• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

cant grow HC

danmil3s

Member
Joined
11 Jan 2010
Messages
756
hi guys I've spent a fortune over the years trying to get hc to grow, and for the life of me can't work out why. I'm doing everything by the book. you can see the flow patten in the video you can also see how dead the plant is. my co2 comes on two hours before the lights my drop checkers yellow, diffusion happens in the filler with co2 going directly in to the filter up take. lights are a twin t5ho that's 260mm from the top of the water and 700mm from the substrate which is a play sand. ferts are ei all salts brought from a sponsor. oh and waters heated to 26 deg c.
does anyone have any ideas why the hc just wont grow it was ok for a week then bam it just started dieing. i was doing daily water changes as id just restarted the tank after a five day black out to kill some BBA that was caused by two mechanical fails in a row( all fixed now) there must be something I'm missing.

 
ive tried root tabs. i tried cat litter in the past too difficult to work with to light. i cant really afford designer ones.
 
so your saying its the sand not just the fact its inert.
 
Hi Dan
Ive never grown HC myself successfully.
I think having a substrate that lets nutrients/fertilizer's get too the roots is key to get it established and growing after being submerged.
hoggie
 
HI i have been using JBL Mandano depending on the size of your tank its cheep it hold the nutrients from the water colom. i had a few problems with my HC as it is the first time i have grown it but that was down to flow and co2 now i have sorted that out all is well. i only got 8 pots of HC and planted them at each side of my 4ft 180l tank and 9 weeks later this is the result http://www.flickr.com/photos/77614826@N07/ the JBL for me has been well worth the money. The gran size is small so the HC as no problem getting through it. I put the JBL Aqua base down to and dose EL this is my first Aquascape and so far so good. :D
 
Sand is not issue. Your surface agitation is quite high. It takes a lot co2 injection to get proper co2 level for this agitation. I would not trust drop checker either. Then make sure you get good light on the substrate, not too much not too little. 26cm from surface is quite high not sure what tubes you have.
 
IMHO I think it's the substrate - admittedly I have no experience of growing plants in sand, but I would imagine HC could have a hard time sending roots down into it. I grow HC quite successfully in the cheap inert black gravel (fine grain size, around 2mm). This gives little spaces between the grains that the roots can weave through, plus water can flow through the substrate which keeps the substrate bacteria healthy (important for roots). Fish and shrimp poo also can get down to the roots and give them nutrition.

Mine grows under very low light, with liquid carbon and micro ferts, so I imagine none of these things are limiting factors in your tank.

Also I notice you've planted in clumps - have you tried planting the individual plantlets? Frustrating tweezer work, but I find it 'takes' much better when each plant has it's own space.
 
thanks for the input guys on my next tank I'll try a courser substrate.
 
i've tried all sorts it just always dies. never tried dry start the one plant i put in my turtle tank on dry land hasn't died yet.
 
Hey,

Ive just stumbled on this thread,
And as Ive had some success with a dry start method recently I thought I would share what I did.

I have a fluval Ebi, with 22w lighting and I currently dose;

0.7ml EasyCarbo &
0.7ml Tropica TPN+ daily.

I started by planting HC purchased from Logi-cat on here, into a dry scaped tank.
(Ebi Gold Shrimpsoil substrate, see Forum sponsor 'FreshwaterShrimp' for this).

I then covered the tank to maintain humidity(glass lid with gas tape or clingfilm will suffice), and misted everyday with a spray bottle containing 1ml of Ada Green Brighty and Brighty K.

Did this for about 2-3 weeks. Make sure to keep humidity up but no standing water in the tank.
Lights on for 12 hours a day.

Shown here;
5682b15a-e7e8-6e8c.jpg


Then I flooded and dosed as per 0.7 EC and TPN+.

Reduced lighting period to 5hr.

This is how it looks about 5 weeks later;
Just awaiting a first trim :)

5682b15a-e895-8d10.jpg


5682b15a-e8a8-983c.jpg


5682b15a-e8bb-66d2.jpg


Hope this helps you with a future project, but remember the substrate is key. Use a quality one, and once you balance Lighting, CO2 and ferts, sit back and marvel, as HC really is a stunning plant in carpet form.

Will post you a photo of my ADA mini M tonight, HC carpet in there is quite nice too.

All the best,
 
For me DSM was a bit of a nightmare with HC as only about half of it established itself with the other half melting. Was ok when I added water though. I'd say that it is the fact you are trying to grow it in play sand.
 
rolexbene said:
For me DSM was a bit of a nightmare with HC as only about half of it established itself with the other half melting. Was ok when I added water though. I'd say that it is the fact you are trying to grow it in play sand.

Strange, did you use specific type of water? (Tap, RO or fertiliser mix?)
I added the ferts to mine as I assumed that the unlimited Co2 would drive a need for ferts.

I added 1ml of Brighty k to the misting mix, I wonder if the potassium aids the HC.
 
I've pulled the sand out and replaced it with gravel. I think there was something maybe wrong with the sand. I had two little bits of HC that didn't die lets see what happens with them.
 
Back
Top