Horwart looks a little brown

[Gramazing]

I have some hornwart floating in my tank. It's not bad, but doesn't look too green. Is this normal? It makes it look a little shabby. I actually removed a big chunk, where the bunch was tied with a lead plant anchor. There was a lot of dead bits flaking off which I hoovered up during my last water change.

See below.
http://picasaweb.google.com/grahame.p.ward/Hornwart#5378765660392042818
http://picasaweb.google.com/grahame.p.ward/Hornwart#5378765665476823794
http://picasaweb.google.com/grahame.p.ward/Hornwart#5378765661537397154

Not showing.... here's the links:
http://picasaweb.google.com/grahame.p.ward/Hornwart#5378765660392042818
http://picasaweb.google.com/grahame.p.ward/Hornwart#5378765665476823794
http://picasaweb.google.com/grahame.p.ward/Hornwart#5378765661537397154

[rookie]

mind you this is just a guess but hornwort sucks up alot of nutriants do you think it is possible its starving per say

[Gramazing]

Hello again Rookie.:22:
My nitrates are usually around 20. I was hoping the hornwart would lower it a bit. Lights are 2 x 20 watt, on at least 10 hours a day. I certainly have no trouble growing diatoms at the moment, normal for a new tank, or so I hear.

[rookie]

hey :22: funny seeing you here lol. yea thats crazy other things are growing i basically bleached the heck out of my hornwort and it came back to life somehow. how long has your tank been running and how long ago did you put the hornwort in

[Gramazing]

hey :22: funny seeing you here lol. yea thats crazy other things are growing i basically bleached the heck out of my hornwort and it came back to life somehow. how long has your tank been running and how long ago did you put the hornwort inIt's been going 3 months and fully cycled about half that time. The hornwart's been in about a month. It was all tied up with one of those plant weights and pretty much died off around where it was bunched up. I cleaned it up a couple of days ago. Maybe when it's been floating loose a while it will grow back.

[rookie]

yea it supposta be floating i did the same thing when i got mine but it started growing anyway. but what is the kevin rating of your lights

[Gramazing]

yea it supposta be floating i did the same thing when i got mine but it started growing anyway. but what is the kevin rating of your lights Buggered if I know. I will have to find the manual for it.

[rookie]

do you know if they are definatly lights for plants

[toddnbecka]

I use a standard 2 bulb/4' shop light over the tank that has hornwort growing in it. A single fluorescent strip light isn't enough for hornwort. Lighting aside though, I never did have good results with the stuff from the lfs. I got a few small pieces last year with some dwarf crayfish that have grown very well for me, enough to fill half a 38 gallon tank rather densely before being thinned out (several times.)

[Northernguy]

Hornwort never does good under water in any of my tanks.All the stuff thats floating is green and thick.
An ac sponge over the filter keeps the filter free of needles and can be used to start another tank after a few weeks.