouro bulbs (they say they are equivalent to a 60W normal bulb) to put in there instead, and they would greatly improve things, giving you vastly more light than you've got.

Another thing is that hornwort is a hardwater plant, so if you have soft water you may not be able to grow it at all.

Yet another thing: when I've had hormwort, it looks lovely if I float it, but if I grow it submersed (with the end planted in the substrate) it doesn't look so good, as there are big spaces between the leaf whorls.


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## garfieldnfish

The soft water may be the problem in my case too. I have sufficient lighting in my tank but like yours, Kaybee, my hornwort always just disintegrated while all other plants were doing fine. I gave up on it. Kaybee, you might want to try frill plants. I have skirt tetra frys in it. That seems to work just as well and the frill plants do well in soft water, I have a whole forrest in one corner of the tank, where the skirts always intend on spawning and every time I vacuum the tank I find a few fry around that area. I do not intend on raising too many but if a couple survive that would be neat. I throw a little "first bites" in now and then but other then that I let nature take it's course. My tank is a 46 gal and the frill forrest fairly large so I think they have a chance.


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## Lara

It's probably coming apart because you're trying to plant it into the substrate, it doesn't grow true roots and is really a floating plant. All you really need is a two inch little piece, it grows like a weed in my experience!


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## Damon

Hornwort can grow roots, depending on the environment.


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## DUSTIN323

Here's some better bulbs that would fit into your light fixture http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9870&N=2004+113346 they are 10w but shines as bright as 50w for only $9.99 a bulb and right now one of the three different types are onsale for $4.99 this is what I was going to get for my 10g but am now switching it over to a 20g some of my plants looked fine for a while and then they started dying off because of lighting


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## Damon

Those pc screw in bulbs work well for a 10 gallon, but not effective on anything larger.


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## kaybee

Thank you all and Dustin I just ordered a set of those bulbs. Thanks for the link!

I trimmed off all the brown and vaccuumed this morning and left the rest floating. I actually would have liked to have it tucked down around my castle because that is where they have their fry. I'm like Garfieldnfish, I don't plan on having a nursery but if a few survived it would be cool. Maybe I'll try frill plants....are they easy to find??

Thanks again, 
Kay


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## kaybee

Simpte said:


> Those pc screw in bulbs work well for a 10 gallon, but not effective on anything larger.


That's all I have is a 10 gallon. :fish:


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## kaybee

Oh, I just looked up frill foxtail. That would go nicely where I wanted the hornwort to be! I will wait till my new bulbs arrive though before I go out and get some.

Now maybe Fishfirst can tell me if he's got any in stock!? :mrgreen:


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## garfieldnfish

Petsmart sells frill plants where I'm at. Easy to find.


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## kaybee

garfieldnfish said:


> Petsmart sells frill plants where I'm at. Easy to find.


Well then, my problem is virtually solved!  

Thanks to you all again!
Kay


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## Damon

Foxtail (Myriophyllium) is not an easy plant to grow. Look for ambulia or guppy grass.


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## kaybee

Simpte said:


> Foxtail (Myriophyllium) is not an easy plant to grow. Look for ambulia or guppy grass.


Noted! Thanks Simpte


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## kaybee

DUSTIN323 said:


> Here's some better bulbs that would fit into your light fixture http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9870&N=2004+113346 they are 10w but shines as bright as 50w for only $9.99 a bulb and right now one of the three different types are onsale for $4.99 this is what I was going to get for my 10g but am now switching it over to a 20g some of my plants looked fine for a while and then they started dying off because of lighting


OMG...I justed installed the Allglass mini-compact bulbs ($4.99) I ordered from your link and the tank looks GORGEOUS!!!!

Thank you Dustin!  
Kay


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## IAN

kaybee said:


> Is it ALWAYS this messy or does it just have alot of initial die off? I put it in about 6 days ago. I'm going to do a vaccuum tomorrow. My other plants are doing fine. This is my 2nd attempt at Hornwort. I took the first bunch out because of the mess but after I had it all thrown out I realized I had fry in there! :sad: So I am trying it again. I am using the standard 2 x 15 watts that came with my tank. I think the hood can handle 2 x 25 watts if need be.
> 
> tia,
> Kay


I grew some plant similar to hornwort of incandecent bulbs. It grew like mad!


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## lohachata

ian...this thread is almost 4 years old..most all of these posters have not been here in a long long time...


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