Hi all

Had some cabomba long time ago but they all died off eventually after a few months, they would melt at near the roots and float to the top.

I decided to try them again about a month ago, but now they seem to be dying off again, this time melt at the tip where the growing bits are.

They have all grown well to start off with.

Any ideas why this would happen?

cheers

I have never been able to grow the stuff either. I think they need a strong light

strange thing is they all start growing really well.

Now the top part will just go to a pink colour, then pale and then start to melt and break off.

I'm exactly the same - I get plants, they thrive and look fantastic, then suddenly after a few months... they start melting away. Only thing I can manage to keep well is java fern and moss. Oh and a sword, but it's planted in its own little pot with extra fertiliser & potting mix.

what sort of lighting ?

also very tempting for fish to nibble

People often think their plant is melting away, where the old leaves are actually just dieing off, usually because of a move between tanks. Stem plants arent 'dead' until the stem has rotted away. Even if it looses all its leaves, keep it in the tank and see if it will grow. Ive never had a problem with cabomba, and i find it does well in low or high light, ferts or no ferts, co2 or no co2 :lol: Its one of those grows in anything, hard to kill plants for me.....

Need to know a lot more info:

1. Size of tank.

2. Type and watts of lighting.

3. Phosphate and Nitrate level in ppm.

4. What ferts do you use, who often and how much?

5. What temp is the tank?

6. Do you use CO2?

7. Type of substrate.

8. Type and number of fish.

9. Water change schedule.

10. Water source.

11. Type of filter and turnover rate.

12. Surface movement / aeration.

All aspects of a planted tank need to be in the correct balance. The plants are probably initially doing fine by using up any stored resources of nutrients and then promptly dying. You probably don't have optimum conditions for the plants to grow. Cabomba can easily grow 50mm a day and even as much as 100mm a day. In 1 week mine grows from 400mm long to over 1m. I then chop off the bottom and replant the top 500mm (100mm into the gravel with 400mm above). Excess phosphate inhibit plant growth and often cause algae problems.

Tank details is listed below.

Ammonia and nitrite 0ppm, nitrite 20ppm.

Tank with 1 piece of driftwood, 4X amazon sword plants (growing ok), some val grass, 1X E. Osiris Plant (growing fast) and java fern on driftwood.

Tank is 50cm tall, with 2X 18W Arcadia freshwater bulbs.

Dont have a phosphate test kit.

Water change every thursday, 30%, from tap, dechlorinated.

Eheim 2010 Internal (taking out in 2 weeks time), Fluval 405 canister.

the best i have grown was in my daughters tiny guppy tank, about 25L, no lighting & i was trimming it & putting it in my big tank, it had gone nuts.

Cabomba has a reputation for having high iron requirements - so possibly consider a trace element fertiliser that includes iron.

There is a red variety that is harder to keep.

I haven't grown cabomba for years but if I remember correctly it doesn't like too much water movement.

I got some JBL fertiliser balls under the gravel, that should provide the iron.

What is strong water movement? I cant see them swaying around in the current caused by the filter, but possibly movement that doesn't cause them to sway around? But then again that wouldn't be called movement right?

Cabomba does best in still water but ambulia will tolerate more movement.

i havn't spent too much time finding out about plants but i had cabomba in my community tank & i couldnt trim it fast enough. the ph was 7.5 & all other parameters normal, i used a sand base & small gravel substrate. I didn't use ferts or anything else. it just grew like weeds, about 2 1/2 inches in height per week. it even spread sideways across my tank.

you could try red sea's flora24 daily fert and leafzone cause, am i right in saying that cabomba mainly absorbs its nutrients from the water column and not the gravel?