# Cardinal Plant - Leaves popped off?



## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Earlier today I was checking out my tank and everything looked fine. Just a few moments ago I noticed four of my Cardinal Plants leaves "popped" off. No evidence of damage as I only have Guppies, RCS, and Ramshorn snails in the tank. The rest of the plant is healthy as are the leaves that popped off.

Is this something I should be worried about? I've had this plant for about a month and it has done nothing but grow. Started about 3" above the substrate and is now close to 5".

10g
36w 6700k CF
GW Ferts
Excel + DIY CO2


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Any chance the leaves that came off were near the substrate? I have Lobelia planted, and everytime I pull it up to prune and replant, I will see some leaves floating for next few days. IMO, it's just the leaves that perhaps got buried by the substrate. If the rest of the plant looks good and healthy, I wouldn't worry about it.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

The leaves ranged from toward the bottom to the very top.

Not quite sure what is going on. Two of them had a "clear gel" on them, I assume those to be snail eggs? All I see in my tank are a few MTS and Ramshorns. I don't think they caused the damage.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Are the leaves green or purple? Submersed or emersed? Until the plant becomes very well established, it is a pretty fragile plant, and the emersed leaves in particular will all eventually come off. If the plants you got were all submersed grown and all green, then it should become established quicker.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Some leaves had purple on the underside when I bought it a month or so ago. The newer ones were green.

So I guess it was still carrying emersed leaves when I bought it?


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

If they are purple or red at all, then it is emersed leaves. Did you buy them or get them in trade? Most stores only carry it potted and its called dwarf Lobelia from Florida Aquatic Nurseries. Its grown hydroponically and the leaves are all purple. Underwater the plant actually grows quite big eventually. OA aquarium in Singapore developed a cultivar version which stays much smaller and is called "small form". It is now grown in plant farms across Asia, and this 'small' form has to be imported into this country in order for it to be available.

The wild version of this plant is actually native to this country and grows in marshes and can grow up to 3 feet tall with fire engine red flowers. There are also cultivated versions for outdoor gardens where the flowers come in different colors

Above water, leaves are dark red and purple. Below water, light green.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Mine was purchased at Pets Supplies Plus in a pot.

The, I guess, rhizome is bare now. Hopefully the leaves will grow back. It's such a pretty plant.

Thanks for the information. Didn't know a lot of that.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Here is what the version you have looks like when it grows some!










This is the small form










This is what both versions look like when grow emersed


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Wow that does get big! Pretty cool looking though.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

I woke up today to find 80% of the plant eaten by my ramshorn snails.

Highly doubt it will survive now. It spent almost a full month in the tank without being touched. Now they are just munching away.


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

_Marisa_ are definite no-no's for planted tanks. They will devour plants very quickly. Even just one can cause severe damage.

(They are actually a type of apple snail.)


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Strange they won't touch any of my other plants at all. Rotala Indica, Java Fern, Taiwan/Java Moss, HC, etc.

They must think of Cardinal Plants as the steak of aquatic plants.


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