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How do I deal with having bought the "wrong" plant?

985 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Embouck7 
#1 ·
I've been introducing plants into my tank over the past few weeks, to try to keep my ammonia in check. My water's pH is neutral from the tap, and relatively soft (2°dkh, I believe for the general.) The Hygrophilia p. that I started with was doing well, and I was researching other plants to introduce to round out the back corner of my tank and add a little visual variety. After looking around, Cabomba carolinia seemed like an okay choice given my water's parameters and I was drawn to it visually as well.

So, in a move of blinding brilliance on my part, I went to the LFS with the knowledge in my head and not written down, and after about 5 days in my tank, I have discovered that Cabomba furcata would be the plant I ended up buying. Because i'm a genius.:frustrated: Once I finally realized my error, I started looking up the care for this similar yet not carolinia plant, and it turns out furcata wants harder water than I have, more basic pH, and is supposedly a little more high maintenance than the carolinia to boot.

So what should I do? I'm not trying to mess with the parameters of the whole tank to appease the plant at the possible detriment to the fish. Should I assume one day the shoots will just start dying, shedding leaves to poison the water and clog my filter, or can I just ride it out as long as it looks like it's not struggling? Is it safer to just uproot and scrap it now? I'm already planning on setting up a small desktop tank for a single fish, so maybe I should plan on transplanting and creating its ideal enviornment in tank #2, but I am notorious for trying to micromanage the testable parameters, and obsessing over trees instead of the forrest. I worry that attempting to tweak the water quality in a small tank will only lead to more harmful fluctuations...
 
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#2 ·
I've been introducing plants into my tank over the past few weeks, to try to keep my ammonia in check. My water's pH is neutral from the tap, and relatively soft (2°dkh, I believe for the general.) The Hygrophilia p. that I started with was doing well, and I was researching other plants to introduce to round out the back corner of my tank and add a little visual variety. After looking around, Cabomba carolinia seemed like an okay choice given my water's parameters and I was drawn to it visually as well.

So, in a move of blinding brilliance on my part, I went to the LFS with the knowledge in my head and not written down, and after about 5 days in my tank, I have discovered that Cabomba furcata would be the plant I ended up buying. Because i'm a genius.:frustrated: Once I finally realized my error, I started looking up the care for this similar yet not carolinia plant, and it turns out furcata wants harder water than I have, more basic pH, and is supposedly a little more high maintenance than the carolinia to boot.

So what should I do? I'm not trying to mess with the parameters of the whole tank to appease the plant at the possible detriment to the fish. Should I assume one day the shoots will just start dying, shedding leaves to poison the water and clog my filter, or can I just ride it out as long as it looks like it's not struggling? Is it safer to just uproot and scrap it now? I'm already planning on setting up a small desktop tank for a single fish, so maybe I should plan on transplanting and creating its ideal enviornment in tank #2, but I am notorious for trying to micromanage the testable parameters, and obsessing over trees instead of the forrest. I worry that attempting to tweak the water quality in a small tank will only lead to more harmful fluctuations...
Do nothing and see how it responds.

PH in planted tanks are high due to the plants removing co2.

You could try very small doses of ferris gulconate to supply some iron. From the drug store with a capsule dissolved in an old soda bottle (10-20 oz) and adding a capful now and then.

But basically just see if it does well.

my .02
 
#3 ·
I have a few strains of cabomba in my tank and they all do well together, seem to be quite tolerant of different conditions. Mine only melt at the base when I am trying to get roots going, so if you see some rot just pull it off.

Also note that mine is grown in a dirt tank and its cabomba furcata and cabomba pulcherrima
 
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