Hornwort

Hornwort (Ceratophyllum) is a perennial algae that attaches to the bottom with stems or exists freely in the water. Its rhizoid branches act as roots.

Minerals are absorbed by the entire surface of the plant, in the stems of which starch accumulates. The leaves resemble a Christmas tree and contain lime. The flowers are small, about 0.2 cm. This plant is unique in that pollination occurs under water. Its fruit looks like a nut with small thorns.

Ceratophyllum is found in various climatic zones; it prefers ponds, lakes, and rivers with weak currents. The depth at which it grows is determined by illumination and can reach 15 meters. In nature, Ceratophyllum is an excellent food for fish and waterfowl.

Interacts comfortably with all underwater inhabitants. The branches are covered with a thick fat-like film (cuticle), which protects them from damage.

Hornwort is a natural filter. By absorbing ammonium salts, it cleans the aquarium, releases oxygen, collects particles of food and plants, activates the oxidation of biological residues, and promotes the growth of fry. Its lush leaves provide an opportunity for small fish and fry to hide, and it is also an excellent substrate for laying eggs.

Cerratophyllum has another useful property: it releases beneficial substances that suppress the development of algae. Therefore, a low-power filter can be used in such containers.

Description of culture

Hornwort (ceratophyllum) is a perennial aquatic plant. It has long, stiff stems covered with needle-like green leaves. The shoots grow quickly: within a month they can reach a height of 80-100 centimeters. Small flowers are formed in the internodes, pollination of which occurs in water. After flowering, fruits appear in the form of small nuts.

The natural protection of the plant from being eaten by fish and snails is the cuticle - a fat-like film covering the leaves and stems. However, goldfish can eat hornwort. She eats the tender leaves, leaving the stems behind. Ceratophyllum has no roots. It floats freely in a body of water, or clings to stones and snags with its stem shoots (rhizoids).

Hornwort looks great both on the surface and in the water column. Enlivening the aquarium with its lush greenery.

Hornwort gets its nutrition from water. It should be warm and erect. Otherwise, the plant will begin to shed its lower leaves and press toward the bottom.

Hornwort (Ceratophýllum) is the most popular aquarium plant for beginners! Why? It's simple - the plant is unpretentious, can withstand low light, cold water, reproduces easily and is inexpensive. Moreover, this plant is a good biological filter, firstly, because it collects all the “garbage” - waste products of fish, dead organic matter. And secondly, because this plant “extracts” nitrates very well - the end product of the nitrogen cycle .

Thus, by purchasing hornwort, a novice aquarist can significantly improve the condition of his new aquarium - speed up the adjustment of biological balance, can “get his hands on” and understand how plants grow and what they need, without fear that the plant will wither and rot.

Well, let's take a closer look at this simple and at the same time popular representative of aquarium flora.

Hornwort is a perennial plant with an oblong stem and needle-shaped leaves. Hornwort has no roots. Modified shoots grow from the stem - rhizoids, thanks to which the plant becomes stronger in the soil.

In nature, hornwort is very common and can be found in almost any aquatic environment. Especially in those bodies of water where the water is stagnant or with a weak current (lakes, reservoirs, rates). Under natural conditions, hornwort can exist even at a depth of 9 meters. This explains its unpretentiousness to lighting. According to some reports, the plant does not like bright lighting at all and dies when exposed to direct sunlight.

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Hornwort species

Botanists have counted more than thirty species of this plant, but only four species are widely used in aquariums:

Hornwort submerged - has dark green leaves and slightly reddish shoots. The leaves are dissected once or twice and have up to 4 “horns”. The leaves are arranged along a thin, weakly branching stem, in whorls, at various distances from each other. Sometimes red tones appear in the color of the stem. The hydrophyte grows exclusively in the water column. With the help of leaves-horns, hornwort receives nutrients from water. There is no root system, and if necessary, the plant is attached to the ground with specialized stems. The leaves and stem are covered with a tough cuticle, which saves the hornwort from being eaten by fish and snails. At the base of the whorl, single unisexual flowers can be seen. The plant is monoecious, pollinated underwater by pollen carried by the current. The small nut, up to 5 mm long, is the fruit of the hornwort.

Loves warm, still water. An interesting feature of this species is that when the temperature drops, it, as in nature, sheds its lower leaves and presses to the bottom, one might say “lays down for the winter.”

