# Cabamba as Floating Plant



## nagukush (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi Friends, 

Just wanted to know if I use a stem of Cabamba as flaoting plant ? Will the plant do well or will it die back ?

Kindly guide me...

Thanks and Regards

Kush


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

It'll do fine and grow quickly as it's much nearer the light. You'll find you get a lot of side-shoots growing.


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## nagukush (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi there !

Thanks a lot for the kind reply. Somebody told me that they are rooting plants and will die very quickly if not planted and left as floaters. Is this true, or can I surely keep them just floating ? So I dont need to root them in the substrate ?

Kindly guide me...


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## nagukush (Mar 13, 2008)

Friends kindly reply... Will the broken leaves that float around, decay and harm the balance of the tank ?


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

The broken leaves will die. They grow from the mersitems which are on the stem. As long as you are dosing the tank properly and have sufficient CO2, they don't need to be rooted in the substrate at all. The only time they might need to be rooted is if you had a nutritious substrate and didn't dose the water column.


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## nagukush (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi there !

Will the bioload of the tank be enough to sustain them ? I'm mean, I'm having a few stems floating in my 4 feet frontosa tank, which has a high bioload. Will that be enough for the plants growth or do I have to dose it in addition to that ? 

I thought that the plant would absorb the excess nutrients, helping in balance of the tank...

Kindly let me know if this will be ok or will the plant die back ?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

The bioload provides plenty of nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus. it is not too good at providing other nutrients---calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron


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## nagukush (Mar 13, 2008)

So plant wont survive if I dont dose fertilizers ? I really dont have any fertilizers and I cant seem to get any here... Wont regular water changes provide enough trace elements ? I only have a few cabomba stems in the tank and no other plants... Please advice on what should I do ? Can I keep the stems in the tank or is it better to remove them ?


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