1st Time with Pearl Weed

[Kurt Brutting]

I ordered my first batch of Pearl Weed, it’s in the mail on the way. What is the best way to plant it and acclimate it to my water? Should I let it float at 1st then plant after roots are established or should I bundle the stems together and just plant it. It will be under medium light with no CO2. I have not had good luck with certain stem plants in the past, any insight is appreciated.

[PaigeIs]

I'm growing pearl weed in a 10g tank without CO2, and 2 inches of cheap rainbow colored gravel substrate. It's doing  well and I attribute the success to two things.  At first, I used fertilizer root tabs (easy green). Second,  I do have a Hygger plant light on the tank (60% for 6 hrs. per day). I did use a plant weight to keep the bunch loosely gathered, but also sort of mounded the substrate around the base for extra support.  It took at least 6 weeks for any noticeable growth, and then it just sort of took off.  It's not growing like a (pearl) weed 😛m but it is growing.  Now, I give the plant a squirt of easy green once a week or so.  Full disclosure, the plant is not exactly "full and lush."  The appearance is quite spindly and delicate.  My plant does NOT look like the photo on the Aquarium Co op website.  

[JettsPapa]

I have pearl weed growing in most of my tanks, and sell quit a bit to local stores.  It will grow just fine floating or planted in substrate.  I have inexpensive LED lights on anywhere from 8 - 12 hours per day, and fertilize with Easy Green twice per week (all my tanks are at least moderately planted, and some heavily).

If you ordered it from AC you can just take the pot off, separate it from the rockwool (carefully, because the stems are thin and break easily), and plant it in the substrate.  If some of them do break you can stick the broken off piece in the substrate or let it float.

It's my favorite floating plant for cover for shrimp and/or fry.  It will form a dense clump that's pretty much impenetrable for anything larger than neocaridina shrimp.

[sumplkrum]

I find it does best floating and it may melt-back some when you first get it. I have hard water and it did take a while to acclimate. I say leave it floating at first and when you get a decent ball of it, start planting it in the substrate the way you want.

If you want it to be a carpet, you have to keep trimming it. Otherwise it'll grow in tall shoots.

[Kurt Brutting]

Thank you all,

I appreciate the advise! I am excited to get this plant. 

[B1gJ4k3]

When, I first got mine, I cut the stems about 1/2"-1" from the rock wool and planted the stems in my display tank. Then, I put the pot with rock wool in another tank. When the pot would grow more, I'd just repeat the process until I had a nice little pearl weed grove on one side of my display...at least until I had algae problems, my platies uprooted a whole bunch while eating the algae and I gave up and pulled it all out.

[Bev C]

i tried it once i was trying to float it  and it fell all apart and melted away ,, i am retrying  this plant because i try a plant twice before moving on to another plant

like @B1gJ4k3 mentioned  and i think Candi mentioned too in a past post if you leave in the rockwool till it grows out some it grows better  ..  then later you can plant    am going to  try it 

Edited June 2, 2022 by Bev C