# Frogbit Melted



## dbw27 (Jun 2, 2014)

Hi:

For some reason my new frogbit melted. Eh?

I have a 15.8 gallon tropical tank, 79 degrees, no ferts, no CO2, plain black sand (does that stuff really care about the sand?), 36 LED lights that are two strips under the hood that came with the tank.

I got all sorts of stuff growing all normal like: water wisteria has taken over, S. Repens, Taiwan moss, java moss, elodea, evil hornwort (evil to me) and an unknown bulb pack plant. I've got some fish. Two African dwarf frogs.

Threw in some frogbit. Melted. Ewwwwwwwwww. I mean it like dissolved.

I do have a very strong filter. It is for 30 gallon tanks: Aqueon Quietflow 30. So I am over filtering. 

Do you think the strong flow killed the frogbit? The (evil) hornwort seemed to have survived.

Due to loss of floating nutrient sucking plant, I threw in some water lettuce this afternoon. I am afraid of algae.

Any ideas why my frogbit melted? It is the first plant in my tank to pass away. I thought it was an easy plant. I had one elodea stem that melted (out of four) but I figured out it was because it was too close to the filter. The rest of the elodea are fine.

Thanks!

dbw


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## SBS (Feb 26, 2013)

> Do you think the strong flow killed the frogbit?


If the top of the leaves got constantly wet or the plant got submerged from time to time due to surface movement, it can't live. I can't keep it with strong surface movement as it gets caught and sinks quite often and that brings the end of it.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

SBS is right about it getting constantly wet and dying.

Post a photo of the problem and it will help better.


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## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

It's been my experience that frogbit is one of those plants that just doesn't like being transported.

Might have something to do with it, especially if it was ordered in through the mail.


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## dbw27 (Jun 2, 2014)

It was indeed ordered through the mail.

Additionally, there is a tremendous amount of surface agitation and it was frequently going down to the bottom of the aquarium and rising again. Therefore, it was constantly wet and therefore, this most likely led to its doom.

Now I am trying water lettuce which holds its ground. Hopefully this can successfully be my aerial plant.

Thanks.

dbw


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Why do you need so much surface motion it sounds a bit excessive?


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## dbw27 (Jun 2, 2014)

Hi:

Thanks everyone. Zapin I did not see your reply. 

I cannot take a picture now because I took it out. It like.. disintegrated.

I am running an Aqueon Quiet Flow 30. I did not know about the sponge pre-filter until yesterday when some people wrote me about it on The Planted Tank. The filter previously was like sucking up my plants that were all around it. I have a 15.8 gallon tank. I plan to get a sponge pre-filter today.

So yes, I had A LOT of surface agitation. I am running more than 200% filtration. I have that "waterfall" type filter and so I just have a lot of agitation. I guess the frogbit on the surface of the water did not stand a chance.

Ought I get a different kind of filter? Like I said, I plan to go to the lfs today and need to pick up the sponge pre-filter and I guess ferts now from the other post about my deficiency? I don't want to spend a fortune because I am a grad student (this is my summer fun project). But I do have a lot of agitation.

dbw


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