Mexican hornwort is the most unpretentious species of hornwort. Able to withstand temperatures from 5 to 30 degrees.

Semi-submerged hornwort is not very demanding, but its stems are very delicate and can be easily broken during the process of washing or replanting.

Cuban hornwort grows in fluffy tufts that consist of many long stems. Even in winter, such a representative of the flora does not stop growing.

Hornwort content

Like many aquarium plants, they prefer slightly acidic and soft water or neutral water (pH and dH 6-7), but at the same time they can easily live in alkaline and hard water (pH and dH above 7). Lighting is unpretentious: 0.3-0.5 watts per liter will be enough for this plant. For more information on lighting, see the article here . It does not require special feeding with micro and macro fertilizers, the plant takes everything it needs from the water on its own, and also does not need CO2 supply.

Favorable temperature regime 23-25 degrees Aim.

Hornwort branches often collect aquarium debris, so it can be removed and washed from time to time. This must be done very carefully, since its stems and leaves are quite brittle and fragile. After washing this plant, some debris almost always remains, most often short young branches. You can simply throw them away, or you can throw them back into the aquarium - later new branches will grow from them.

A small remark should be made for novice aquarists - despite all the unpretentiousness of the plant, it is still worth understanding that it is alive and certainly you should not count on its survival “in Spartan conditions”. The plant will not grow without light, in a frankly cold and dirty aquarium with high concentrations of nitrogen, etc.

Planting hornwort

The plant can be planted in the ground in bunches, in the background or on the side. It is advisable to do this with tweezers. Some aquarists tie it with fishing line to decorative elements or to a weight.

At the same time, hornwort has no roots, so it can live perfectly well floating in water. Considering that the plant is inexpensive, it is often recommended for beginners when starting an aquarium - the plant perfectly removes NO3 (nitrates), the process of adjusting the biological balance in the aquarium is faster, which in turn makes it possible to reduce the time of planting the first fish.

For more information about the biobalance of an aquarium, see:

Biobalance of the aquarium

Brochure "Nitrogen Cycle"

Brochure “Aquarium navigator for beginners”

Reproduction of hornwort. When the plant reaches the surface of the water, it can be cut by dividing the stem with scissors into segments of 10-15 centimeters. Soon, the plant will give new shoots.

It should be noted that under favorable conditions, hornwort grows even better in an aquarium than in nature. In addition, it can grow up to 1 m in length per month.

To summarize, let's say:

1.Anyone can do hornwort.

2. Hornwort helps the aquarium to be clean, healthy, and removes poisons from the aquarium.

3.It is an inexpensive, fast growing plant.

4.Does not require special care.

5. Hornwort serves as additional feeding for many fish, and an excellent shelter for fry of viviparous fish.

Photo with hornwort

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PRACTICAL NOTE ON GROWING AQUARIUM PLANTS

This note is posted in all FanFishka articles dedicated to aquarium plants. This is a cheat sheet with a link that will help you grow any aquarium plant and herbalist of any complexity.

Most of the reference materials are located in the Aquascape , we also recommend our brochure: Aquarium navigator for beginners: “Underwater Gardens of Babylon” .

The formula for success in growing plants can be depicted as follows.

First of all, the proper level of lighting is necessary.

(light intensity - Lumens)

Next, the proper concentration of CO2

Further macro-fertilizers and micro-fertilizers

Water parameters, care and quality water changes

The gradation of this formula is based on the degree of importance. Lighting intensity is primary, and then descending. Therefore, if your plants have holes in the leaves, they have sciatica (crooked) or there are problems with algae, then please do not read the “bad advice” - this is chlorosis (lack of iron), this is a lack of potassium... diarrhea, phimosis and endometriosis )

You always need to solve the problem of setting up an herbalist from major to minor. Plants will die more quickly from a lack of lighting than from a lack of Fe and K. Moreover, the latter are always present in one degree or another in the aquarium, but it is difficult to measure their precise value.

Below, let's go from the main to the minor.

Lighting in an aquarium with plants . Remember, the most important thing in light is its intensity (Lumens)! All other lighting characteristics: spectrum, Kelvin, PAR/PAR, Ra... are important, but secondary. There will be no intensity of lighting, there will be nothing. At the same time, the lighting intensity must be balanced - selected specifically for your project (height of the water column, number and types of plants, daylight hours).

