# Hygrophila pinnatifida



## galdadi (Mar 25, 2015)

Hi I have problems with this plant. I grow it in high tech tank- with pH 5.9 kh 0.5 tds 350, high lights. It looks poor. Should I change something? Co2 is running good and other plants are doing fine.
Thanks!

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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Is it in the substrate? Some people have more luck with it attached to rock or driftwood.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I was never able to grow that plant, but I had low to middle light intensity. I always planted it in the substrate, so maybe the secret it to attach it to rocks or wood to keep the base out of the substrate. I have always wanted to grow it, so maybe next time.


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## galdadi (Mar 25, 2015)

mistergreen said:


> Is it in the substrate? Some people have more luck with it attached to rock or driftwood.


Indeed, it was planted in the substrate. I took it out and attached to little rock. Will see what's going on. Thanks!

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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

I'm definitely getting this plant. I'm waiting till it gets a little warmer.


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## SKYE.__.HIGH (May 27, 2017)

I had great success with this plant for a while, only on the driftwood and rocks though. The more fertilizer the more it went from green to yellowish to orange and almost to red, more of a dark orange at the end. But some reason there was a big die off, all the sudden all of them died, which is weird cause I had them all of the rank in different levels and everything. Weird, must say it was probably my favorite plant.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

SKYE.__.HIGH said:


> I had great success with this plant for a while, only on the driftwood and rocks though. The more fertilizer the more it went from green to yellowish to orange and almost to red, more of a dark orange at the end. But some reason there was a big die off, all the sudden all of them died, which is weird cause I had them all of the rank in different levels and everything. Weird, must say it was probably my favorite plant.


Some plants become more red when stressed - the red is a sign of problems, not good health. Maybe that is what you were seeing. If so, then maybe they died off from excessive nitrate or one of the other nutrients.


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## SKYE.__.HIGH (May 27, 2017)

hoppycalif said:


> Some plants become more red when stressed - the red is a sign of problems, not good health. Maybe that is what you were seeing. If so, then maybe they died off from excessive nitrate or one of the other nutrients.


I seriously doubt it was stress, all of my other plants were doing perfectly fine. Really was beautiful. I would guess it was a shock of no Co2. I believe that is when my co2 went wonky. I was on vacation and when I came back it was all gone except on little sickly sprig. Was very confused until I saw some bit decomposing.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

hmm, good to know. It doesn't like sudden change in environment/stress. Anubias and Crypt can be like that.


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## SKYE.__.HIGH (May 27, 2017)

mistergreen said:


> hmm, good to know. It doesn't like sudden change in environment/stress. Anubias and Crypt can be like that.


My crypts are horrible, sometimes they don't even change at all, other times they completely melt every one of the precious leaves. Lol


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Yeah, my crypt melted a few weeks ago for no reason. They sent out new leaves and plantlets. The leaves are thinner.


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## Stan510 (Dec 23, 2018)

I had three sent to me cuttings just slowly die. They were perfect when I got them..very stiff and looked land grown.
I think acclimating them means LOTS of light I didn't have then.
I've since added more light and they are not expensive plants..just never seen at LFS so mail order is required.
Funny but the very last cutting finally sent out a root and a shoot after 2 months...then something at night up rooted it and that was that.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

It just occurred to me that a good way to find out if H. pinnatifida is relatively easy to grow: just search our For Sale forum. So, I tried it, and found one member who often sells some. I hope he will join this discussion!! I really want to find out how to succeed with it


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## junglefowl (Nov 16, 2012)

I have never grown H. Pinnatifida on rocks/driftwood but planting the plants right under the substrate. 

The only time this plant didn’t grow well on me is when other plants grow out and cover it from the light. 

But I have grown it from low-high light, with or without CO2, substrate is either ADA soil or inert substrate, PH 6-7.5 and dry ferts...without any problem.

Here is some tip: 

- A stable condition tank, if you plant this in a new tank that’s not cycled, it will get shock. So plant when your tank is already cycled and stable. 

