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Hygrophila difformis

7K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  fish_4_all 
#1 ·
I have this planted in a 37 gallong tank the plant is about 16 inches tall but only about 3 inches is green and growing the bottom are just king of darker and there are are not any new stuff growing on the bottom parts. What can I do to get those to grow or can I just cut and replant the green parts

Beaufred
 
#2 ·
Define darker. Are you meaning darker green? What kind of lights do you have over your tank, and what is your substrate? When H. difformis doesn't get enough light, the leaves get darker green and larger. In bright light they all smaller, bright green, and highly indented.
All the Hygrophillias, all stem plants, actually, do best in a fine, iron rich substrate with very bright light; 4 watts per gallon full spectrum via power compacts or T5s, or a combination of both.
That's what you're seeing, no growth, large dark green below and light green closest to the light. Just means your light is insufficient to grow the plant the way you wish it to. Your substrate must be decent enough for it to survive at all.

Dave
 
#3 ·
pictures of plant





I am not sure on my substrate but I have had it in the aquarium for a couple of years so its not new it is not that tiny stuff but its not to big either. I just installed a new compact fluorescent 65 att dual daylight lamp that is 10000k/6700 k and it is a thirty seven gallon tank. Could I cut off the bottom part and replant the top?

Thanks for the help

Beaufred
 
#4 ·
The lower leaves are an emersed form of the plant. They will continue to die off if you do not remove them. I would take the plants and trim the ones with roots coming out and then replant them. Trim them right below the point of the new growth to the new growth, maybe 1/2 -1 inch so you have some room to plant it.

In the sideways picture, the one plant that has the bend in it, I would trim right where the bend starts. It looks like a good place to trim off the old emersed growth and give it a good place to grow from.

Just to make sure you know, the white things streaming down from them are roots and will eventually reach the substrate anyway. Some people don't know this so I had to make sure. :D
 
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