Aquarium plant hornwort: description, planting and contents

Hornwort (Ceratophýllum) is considered the most common aquarium plant in the world. It is very unpretentious, undemanding to lighting and water temperature, it is inexpensive. Almost all novice aquarists begin to “populate” their first aquarium with the purchase of this particular hydrophyte, accelerating the adjustment of biological balance in the new aquarium.

Hornwort is a perennial aquatic plant. It is found on all continents except Antarctica. In cultivation, it is used for landscaping aquariums and domestic ponds. Attractive appearance in combination with useful properties provide constant demand for ceratophyllum. Hornwort is universal. This is a decorative element in the design of the aquarium, and spawning phytosubstrate, and a biological filter that actively purifies water from nitrates and organics.

The stems are thin, winding, bushy, covered with needle-shaped green or brown-green leaves, similar to coniferous needles. Dissected leaves resemble horns, surround the stem in the form of a fluffy decorative bunch. Hornwort is freely located in the water column, can partially protrude above the surface, does not have a root system. Nutrition comes directly from the water to the cells of the leaves and stems. The threadlike stem processes of the rhizoid are attached at the bottom of the aquarium to the soil elements - snags, stones, silt.

Flowering occurs in the water column. Loose panicle inflorescences with small (approximately 2 mm) unisexual flowers on a short peduncle are fixed in internodes.Pollinated under water by streams of water. The fruit of the hornwort is a small nut (up to 5 mm) with spiky growths.

There are about 30 botanical species of hornwort, but several are used in aquarium farming.

• Submerged (aka dark green, underwater, three-bridge). Has thin long reddish stems and dark green needle-like dissected leaves. It grows in the water column. Can be grown freely floating or attached to the ground. In an aquarium, the seasonality of growth of this species of hornwort is preserved. With a decrease in temperature in the winter, growth slows down, the plant discards part of the lower leaves (only the tops of the shoots remain) and “fit” to the bottom for wintering.

• Semi-submerged (light green) hornwort has light green dissected leaves and a branching brittle stem. It is growing rapidly. In low aquariums, it can obscure other green flora, so it requires constant monitoring of growth. Intense illumination affects the color of the plant - delicate light green leaves acquire a scarlet shade. In pet stores in the departments of aquatic floristry is sold infrequently due to the fragility of the stems.

• Mexican. It grows successfully in soft and hard water. It survives in cold (up to 6 degrees) water, and develops well in tropical aquariums with a temperature of + 25 ... +30 degrees. It is placed along the side or near the rear wall of the aquarium. Decorative compact thickets of the Mexican hornwort from 15-20 stems look picturesque.

• Cuban (red-stemmed “fox tail”). It has a strongly branching stem with a crimson hue. The internodes are located close to each other, the foliage is fluffy, plentiful. The shrinking branches are extremely beautiful, similar in shape to a thick fox tail, so this name was attached to the Cuban hornwort. The peculiarity of this variety is a constant year-round growth without any additional tricks.

Hornworms are unpretentious to the conditions of detention. This hydrophyte feels most comfortable in water at a temperature of + 22-25 degrees, with average water hardness and in a neutral or slightly acidic environment (pH 5.5-6.8). It should be noted that warm water contributes to the rapid growth of ceratophyllums.

The size of the aquarium should be selected taking into account the rapid growth of ceratophyllums. These plants are able to fill the entire small aquarium in a short time. The optimal capacity is 100-120 l, but you can grow them in small tanks, if you constantly monitor the growth of plants and timely prune them.

Breeding ceratophyllum in an aquarium is considered an easy process. New shoots grow at the hornwort from the tops of the stems. It is enough to carefully cut the young shoot, lower it into the aquarium and leave it free to swim near the adult plant. Sometimes the shoots themselves are separated from the mother plant, then the new hornwort begins to grow on its own. You can propagate the bush vegetatively - divide the long stem into parts (approximately 10-15 cm).

Attached to the ground or freely floating in the water, cuttings soon begin active growth. The grown stem begins to scrub with new fluffy shoots. Amazing openwork tree fills a growing space in the aquarium.

Most aquarists do not plant hornwort, but leave new plants free to swim in the pond. But a free-floating plant often grows into a complex nodular formation that cannot be untangled by any means. Recommended for landing special suction cups. Planting material is carefully attached to them with a fishing line, and the suction cups are fixed on the bottom or walls of the aquarium. This method greatly facilitates subsequent care: it is convenient to remove plants from the tank for washing and removing rotted areas.

It must be understood that hydrophytes are an important link in the biological balance of the aquarium. Aquatic plants need proper maintenance, constant attention and proper care. Under favorable conditions, ceratophyllum grows very rapidly (in a month the stem can increase by 0.9-1.2 m) and can fill the entire space in the aquarium, suppressing other vegetation.

In the care of the hornwort, 2 aspects are mandatory.

• Systematic cropping overgrown stems, so that the decorative integrity of the reservoir is not disturbed and other species of aquatic flora are not inhibited.
• Regular rinsing of leaves with running water, to clean it of debris, plaque and organic residues that accumulate on the plant, as on a biological filter. This should be done with extreme caution so that after the procedure there are as few fragments of branches from fragile stems as possible.

Beginning aquarists (and not only them) should be clearly aware that unpretentious, unpretentious hornwort - a living organism. Do not consider the "Spartan" conditions of his detention to be the norm.

Hornwort is resistant to disease and infrequently affected by disease. When exposed to direct sunlight or too aggressive lighting, delicate leaves turn yellow. When such symptoms appear, it is necessary to eliminate the adverse factor and cut off the damaged parts of the plant.

A sharp change in environmental parameters (if there is a need to transplant the bush into another aquarium) may lead to a drop of leaves, the bare stem will not be able to recover. You can cut the apical shoots and lower them into the water, and the stem will have to be thrown away.

The selection of aquatic flora for an aquarium is not an easy task. Aquarists strive to fill the aquarium not only with plants with high decorativeness, but also with useful properties. In this regard, not every aquatic plant can be compared with the hornwort. It quickly adapts to a new aquarium and begins to work actively while other plants are in the acclimatization stage.

It actively absorbs carbon dioxide, produces oxygen, and normalizes the nitrogen cycle. The water in the hornwort aquariums remains clean for a long time, since this plant is a biological filter. The remains of organic matter, suspended matter, silt settle on its thick greenery. All this with sufficient oxygen is rapidly oxidized and the water does not cloud.

Of the disadvantages of the plant, there is a significant fragility of the stems, as well as the need to constantly monitor its growth in order to timely eliminate the excessive filling of the reservoir with greenery. Any aquarist, even a beginner, can cope with the hornwort cultivation.

Hornwort care tips await you further.