I have loads of horn wort in my tanks so much I throw some out it is all floating I would like to put some in the substrate biu having no roots was thinking of putting sime in a small pot and place in the substrate but down if it would die off if planted likethat have tried wedging between the bog wood but the wood some times shifts when the catfish burrow underneath it .
anchoring hornwort
- Thread starter bathawk
- Start date
+1
When I bought mine it had a little metal clip attached that helped to weigh it down. Eventually I decided to just let it float though.
I love hornwort and have tons of it. I think it is a beautiful plant and always wish that I could manage to get it to grow upwards from an anchored position at the bottom; I've read about people who have managed to get it to work what way, but I have never had success.
Trying to root it is IMHO a complete waste of time. The part that is buried always seems to die and rot. The lead weights work a bit better, but if the bundle is kept together it looks bad, and if the stems are separated each one will need an anchor. I just don't like the idea of that much lead in the tank.
Tying it to driftwood or rocks, as one would normally do for Anubias or Java Fern, is unsightly and awkward. That method works with those other species because they are "neutrally buoyant" and aren't trying to float upwards, and also because they are relatively slow growing. The "best" method with Hornwort for me has been to take a long stem of it, at least a couple feet long, and just loop it around some driftwood so both ends are floating upwards from the wood. These long strands are usually branched, and with a foot-long branch on either side of the wood, stretching upwards, it makes a very pretty display. Might last for weeks or even months before the bottom part weakens and breaks, but Hornwort is such a lightning-fast grower that if you have it you must simply resign yourself to the fact that you will be trimming, pruning and discarding a lot of it on a regular basis.
Maybe you could try Guppy Grass (Najas). It's just a loose mass of intertwining thin leaves and branches, not as structured (or as attractive, IMHO) as Hornwort, but just as easy and fast to grow. It doesn't float upwards nearly as much as Hornwort, and a bunch can easily be snagged or hooked around a piece of wood or rock and will then spread in all directions from that spot, rather than just straight up.
Trying to root it is IMHO a complete waste of time. The part that is buried always seems to die and rot. The lead weights work a bit better, but if the bundle is kept together it looks bad, and if the stems are separated each one will need an anchor. I just don't like the idea of that much lead in the tank.
Tying it to driftwood or rocks, as one would normally do for Anubias or Java Fern, is unsightly and awkward. That method works with those other species because they are "neutrally buoyant" and aren't trying to float upwards, and also because they are relatively slow growing. The "best" method with Hornwort for me has been to take a long stem of it, at least a couple feet long, and just loop it around some driftwood so both ends are floating upwards from the wood. These long strands are usually branched, and with a foot-long branch on either side of the wood, stretching upwards, it makes a very pretty display. Might last for weeks or even months before the bottom part weakens and breaks, but Hornwort is such a lightning-fast grower that if you have it you must simply resign yourself to the fact that you will be trimming, pruning and discarding a lot of it on a regular basis.
Maybe you could try Guppy Grass (Najas). It's just a loose mass of intertwining thin leaves and branches, not as structured (or as attractive, IMHO) as Hornwort, but just as easy and fast to grow. It doesn't float upwards nearly as much as Hornwort, and a bunch can easily be snagged or hooked around a piece of wood or rock and will then spread in all directions from that spot, rather than just straight up.
I believe you are right. It is also said to be allelopathic i.e. it produces chemicals which inhibit other plants.
I grew it once and it looked good for a short time but needs too much attention.
It only likes to live on the surface.
Hornwort is tough and prolific; it grows so fast that if you don't stay on top of pruning it, the plants beneath will definitely begin to suffer for lack of light...and, of course, a fast-grower utilizes more than its share of dissolved nutrients, which also hinders competition.
Allelopathic? Beats me; maybe? But I haven't really had any reason to think that it was harming other species except perhaps by outcompeting them.
I wouldn't hesitate to try it in any tank, regardless of other species present. It's just essential to keep on top of its astronomical growth, removing excess regularly (and revelling in the knowledge that your are removing nitrates from your tank at the same time) and monitoring how much it shades the lower levels.
In most practical respects, it's really just a much more attractive counterpart of Duckweed (another crazy grower that I admire...).
Allelopathic? Beats me; maybe? But I haven't really had any reason to think that it was harming other species except perhaps by outcompeting them.
I wouldn't hesitate to try it in any tank, regardless of other species present. It's just essential to keep on top of its astronomical growth, removing excess regularly (and revelling in the knowledge that your are removing nitrates from your tank at the same time) and monitoring how much it shades the lower levels.
In most practical respects, it's really just a much more attractive counterpart of Duckweed (another crazy grower that I admire...).
