[Olympia]

I've been considering cories for my new tank.. Everyone always says they need very clean substrate? What does that mean? My hornwort is always losing spines.. Would this hurt cories? :s

 

[GwenInNM]

I've been considering cories for my new tank.. Everyone always says they need very clean substrate? What does that mean? My hornwort is always losing spines.. Would this hurt cories? :s

All fish need a clean tank, but cories do well with a soft substate, as they like to bury and move along on it. Sand is nice, but a small pebble bottom would work. I had no luck with Hornwort, and it immediately lost all it's "leaves". They will not hurt the fish.

 

[Olympia]

Yes well I'm cycling it and it has a fine sand bottom. so it should be good. Everyone says hornwort is impossible to kill.. But here I am killing mine.

 

[jeaninel]

By clean substrate they mean keep the sand well vacuumed of poop and debris. This will keep the possibility of them getting their barbels infected to a minimum.

 

[Olympia]

Wait, so the hornwort leaves would be a problem?
I'll do my best to vacuum them all!

 

[Bombalurina]

They'll only be a problem if they start to decay. Mine don't cause any dramas, but then, it doesn't shed a lot.

 

[kfryman]

Olympia, do you have a plant bulb? That could be the problem as plants will do much better in plant specific lights rather than normal lights.

 

[Olympia]

Well I read it's common for hornwort to melt down.
And I am looking into getting a bulb at home depot.. The fish store ones are overpriced and OFL said they are the same thing. I don't really know what to look for for my 17gal though D:
I figured a hornwort would survive until I got it since they are indestructible.

 

[kfryman]

My hornwort is super messy! I have a plant bulb as well. I should start getting my plant lights from home improvement stores. They are so much more expensive!

I plan on upgrading lights to T5, so I guess I will look at Home Depot first, then Ace, then Lowes. I hope I can find something at one place lol.

Are you new to live plants or intermediate?

 

[Olympia]

I have had an anubias and java fern with nothing but a small LED light for months, and they (even the java fern) have grown a lot My java fern has the little "seed" things on it, but none have sprouted.
I got another "hard to kill" plant, wisteria, that melted down over two months and there is nothing left. I read that people grew them in "dark rooms" and they were fine.. so I don't know what I did there.
My hornwort is doing okayish.. I have 3 bunches.. one is great, one is okay, one is not so swell. I also planted a little sprig and it seems to be growing. The not so swell one still has a green stem so I have hope