Ludiwiga repens dying?

[Mordecai13]

Hi all,

 

I have 2 ludwigia reopens in my 10 gallon planted tank. One is healthy but one looks like it’s hanging on by a thread (attached below) what should I do? Could this be caused by excessive water flow? I also have a gourami that picks at it , is that making it a lot worse? Also does anyone know what that clear substance is, biofilm? Thanks sm in advance 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[Sciurus]

@Mordecai13 When did you get the Ludwigia? If you just got it recently, it could be melting because of a shift in water parameters/lower Co2. I've had ludwigia under a pretty high flow HOB filter with minimal issues (except for it growing slightly curvy, but that might also been because of lighting). What i normally do if im trying to plant stems i use a plant weight tied to 5ish stems and let that sink to the bottom letting it grow its own roots into the substrate. When i burry the bases right away, the stem tends to rot. 
Unrelated to your topic, is that an anubias on the left of the first picture? If so, the rhizome will rot if planted like that, you can burry the roots, but not the rhizome part which the roots and leaves are attatched to. 
Hopefully this helps!

[s_in_houston]

No insight but I wanted to express solidarity. I keep my ludwigias alive but they’re not in great shape. I think people overstate the degree to which they’re “easy” plants.