# Hemianthus callitrichoides Melting



## vca2004 (Sep 7, 2009)

Hi,

I have HC in my 16gal tank and it started melting and dying off a day after I set everything up. Here my stats:

New tank, no fauna yet.
16gal w/2.5wpg (2x20W, 6500K)
77 degrees F
pH 6, kH1, gH 3 (these values have been going down after day one because of the substrate)
ADA Aquasoil Amazonia II & CaribSea Tahitian Moon Sand (50/50)
Seachem Excel daily (no other CO2)

I have read that HC is supposed to LOVE the Excel, rich substrate, at least 2wpg, and on the Tropica website it states that the 77 is temp. optimum.
Is it just going from emers to submers leaves and will come back or what are your experiences?


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

This is a pretty hardy plant once established if given proper nutrients/conditions. It should come back with vigor. What are you fertilizing in this tank?


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## naka (Feb 1, 2008)

vca2004 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have HC in my 16gal tank and it started melting and dying off a day after I set everything up. Here my stats:
> 
> ...


Excel will cause HC to melt. Been told that by a local shop owner and from personal experience. I'm getting better result growing it emerse first and then add water.


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## danepatrick (Jul 17, 2006)

naka said:


> Excel will cause HC to melt.


x2.

excel will definitely cause HC to melt. like most plants, the transfer from emersed to submersed will cause the plant to weaken and maybe melt a few leaved, but nothing drastic or enough to melt it completely. my guess is the excel. keep in mind HC requires a lot of light intensity and CO₂.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I have had HC melt when spot treating with excel but never when just adding it. Many people find it melts at first, I haven't had this issue but it isn't uncommon. I treat all my plants as something to grow my own stems off of though. Different lighting, co2, etc, can cause pretty drastic changes in looks, growth, etc, so I tend to let it grow in my enviornment, then replant. HC is a pain like this, so you can let it sit as is then regrow. It can take awhile for this particular plant to gain "momentum"


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

I have an excel only tank with HC and do not have melting issues. Of course, I dose the tank, not spot treating.


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## vca2004 (Sep 7, 2009)

Thanks everybody for your replies. I am still dosing Excel and the melting has stopped now. IMO it must have been the emersed to submersed transition (and maybe also the complete lack of Nitrates in my new tank). It is still not actively growing though as it still seems to get adjusted. We'll see how it will turn out in a few weeks.


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