# Echinodorus Tenellus Emersed



## Jaap

Hello,

I try ti grow ehinodorus tenellus emersed but the leaves turn transparent and die off. Also yellow tips of leaves and hen become brown and melt but a few plantlets managed to grow new leaves. 40L tank, potting soil with micronutrient tablets and sprinkles of KNO3 and K2SO4. Topped off with normal gravel. 38w lights that at first were on at day but due to the high temps in Cyprus I decided to turn them on at night. A glass lid is kept on top of the tank to create humidity but because high temps built up in the tank I left a gap for air to come in.

Any clues on why the transparent leaves and why my failure in growin this plant emersed?

Thanks!


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## Cavan Allen

Grow it in some very shallow water just higher than the plant. It will probably do better if it can grow emersed by itself.


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## Jaap

Cavan Allen said:


> Grow it in some very shallow water just higher than the plant. It will probably do better if it can grow emersed by itself.


Hi and thanks for the reply. Wouldn't this though beat the purpose of emersed growth? Not to have water to avoid algae? Maybe you are suggesting that as soon as it grows emersed I remove the water?

What abou the high temperature and the transparent leaves. Are they connected somehow?

Thanks


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## Cavan Allen

Yes, as the plant adapts, let the water evaporate. It may be helpful to keep the humidity a bit higher for a while than you normally would. But not forever, as too much humidity can lead to mold. Also, _Echinodorus_ (tenellus is probably _Helanthium tenellum_, but is still closely related) often do better with less moisture once they've adapted.

As long as your temperature is not much over 80F (28C), you should be fine.


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## Jaap

things are not going well with the plants. Almost all have melted. I have removed the glass cover and I have filled the tank with some water just to cover the plants. It evaporated slowly but the new leaves now becoming transparent at the tips. 

I don't know what the problem might be. It might be that my substrate doesn't have alot of nutriens or it might be the high temperature.


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## hydrophyte

You might just have to give it another try. I grew some _E. tenellus_ emersed for a while and it did take a while to adapt. The better part of the pieces just rotted but a few made it.


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## armedbiggiet

does any one have a pic of what it looks like?


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## miremonster

hadjici2 said:


> It might be that my substrate doesn't have alot of nutriens


That may be an important factor. When I grow chain swords emersed, they grow best as long as the substrate (mostly loam-sand mix and a few NPK fertilizer) is nutrient-rich. 
I think the E. tenellus (like other amphibious plants) adapts best when it is grown well submersed and isn't uprooted before falling dry.
E. tenellus (= Helanthium tenellum) in the Botanical garden of Göttingen, Germany, with some "weed" in the pot, maybe seedlings of Alternanthera reineckii:


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## jonny_ftm

Hi,

Even if late, I'll just add my expierience. I successfully grew tenellus emersed in my dry starting 45L aquarium. I think that rich substrate is important. Dosing KNO3 separately as you did isn't the best way. Soil must be cycled also probably for best results. I used earthworm castings topped with flourite black sand and misted with my other cycled aquarium fertilized water.

In your case, gravel could be one of the issues, poor nutrients too. Maybe also the balance between humidity and aeration was bad. You can't compensate humidity by misting or it will melt and invaded by mold. >80% humidity is important and in any case >70-75%. Soil must never dry on roots, but it musn't be kept immersed to avoid algae/putrefecation. Starting by a 2-3x/week misting than adapting it progressively to 1-2x/15d will help to acclimate it better sometimes

I now got rid of it because it was too invasive after 4 weeks emersed

Definately in your case I suspect poor substrate and the gravel top


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