Most Challenging Foreground plant

**AquaObsession** · 8th Nov 2006, 13:53

HC HC HC for me, i simply does not want to grow. This it is because of my subtrate (white inert small-size gravel). I have lights, Co2, ferts. Still not growing. But I got it in emersed form, and it did not want to convert to submersed form.

**inspironD** · 8th Nov 2006, 14:37

Originally Posted by AquaObsession

HC HC HC for me, i simply does not want to grow. This it is because of my subtrate (white inert small-size gravel). I have lights, Co2, ferts. Still not growing. But I got it in emersed form, and it did not want to convert to submersed form.

Buy submerse form HC. Can save your time and effort in waiting for the conversion.

**troyz** · 8th Nov 2006, 19:48

Originally Posted by kemp

but trimming and maintaining riccia is also a big headache too

HI , same here bro...Riccia big headache...HC it seems to float all the time

**notebook** · 8th Nov 2006, 19:58

Just started my HC. lol cause massive genocide on my shrimps then... dun want to stick to gravel and forever floating.. still not yet submersed form but coverting .. now just turn yellowish...thinkin of using wire mesh to keep it down soon...

**plumboy21** · 9th Nov 2006, 17:11

can try planting riccia over moss, used to do so when i picked up floating riccia pieces & buried them in tw moss, it grew over the moss. any lose pieces, just blanket them with the moss again.

**StanChung** · 12th Nov 2006, 19:09

HC! never successful because of the fauna.
Tank has to be without substrate disturbing fauna till the fella takes root IMHO. Got a patch today and will try my own theory.

**|squee|** · 12th Nov 2006, 19:14

Mine's HC too. Even Cryptocoryne parva grew a little for me. My HC simply refused to root and in the end I got sick of it and threw it away.

**StanChung** · 12th Nov 2006, 19:19

Yes ditto on the C parva, i have almost 30% more in a year plus! Plant and leave... don't even look because it's worse than watching kettle boil!

**notebook** · 13th Nov 2006, 12:00

Originally Posted by standoyo

Yes ditto on the C parva, i have almost 30% more in a year plus! Plant and leave... don't even look because it's worse than watching kettle boil!

LOL kettle boil nowadays are fast... why the comparison. ha ha.
Anyway. I just cut out a piece of wire mesh and try to hold the HC down. just give it a try.. and come to think of it. I might just use riccia again on my foreground. although maintenance is high, my mum keep naggin : why dun put the bubble* plant inside... aiyo i let you have this tank because i thought you going to put the plant in. put in put in. i like it.. or else... i dun cook pasta for you le hor" well i guess pasta is very important to me. :P

**StanChung** · 13th Nov 2006, 13:05

Typical! Sorry for the 'off' analogy.

I also find anything fragile like mini pelia difficult as it breaks off easily.

**ranmasatome** · 13th Nov 2006, 16:30

mini pelia?? it grows like a weed man..
i find most challenging...is.. crypt balansae..hahaha..

**Justikanz** · 13th Nov 2006, 17:46

To each his own, I think... I cannot grow Blyxa japonica and pogostemon helferi... They just die no me... no matter what... Of course, HC is well known for its difficulty...

**GaspingGurami** · 13th Nov 2006, 22:55

Originally Posted by ranmasatome

mini pelia?? it grows like a weed man..
i find most challenging...is.. crypt balansae..hahaha..

Brother, Crypt balansae for the foreground will reaaaaally tax the skills of the best aquarists haha

God bless.

**spinex** · 15th Nov 2006, 16:34

I don't understand why HC was difficult other than it doesn't grow as fast and it take some time to crawl on the substrate.

If you see the HC growing upwards just trim it and take a bunch of them and push them into the substrate.

Be patient and carry on the process again very soon you will have HC lawn.

Constant trimming initially of the HC to keep it low will help those HC at the substrate to get the light and crawl on your foreground.

**StanChung** · 15th Nov 2006, 16:54

Originally Posted by ranmasatome

mini pelia?? it grows like a weed man..
i find most challenging...is.. crypt balansae..hahaha..

Once infected with hair algae and bba, the whole clump might as well be junked.

give up already on this! lol!

C balansae is pretty easy for me. I guess dif people got diff water and different issues. lol. Blyxas are no problem for me. Downoi is sometime win sometime lose. Lace plants are difficult for me...

**Laconic** · 21st Nov 2006, 00:38

Definitely C parva for me. It just stays there. Its doesn't grow but it doesn't die either.

**winston77** · 21st Nov 2006, 09:02

Originally Posted by Justikanz

To each his own, I think... I cannot grow Blyxa japonica and pogostemon helferi... They just die no me... no matter what... Of course, HC is well known for its difficulty...

I fully agreed on the above wif u... I cant get them to survive too! Haiz....

**BPT** · 29th Jan 2007, 01:44

I actually like to grow HC lawn using emersed form. Here is a trick to do it, firstly drain the water from the tank completely. Take a half an inch size emersed patch, do not shake off the sand from the root as this will help weight the patch down. Poke a hole in the gravel with your finger, place the patch and pour a bit of gravel to somewhat burry it. Do this all over the lawn area with about an inch distance between patches.