# Anacharis or Hornwort?



## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

I'm having a hard time deciding which stem plants I should get for my 10 gallon. So I was hoping that maybe you guys could help? Could those of you that have these plants, tell me the pros and cons? 

I will have these plants floating, because I want some upper water column cover for my betta. Each week, the tank is dosed with Seachem fertilizers (Flourish, Potassium, Phosphates, and Nitrogen.) Sometimes I also add a little bit (1/2 tsp) of Epsom Salt, since I know plants like harder water.


----------



## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

From my expetience, hornwort sheds needles like crazy. I eventually tossed it after it yucked up my tank. I would go with anacharis, I hear it makes bubbles.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Soft Hornwort (Ceratophyllum submersum) doesn't shed like regular Hornwort does and it grows really, really fast. Regular will muck up a tank as kitkat67 noted. 

Narrow Leaf Anacharis doesn't shed like regular Anancharis, either. Only thing about Anacharis is it's iffy if you use Seachem Excel; even Seachem warns it can kill Anacharis unless you start dosing at extremely low levels. And then you're still taking a chance.


----------



## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

Okay, so would you guys suggest that I discontinue the Excel, because my LFS only carries the "regular" species of Hornwort. I guess that kind of leaves me with the Anacharis. 

As far as quarantine goes, would it be okay if I set it up in the window (in a bowl of course) so it could get some light?


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

You could try them both and keep an eye on the Hornwort.

Seachem Comprehensive _Flourish_ is fine as it is a fertilizer; it's Seachem Comprehensive _Excel_ you need to avoid. You didn't mention Excel in your OP; are you using it, too? You don't need it with low-light, low-maintenance plants. Mine do great without it.

An Assassin snail will take care of any pest snails. They're pretty, too.


----------



## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

Oh sorry  I got messed up by all of the fertilizers... Okay, so you mentioned that they are low-light plants, would they do fine in a medium light aqaurium?


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

HTageant said:


> Oh sorry  I got messed up by all of the fertilizers... Okay, so you mentioned that they are low-light plants, would they do fine in a medium light aqaurium?


Yes, they should be fine.


----------



## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

Okay, now lets see if I can get my mom to take me into the LFS... 
Sorry for not asking this earlier, but what exactly do you feed assasin snails after they eat all of the existing pest snails? 

Of course it wouldn't be a problem if I asked my LFS if I could have some of their pest snails. They would probably chuck bags of them at me :-D


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

My Assassin snails eat leftover food of any kind and will graze on algae and biofilm. They are easy keepers and great at cleaning up.


----------



## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

Okay, thanks for all of your help! I'll ask one of the employees if they have any while I'm there.


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Hornwort sheds it needles when put in a new enviorment (different temp, pH, etc) all of them.. really messy, but it will grow back eventually its just ugly and messy as [censor] for a month+ but it tolerates real low light, grows in my black worm culture tubs were floaters hog up all the light. Anacharis sometimes melts but has done better for me, however it does not tolerate Seachem Excel being dosed in the tank with it, also doesn't like bleach dips (melted mine completely but that might have been because I left it in a bit longer than I should).


----------



## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

Okay, thanks for all of your help everyone! I've decided that I would like to get some Anacharis, as I like my aquarium looking clean. (yet i use IAL, driftwood, and rooibos tea to make my water brown... oh the irony.)

Anyway, I just figured it would be the best plant for me, since i don't really want it to shed (often), it's somewhat hardy, it looks really nice floating, and my my betta loves it. 

I also have more money than i thought (it's all in coins...) so i think i may see if I can find some water sprite, or java/christmas moss as well.


----------

