# Parrots feather rotting



## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

Welcome to the board vwboy53!

Parrot feather is more of a bog plant than a true aquatic. It does well above the water, but rots away under the water.

Mike


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## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

Mike is right. I have it in the pond outside. When I put it in the tank, it did not like it.


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## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

Weird, I've had mine for a month now and it grows like a weed.  It needs weekly trimmings in my tank!?


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## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

Anthony said:


> Weird, I've had mine for a month now and it grows like a weed.  It needs weekly trimmings in my tank!?


When you get a chance, show us a picture so that we know we are talking about the same plant. Do you know if yours is Myriophyllum aquatica? that's what Mike and I have in mind. Mine did grow fast underwater, but the leaves underwater are kind of yellow, ugly looking, so I threw it out. Don't know if it would rot if I kept it longer.


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## SueNH (Feb 25, 2004)

Sounds a little odd but I have some sort of milfoil in my tanks that certainly looked like parrots feather when I threw it in the pond. Stuffed some cuttings in the pond last summer and when it broke the surface looked and acted like parrots feather. Lost it's underwater leaves and the few that were left were ratty but there is no doubt in my mind that it came from a reddish topped milfoil I stuffed in the mud.

Got a little trim happy later in the summer and regretted it. Tried to take some of the parrots feather out of the pond and it would not acclimate back to the way it was.

No idea what the milfoil was. Came as a freebie with a plant order. I still have some in the tank. It grows and isn't ratty by any means. If I had a bigger tank it might even be stunning but I've got to constantly nip away at it in my small tanks.

When it warms up I'll see if I can get it to do that again. Parrots feather isn't winter hardy here so I have to try again with plant trimmings.


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## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

I bought it as parrot's feather, but will post a pic when I get a chance.


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## bigpow (May 24, 2004)

my parrot feather has been dying ever since I could remember.
When I first got them, they were very dense and light green in color. The branches were thick and brown in color. That was 6 months ago. Now they're yellowish and sparse/brittle.
However, when I lifted them outside the water, they dried up and died.
I'm all confused now


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## vwboy53 (Mar 31, 2005)

The plant I assume is parrots feather is the one coming out of the rock in the middle. You can see the wire wrapped around the stems and the stems below rotting.
I made the wire very light, just enough to hold the stems, but they just rot. Even some loose stems floating rot at the bottom!

Any ideas?


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## bgssamson (Mar 16, 2004)

SueNH said:


> Sounds a little odd but I have some sort of milfoil in my tanks that certainly looked like parrots feather when I threw it in the pond. Stuffed some cuttings in the pond last summer and when it broke the surface looked and acted like parrots feather. Lost it's underwater leaves and the few that were left were ratty but there is no doubt in my mind that it came from a reddish topped milfoil I stuffed in the mud.QUOTE]
> 
> SueNH,
> 
> ...


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## 66 north (Oct 28, 2004)

I have some parrots feather as well. At first (about two weeks) if grew rapidly to the surface so I trimmed it down. During that time it also faded from an intense red to a more brown/red. Regrowth has been very slow, new shoots start out intensely red and then quickly fade to the yellow colour. 

It looked perfect after that first two weeks in my tank. Sounds like I'll have to take it out :icon_frow Maybe with spring coming I can try it outside.


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## bgssamson (Mar 16, 2004)

Its been in my tank for about 6-8 months now! I have to trim it every 2 weeks.

-Brian


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

I have seen a few plants go by the common name "Parrot's Feather"!

Mike


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## bgssamson (Mar 16, 2004)

Mike-

Do you think mine is a parrot feather?

-Brian


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## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

bgssamson said:


> Mike-
> 
> Do you think mine is a parrot feather?
> 
> -Brian


can't see your pics? 
vwboy53's pic does look like parrot's feather, on the other hand.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

> vwboy53's pic does look like parrot's feather, on the other hand.


Agreed!

Mike


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## vwboy53 (Mar 31, 2005)

Well, at the moment, the rotting is slow, at least for the moment, and some roots have poped up here and there. 

My thoughts are that it may be excessive minerals and nutrients of certain types, namely due to the kitty litter substrate which varies considerably in minerals and nutrients. Or maybe the daily liquid fertiliser, or the tablet fertiliser.

Well, thanks for the help. I think I will have to hope it survives, otherwise cut my losses.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

Could be, but I think the rotting is due more to the plant being more of a bog plant than a true aquatic than your water parameters.

Hate to see you monkey around with your water when it could well be perfectly fine.  

Mike


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## vwboy53 (Mar 31, 2005)

I won't adjust any of my water parameters, I will just leave it be, well I may reduce the fertiliser a little, I got a nasty outbreak of hair algae. 
Thanks for the advice!


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## Safado (Jul 10, 2005)

Here is a picture of what I think Parrot's Feather is. This is life size of what it was a few days ago, 3 days after adding it. It is now straight, and seems to be growing. The tops are no longer pearling nearly as much as a few days ago, and have turned a little brownish.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

That's Parrots Feather alright.

It is getting brown because, as previously mentioned, it isn't a true aquatic plant.

Mike


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## vwboy53 (Mar 31, 2005)

I gave up on mine eventually, it just was hanging in there but looked terrible. It is a loosing battle. Soon it will probably root on the bottom and slowly work it's way up. It is a beautiful plant but a pity that it is a marsh plant. It you are desperate to have them, just let them float to the top. It may look scrappy but it would be still alive.


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