Based on the above, choose aquarium lighting primarily by the number of lumens, and then everything else.

Lighting is the most expensive part. The most budget-friendly solution is to install ordinary construction-street floodlights above the aquarium . Fortunately, they are now very thin and aesthetic. And believe me, under them everything grows with a bang, of course, provided that all the other components are present.

In order not to be unfounded, here are photos of our herbalists, which were grown exclusively under LED spotlights or with their presence.

If you want professional lighting or aesthetics. Then you will have to fork out some money. The amounts can vary quickly from 10,000 to 50,000+ rubles for a 100 liter aquarium. For example, in 2021 we switched to professional lighting - ISTA Titan . Yes, not cheap, but the lamps are Achon! We have grown a professional competitive aquascape under them. That’s why we advise you to pay attention to them.

Well, it’s difficult to advise anything, because... Everyone has different needs and capabilities. In this article we talk about the products of our partners - Tetra , Laguna , ISTA lighting .

We tried to briefly and objectively talk about them. Then it's up to you. In any case, we do not really recommend that you pay attention to handicraft lighting assembly from folk craftsmen. Not all, but as a rule, they shove who knows what kind of diodes into such an assembly, assemble it all on their knees... and believe me, more than once on the forum you hear echoes of the consequences of such a purchase. After all, a company is a company. At a minimum, you are given warranty and post-warranty service.

If you are a beginner, your first herbalist, then LED spotlights are your choice. Let's move on, otherwise this note isn't very short =)

CO2 for aquarium plants . The plant is approximately 90% water, the remaining 10% is dry matter. Of that 10%, 46% is carbon. This is why CO2 supply is so important in a planted aquarium.

Plants in an aquarium obtain carbon “from water” - from carbon-containing compounds. But the natural concentration of C-carbon in water is small and is only sufficient for unpretentious plants, but they, and even more so, will be happy with additional carbon feeding. The supply of CO2 can be provided using mash or a CO2 balloon system , lemon juice or other methods.

The best, professional, simple and budget option is to supply carbon dioxide through a cylinder. One thing, however, is the initial purchase of a set: a cylinder, an MG valve, a diffuser…. will hit the budget.

Is it possible to do without CO2, but for a couple of bushes of simple plants ( cryptocorynes , echinodorus , most ludwigias , etc.).

What balloon systems can you recommend? The most budget option is an assembly from craftsmen who sell CO2 systems in VK and on forums. Everything is very high quality.

If you want a branded item, then we recommend the most inexpensive and at the same time high-quality CO2 systems from ISTA (Taiwan) . We have been using them for 5 years and recommend them to you.

On sale you will find two series of ISTA Aluminum CO2 Cylinder cylinders, with horizontal and vertical threads of 1 and 3 liters.

Fertilizers for an aquarium with plants . All fertilizers, of any brand, can be divided into MACRO-FERTILIZERS and MICRO-FERTILIZERS .

Macro fertilizers are nitrate NO3 and phosphate PO4 from which plants take N-nitrogen and P-phosphorus. These are the most important elements after CO2 - C-carbon.

Remember - Redfield's proportion rules . Always keep it under control and everything will be ok. Right, based on our observations, Redfield’s proportion rules only in full NPC proportions. Incomplete proportion - without carbon C does not give good results.

Micro fertilizers . These are all the other less important elements that are necessary for plants (see link). There is no point in putting too much emphasis on them. Firstly, all of them are contained in one quantity or another in tap water and are restored in the aquarium with changes. Secondly, an overdose of micro very quickly leads to an outbreak of algae.

A common mistake made by beginners is not understanding what they are pouring into the aquarium. For example, let's take such a popular and popular fertilizer as Tetra PlantaMin . Read the product summary at the link - it strengthens, stimulates, and gives a chic body shape.

A beginner, without delving into the essence, uses it and gets an outbreak of algae, writes on the forums - “Like, wow, what a bad Tetra.” And the trouble lies not in the drug, but in a lack of understanding of the nitrogen cycle and balance in the herbalist . The beginner has a Redfield bias (let’s say N and P are generally zero) and instead of making up for the lack of these primary elements, he fills the aquarium with Tetra PlantaMin - a micro-fertilizer (iron, potassium, manganese). As a result, going over the micro is only detrimental, because... plants lack the base - nitrogen and phosphorus.

