# What's this "long white hair" growing inside my new plant?



## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I got a new plant a week ago at petco and its called a "Alternanthera Ficoidea (Temple Plant) and when I got the plant it didn't have these weird "white cat's mustaches hair" on it, but in a few days they started to appear and some of those hair has a very transparent cotton-like thing covering some or most of them.

Please help and thanks!


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## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

Pretty sure those are roots lol . My friend has that in her tank but its planted sideways so the roots are in the gravel . :-D


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Really????
How come they weren't showing in the petco's tanks before? 

I noticed that they don't have roots on the bottom, but I assumed they didn't need it? because they are different? Sorry, i'm a newbie with live plants (earth type and water type) = p


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## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

To be honest I'm not sure ! Pretty much 99% of aquatic plants have roots . Maybe someone at petco cut them off of the bottom so they started growing on the side ? If i where you i would leave it as is because the plant seems to be thriving ( at the speed those roots grew ) :-D


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Ya they are roots lol. It most likely didnt have them in petco cuz of the crap conditions. With the good care they grow roots and plans to fine nutrients and grow. It doesnt really look like scartlet temple
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Islandgaliam (Jan 27, 2014)

Grow manami Grow! Are you using any ferts in your tank?


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Cool! That means I'm doing a good job at keeping my tank in good condition! :-D 
But I _did_ loose two plants before (one small anubias and one small wisteria plant) and I have another different anubia (long leaf type) that is showing some brown stains on one of its bigger leaf (but I can still see baby anubias peeking out from under the plant )

And I only use API Leaf Zone once a week. 

I'm waiting to use it all out so that I can try the Seachem Flourish Excel. I'm curious to see if my plants grow and look better with that.


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Excel is A LOT better. I used both and the api plant products arent to great IME. The seachem products are amazing.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Islandgaliam (Jan 27, 2014)

API Leaf Zone is a plant food which contains iron and potassium; Seachem Flourish Excel is organic carbon (like co2 in a bottle). There is also Seachem Flourish (not the same as Flourish Excel) which is a plant food like API leaf zone, but contains different minerals. I use the Seachem line, and my nano tanks are doing quite well.

When you planted the anubia, did you only plant the roots? The rhizome should not be covered. I tied mine to bog wood and they are doing well, so far.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

*tankman12:* Ok, I'll get it when I run out of API LZ or if I notice more of my plants dying, but so far the rest looks great. The only plant I see that changed its color to a darker green tone is the aqua fern plant. Someone (a customer) at petco told me that they are not really "water plants"...is that true? They haven't deteriorated or floated in the surface their dead leafs...they just changed their color from normal mid green to very dark, dark green.

*Islandgaliam:* I dig my plants as deep as I think they should be to cover their roots. Do anubias prefer driftwood for their roots?


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

What does the plant look like? 

Yes anubias likes to be tied to driftwood or rocks. That is most likely why it died.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I'll have to take a picture tomorrow. I know that their roots are very unique, dark and very hard to break. The plant is not like the ones that only has, for example, three or 5 long or short thin/thick leaf. They have these long leaf but each one carries many little leaf on either side. I tried to look for a similar plant online, but I can't find any.

Tomorrow if I don't forget I'll take a picture.


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## Islandgaliam (Jan 27, 2014)

manami said:


> *tankman12:* Ok, I'll get it when I run out of API LZ or if I notice more of my plants dying, but so far the rest looks great. The only plant I see that changed its color to a darker green tone is the aqua fern plant. Someone (a customer) at petco told me that they are not really "water plants"...is that true? They haven't deteriorated or floated in the surface their dead leafs...they just changed their color from normal mid green to very dark, dark green.
> 
> *Islandgaliam:* I dig my plants as deep as I think they should be to cover their roots. Do anubias prefer driftwood for their roots?


As long as the rhizome is not covered, and only the root covered. I have read rocks can be put on the roots to hold it down, driftwood is used, or just the roots are planted; I am not sure which anubia prefers best. I have one with the roots buried also and it is doing fine.


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Is it a borneo fern?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

*Islandgaliam:* Hmm, ok. I'll have to check how deep my last anubia is tomorrow. I'll have to get a driftwood, just in case. o_o. Driftwoods look so beautiful in tanks. =)

*tankman12:* Yes! that's the one!

I have to go. Too late at night right now. Be back tomorrow. Thank you all for your time and patience! = D


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Okay, just so you know. Borneo fern isnt an aquarium plant. It will very slowly rot when submerged.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Really? Does that mean I have to remove the borneo plants before they get worse?


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

I would just toss it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Ok. I'll have to get new plants again tomorrow.


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