# HC Status



## Bill Weber (Jul 17, 2005)

I know that many of you purchased HC from our last plant club meeting.
I wanted to find out how it is doing for you?

I planted the HC the way Jeff did and found out that my snails love this stuff.
I do have some of it left but the snails are winning.

I also planted some in my Cherry tank and it is surviving but not thriving.
I hope others have some better news.


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## elaphe (Aug 24, 2006)

I didn't make the meeting, but went and picked up 2 pots the day after. Mine is doing fine, what the shrimp aren't pulling out ! Mine has increased by about 50% since I put it in.

How did Jeff plant it that is different? I'm guessing that this would have kept mine down. Snails are all over mine, but they don't seem to be eating the HC.

Brian


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## Bill Weber (Jul 17, 2005)

Jeff basically cut the bottom half of the rock wool then cut the piece into several small pieces leaving a small amount of wool to hold the HC in place. I thought this was interesting and I tried it myself. It worked out great. I still have some small pieces planted but it is shrinking fast. I hope it will recover because the plant is really cool looking.


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## Rift2Reef (Aug 3, 2007)

The ada setup is really doing well. The HC was making so much oxygen it was having trouble staying planted. I've had to replant it many times. 

We are just getting big algae blooms i've been doing large water changes. It's doing very well for us so far. Bill let me know how it turns out I have a few pots left.


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## Bill Weber (Jul 17, 2005)

Thanks Dane. 
I am currently trying a new CO2 set up now. I was using an atomizer and was not very happy with it. I do not get any pearling and the plants are so so. I also battle algae all the time so I keep trying new things to get it under control. My ph is 8.4 and I cannot get it down. Hopefully, this new CO2 set up will correct both problems.


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## Rift2Reef (Aug 3, 2007)

Let me know if there is anyway I can help. That is a real high ph for any sort of aquarium with C02. The HC in that setup was pearling the next day at about 1 bps so something is definately going on with your setup. Keep me posted.


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## CherylR (Aug 12, 2004)

I have the HC planted in two non-CO2 tanks with excel. It isn't pearling, but it is growing. I have snails and algae and they don't bother the HC. Bill, I think that your snails are eating dead plant material, not live stuff. HC really likes light...

Dane, I believe that Amano does daily water changes at first, especially for a display tank. What kind of algae are you getting?

Cheryl


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## Rift2Reef (Aug 3, 2007)

Cheryl we are getting some green algae on the glass. I didn't do a water change until the first signs of it. I basically removed it with a handpad and then did a 50% water changes. It's been pretty much every other day water changes since. The HC is growing and pearling and the Hairgrass is finally sending in new blades of growth as the emersed stuff slowly dies off.


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## greytdobe (May 25, 2007)

I wasn't able to make the meeting either but I bought some on driftwood earlier in the week. Mine looks OK, it's pearling but like Brian- mine is being pulled to pieces. The shrimp are not the culprit, it's my juvie platy and a male betta who I swear is playing with the stuff. I've just left it alone....we'll see what transpires....

when the lil twits pull it apart, I just stick it in the substrate....who knows...

I am enjoying it! But it may have to live someplace else ....


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## CherylR (Aug 12, 2004)

Dane, is it dusty green stuff that you can swipe easily or is it spot algae that you have to work at really hard to get off? If it's the dusty stuff, I would clean daily and run a diatom filter on it for a couple of hours. Normally we just let that stuff run its course, but since this is a display tank in your store, you can't do that.

If it's green spot algae, I'll just say that I get that stuff when I'm low on phosphates. Don't go crazy with ferts yet, though. Give the tank some time to settle before you start tinkering.

Cheryl


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## Rift2Reef (Aug 3, 2007)

Cheryl, 

It's the dusty green stuff. I can wipe it off with my hands. I get it all off of the glass and do a water change. It's not a large tank so I can handle doing it daily if need be. 

I will try to get some photos of it soon. 

Dane


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## Pieter (Jul 3, 2005)

Hey,

I agree with Cheryl that you should scrape it of as much as possible and do a waterchange afterwards. It would be a good idea to run a UV sterelizer or a diatom filter also.

About the HC, make sure it gets enough light, CO2 and nitrates and it will flourish. If your afraid of loosing it, just let it floot close to the lights and it will recover.

Best regards,

Pieter
from the other side of the world


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## Rift2Reef (Aug 3, 2007)

That is what I have been doing. Everything is thriving and growing faster than I expected. Everything is dense bright green. I haven't put any fish in it I may put a couple of Otos in the next couple of weeks. 

It got a 50% change today and will probably get another one on Saturday. I'll keep everyone updated.


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