# hornwort shedding problem



## TommyBoy (Jan 7, 2005)

Setup: nano tank (3/4 gal)
- JBJ nano light (13 or 18 W?)
- Red Sea Nano filter
- Hygro's new flat mini-heater

Plants:
- nana anubias on wood
- hygrophilia corymbosa compacta in corner
- java moss carpet
- hornwort
- new add: 2 small riccia bunches to correct nitrogen bloom

Problems:
1) Nitrite bloom (rise from 0.5 to 5 ppms), nitrate (from 0 to 80 ppm) & pH rise (from 7.2 to 7.8), with stable hardness (75 GH & 40 KH ppm) after brine shrimp feeding (1st day) :icon_neut  :icon_redf , and 
2) loss of 2 choco gouramis (newer, 1 month, residents), & 2 pygmy cory cats (long time residents of more than 1 yr) :frown: [NOTE: 1 cory had red (bloody?) diagonal "stripe" on 1 side].
3) partial (R.O.) H2O change, added peat to filter to stablize back down, & added riccia for sopping-up extra nitrate.
4) Hornwort shed most all needles in 1 day (2nd day)
5) new conditions: pH back @ 7.2, nitrites @ 0.5, nitrates @ 10 ppm, approx GH 75 ppm, KH about 80 ppm

Any clues? Why did the Hornwort shed? 

I was looking to improve the lighting since the hornwort (over 1 yr in the nano tank) was slowly getting more & more wirey (sp?). Have seen set of pictures in a book on how this is a symptom of low light on hornwort. But I don't think that was the root cause of the sudden shedding.

I've also read how low calicum can increase shedding, but that is INCREASE not sudden.


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## lbsfarms (Jan 30, 2003)

What's the temp of your water? One of the main things that will cause hornwort to shed it's leaves is too high of a temp.


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## Barbels (Aug 3, 2004)

TommyBoy said:


> 2) loss of 2 choco gouramis (newer, 1 month, residents), & 2 pygmy cory cats (long time residents of more than 1 yr) :frown: [NOTE: 1 cory had red (bloody?) diagonal "stripe" on 1 side].
> Any clues? Why did the Hornwort shed?


 Perhaps a little bit better way of my saying it should have been more like, I'm sorry for your frustration with the shedding hornwort and I hope you get it figured out. Are the fish doing better?


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## elgecko (Apr 18, 2004)

I will second high temps for Hornwort shedding. 
When I decided to get discus and raised the tank temp to 83 degrees, my Hornwort started to shed it's leaves. I removed the Hornwort and tried a new batch with the same results. 1 thing I find strange is that other discus keepers say that they keep Hornwort in their tanks with no problems.


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## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

It's not just high temperature, there must be other factors like not keeping up with nutrients. I did have hornwort shedding leaves in my 83F discus tank once, but I had it fine for a long time after upped my dosing. It even survived one week of 92F metronidazole treatment. It just grew way too fast, about 20 inches a week, I now only keep it in low light tank, where it has shorter internodes and looks more attractive.


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