Any good cleanup crews for hornwort?

[Max W.]

I recently added some hornwort to my tank. It has been growing crazy, but a bunch of needles fall off. I have a decent population of Malaysian trumpet snails, but they don’t do a dent to the pile. My black racer nerite snail stays to the green spot algae. And my rams horn and bladder snails don’t help either. Any suggestions that are compatible with Corydoras and neon tetras?

[Tony s]

Nothing usually. But, you need to check your nitrate levels. Hornwort needs to have nitrates above 10. Usually. Or it’s prone to dieback. And dying. Which it does by shedding needles. It’s one of my favorite plants in higher nitrate situations. It’s other problems, it tends to be one of the first things to collect slime. The solution to both problems is to tear off a nice green chunk. Keep it. And throw the rest away. 

[T. Payne]

Thats the one reason I do not care for hornwort, the plant dropping needles leaves  a huge mess that must be removed manually.

Edited April 11 by T. Payne

[Max W.]

Ok, thanks. 

Nitrate - 11

Nitrite - 0

ph - 7.5

kh - 80

gh - 180

I was thinking of getting some amano shrimp and a few more ghost shrimp. I just haven’t have time to clean my tank.

 

[Tony s]

It mostly looks good. hornwort is a very fast grower though. and likes lots of ferts. get rid of about half of what you have. Keep the healthier bits and it should stop shedding. iv'e only killed it once and that was in an empty tank. so just rip apart and chuck some

Edited April 11 by Tony s

[jwcarlson]

Your siphon tube.

And prevention by means of liquid fertilizer.

It will shed like an old Christmas tree if it runs out of nitrate.  I keep it in fry tanks because it survives fairly well for me, gives great cover, etc.  But I have to fertilize just to keep it alive because I change so much water there's never really any appreciable nitrate level.

[JettsPapa]

Mine turns brown before it drops needles, so if you keep cutting off and discarding the parts with brown needles there shouldn't be an issue.

[doktor zhivago]

I take about half my hornwort out once every week or two. You gotta prune it back hard or it will take over the entire tank in a month or two. It will grow back fine

[Max W.]

Ok, thanks 

Edited April 11 by Max W.