# Hornwort vs Amazon Sword?



## swhedbee (Mar 26, 2006)

Hi,

I have a 29g tank with Flourite substrate, DIY CO2, an IceCap 660 ballast overdriving two 24" aquarium/plant T12 bulbs, a MaxiJet 1200 powerhead, and a Vortex 40 powered CO2 reactor.

I'm using the EI method stickied in the "science of fertilization" forum -- the table for the 29g example. I started the EI dosing 2 weeks ago. Before that I was using PMDD -- 4 drops a day.

There is an Amazon Sword that turned red after I bought it. The tank has mostly hornwort, with a small bunch of moneywort and a small crypt.

Is it possible that the hornwort is consuming all the fertilizer and depriving the amazon sword? Should I get rid of the hornwort and get some other type of stem plant?

Thanks,

-Sam


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## titan97 (Feb 14, 2005)

Hornwort is a notoriuos Nitrogen sponge. It will consume a ton of your ferts very quickly. Because you are using EI, I doubt that you'd want to test your water to see how much NO3 you really have. Another way to test out your theory is to increase your dosing for a few weeks to see if your plants react to it. 
Also, remember that swords are root feeders. Your substrate is fairly nutrient rich, so the sword should do well even if you have a lean water column. 
If you like the hornwort, then keep it. It gives off a chemical that inhibits the growth of certain kinds of algae. If you don't like it, then toss it. I have a few stems of hornwort floating around in my tanks, just in case I start up a new tank. 
It may take a while for the sword to establish it's root system (which can be several feet in diameter). The plant will not put out too many new leaves until it's roots are well established.

-Dustin


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

IMO, the allelopathic properties of hornwort are highly debatable. However, it is indeed, quite a consumer of nitrogen (nitrates), and an extremely fast grower. If your sword is a recent purchase, remember that most swords are all sold as emersed plants. It may just be that your plant is undergoing the changeover from emersed leaves to submerged leaves.


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