- too high KH, PH. I think this plant prefer more soft water. 

- give it some rooms so it doesn’t get cover by other plants. 

- when planting in the substrate, this plant will grow tall like other stem plants, when attach to rocks/driftwood, it will grow short and bushy. So keep this in mind where you want to plant it. 

@hoppycalif: the link you sent in PM is a thread from 2004, I have to search through the forum to find this discussion. Not sure why lol.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

junglefowl said:


> I have never grown H. Pinnatifida on rocks/driftwood but planting the plants right under the substrate.
> 
> The only time this plant didn't grow well on me is when other plants grow out and cover it from the light.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the advice! I must have copied the wrong address when I pasted it on the PM I sent you. But, at least it encouraged you to read more posts than you would have otherwise!

As I remember, every time I planted it I had not yet cycled the tank. Maybe I need to give it one more try.

Were the plants you succeeded with, in the emersed form when you planted them? Which form is better?


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## tiger15 (Apr 9, 2017)

I tried it once, no luck. I attached it on rock high near the light and it slowly died out.

"Conversion process is where some folks have issue with the plant" as described in this plant profile.

https://www.advancedplantedtank.com/plant-guide-hpinnatifida.html


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I just bought a bunch of these, from Amazon, so I will give it one more try. It looks like all of the dealers sell emersed cuttings, but they don't specify that. That linked article was very good!


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## junglefowl (Nov 16, 2012)

Submerged plant is better


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

I got some from a aqua plant store online. They are emersed cuttings. Looks like if you want submerged, you'll have to buy from fellow aquarist.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I just got my plants today, by first class mail. They were packaged well, but most of them were already rotting between the roots and the healthy stems. I managed to get about 6 planted, but you can see that at least two of them were broken on the stems. They seem to be emersed cuttings, but I'm not real sure about that. Their roots had remnants of rock wool on them. I suspect these will not survive, but I won't knock the vendor yet - maybe in a couple of weeks.


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## tiger15 (Apr 9, 2017)

Here is another profile of HP. https://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/hygrophila-pinnatifida

Both submerged and emerged leaves are divided but submerged are more finely divided. Yours look like emerged growth.

I'll try again if I can buy submerged growth from fellow hobbyists in spring auctions.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

tiger15 said:


> Here is another profile of HP. https://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/hygrophila-pinnatifida
> 
> Both submerged and emerged leaves are divided but submerged are more finely divided. Yours look like emerged growth.
> 
> I'll try again if I can buy submerged growth from fellow hobbyists in spring auctions.


From that reference: "For propagation, the runner-like lateral shoots are best used. It has been observed that top shoot cuttings develop poorly. Those plants that already sprouted roots or plants from emersed cultivation tend to establish faster in the aquarium than rootless cuttings."

I was surprised to note that these have been used in aquariums for only about 10 years.


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## adalah (Feb 10, 2019)

Subscribed to this one


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

My H. pinnatifida are not doing well. The stems have lost all of their leafs. The tiny ones seem to remain alive, but two have floated out. I'm approaching the decision that this just isn't the plants I want to grow.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Mine are doing fine even though they're emersed growth. I have them both planted in the substrate and tucked on a driftwood.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

hoppycalif said:


> My H. pinnatifida are not doing well. The stems have lost all of their leafs. The tiny ones seem to remain alive, but two have floated out. I'm approaching the decision that this just isn't the plants I want to grow.


Maybe a root tab? It's kind of greedy but doesn't seem to be too picky otherwise.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Root tabs are certainly worth a try. I will check Amazon to see what I can get, and tell the plants to wait, wait, wait......


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Very strange plant indeed. It's very slow growing in my tank. The emergent growth melted away the all that's left are plantlets floating around with no roots. They don't grow roots!


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I poked root tabs under mine, and, at best, they are still alive. This would be the slowest growing plant I have ever seen!


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