# Hey, who stole my Hornwort??



## Prodicus (Nov 3, 2008)

I picked up some hornwort about three weeks ago. I got it as a temporary measure to compete with algae until I get better growth because there was a lot of plant mass for little money. It seemed to do okay.

Today I got back from a ten day holiday trip (my own personal _Ground Hog Day_, but that's another story). My neighbour was feeding the animals. I was pretty pleased with the growth. Pretty much everything had sigificant growth during my abscence, with one exception. Four very bushy 10 inch Hornwort plants were GONE .

I'm thinking, _What the heck happened? I was really tired before I left. Did I pull them out and forget to replant them? Did they get uprooted and then my neighbor took them out because they were floating? _ I talked to the neighbour and he knew nothing about the plants, which were in the two back corners of the aquarium.
So I looked around thinking I might have left them in a bucket or a sink. Nope. Finally, I reached in the aquarium and found the plugs were exactly where I had placed them.

The plants melted COMPLETELY. Honestly, I won't really miss them. But I'm pretty surprised to see ALL of them disappear entirely in 10 days.

Now I have room for some plants I really want.


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## duffgrot (Jul 4, 2008)

I can't be 100% sure without knowing the type of fish you were keeping in the tank, but I can make a very easy guess that it was your fish that ate the hornwort. Also depending on what your lighting and for what length of time you were keeping the lights on for (did you have a timer?), the very light dependent hornwort could have simply fizzled, with your tanks residents finishing off the remainder. It could just be one of those little tank mysteries we all go through?


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## Prodicus (Nov 3, 2008)

I have two Gourami, a few rasboras and a small ancistrus. The light is 2x39w HO on 46 gallons at 10 hours a day. The other plants did very well.

I made a significant change before leaving: I got another eheim 2213. I'm wondering if the Hornwort doesn't like the circulation.



duffgrot said:


> I can't be 100% sure without knowing the type of fish you were keeping in the tank, but I can make a very easy guess that it was your fish that ate the hornwort. Also depending on what your lighting and for what length of time you were keeping the lights on for (did you have a timer?), the very light dependent hornwort could have simply fizzled, with your tanks residents finishing off the reminder. It could just be one of those little tank mysteries we all go through?


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## desjardo (Aug 30, 2008)

Odd. Doubt it was the pump.


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## duffgrot (Jul 4, 2008)

At 116 gph, it could have been the pump if it was a small enough tank. Hornwort is not necessarily the strongest plant and could have been 'blown' apart. Was there any plant matter in your pump? The temperature could have been a factor as well. Hornwort in my experience does best in cold water, that's why it is used in ponds so often. The temperature, fish and pump could have all been factors. If there were not even stems left, I would place a bet that they ended up in your canister filter.


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## Prodicus (Nov 3, 2008)

I haven't checked my canisters, but I have read something that suggests that they are adapted as a floating plant and might not like the circulation. My neighbour mentioned the water looked a little funny at one point. By the time I got home, though, my filters had done a pretty good job. I expect I will be rinsing out my cansisters tonight. Hehe



duffgrot said:


> At 116 gph, it could have been the pump if it was a small enough tank. Hornwort is not necessarily the strongest plant and could have been 'blown' apart. Was there any plant matter in your pump? The temperature could have been a factor as well. Hornwort in my experience does best in cold water, that's why it is used in ponds so often. The temperature, fish and pump could have all been factors. If there were not even stems left, I would place a bet that they ended up in your canister filter.


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