Thus, you must understand what plants lack and understand fertilizers.

How to understand what plants lack? It's simple. Now the market is filled with a variety of expensive and not so expensive aquarium water tests. We recommend inexpensive domestic ones - VladOx drop tests , they are sold online and offline.

We also recommend, let’s not be afraid of this word, innovative domestic UHE tests . They are currently only sold online.

The minimum set of tests for an herbalist is NO3 and PO4. It is advisable to have the entire nitrogen range: NH4, NO2, NO3. As well as kH and pH tests.

Tests help us monitor the situation in the herbalist, but over time it is advisable to learn to see and feel the aquarium for yourself. With experience you need to move away from “convulsive testing”; the best aquarium test and tool is ourselves.

Let's summarize this part. Macro, it’s macro in Africa too. The link above generally contains a recipe on how to make them yourself. If you are not yet ready for self-mixing, then always and everywhere you will find a line of fertilizers from Tetra: Tetra Planta Macro , Tetra PlantaMicro , substrates, root tablets and much more .

Of course, there are many other brands that produce aquarium fertilizers. There is an opportunity, use even ADA products. All markers are different in taste and color. The main thing is to use it with a clear understanding of what you are using it for and what you want to get in the end.

From the professional line of fertilizers, at an adequate price, we can recommend Prodibo (soils, soils, macro, micro, stimulants, etc.).

So, something like a note turns into the Talmud. Which is not surprising - the topic is very broad. One moment left.

Water parameters for aquarium plants. Link1 and Link2 , please look at these articles, they cover the essence quite well.

Here we note that the quality of photosynthesis is influenced by the process of caring for the aquarium: water parameters (kH, pH below 7), high-quality filtration and aeration, competent and timely water changes.

Please study

What aquariums is it suitable for?

Hornwort can be “planted” in any aquarium. But you need to take into account that it grows quickly and can fill the entire reservoir. Therefore, the growth of the culture is regulated, preventing it from spreading outside the aquarium.

Conditions of detention

The optimal temperature for the favorable development of hornwort is 23-25°C. The culture prefers neutral water, but can grow in slightly acidic and alkaline environments. Ceratophyllum is undemanding when it comes to lighting: it can grow in a shaded place.

It is important to know that direct rays of the sun are harmful to hornwort. For illumination, fluorescent lamps with a power of 0.4 W/l are used. The plant does not require fertilizing. It receives nutrients for development from water. Moreover, it consumes their excess, and thereby suppresses the development of algae.

Benefits of hornwort

The culture is planted in an aquarium for the following reasons:

the plant saturates the water with oxygen;
its thickets become an abode for snails and aquarium fish;
the plant serves as a spawning site;
quickly and easily reproduces;
serves as a natural filter: it retains food debris and prevents it from settling to the bottom;
holds jumping individuals;
easy to care for;
establishes the optimal concentration of nutrients in water.

In addition, hornwort gets along well with other aquarium plants and serves as a decoration for the pond.

Maintenance and reproduction

Decorative and unpretentiousness makes it a constant inhabitant of the aquarium. It is recommended to keep in alkaline water from 6 to 24 dGH, acidity in the range of 7.0-7.5 pH. The hardness of the water can be any, it is important that it does not contain copper impurities. Temperatures can vary from +17 to 30 °C; lowering the temperature will lead to a reduction in growth and the branches sinking to the bottom.

You also need to provide dim light for 12 hours every day. The correct light regime leads to growth of at least 3 cm daily. Insufficient lighting can lead to plant disease and the death of its shoots.

With a sharp change in the hydrochemical characteristics of water, the plant can also get sick and lose its leaves. In such a situation, you should cut off the dead branches, provide lighting, and the algae will return to its previous shape. No feeding is required; the plant receives all the necessary substances - phosphates, ammonia, CO2 and nitrates - directly from the water.

When choosing the size of the container, it is necessary to take into account that Hornwort is able to quickly fill the entire volume, because with an increase in green mass, its growth rate increases proportionally. Therefore, an aquarium of 100 liters or more is recommended.

Propagated vegetatively: by twigs and cuttings. It has no roots, so it is planted on decorations: driftwood, stones and other decorations, or it can float on the surface of the water.

Care

Hornwort receives nutrition from water, and over time collects harmful impurities. Therefore, it must be periodically removed from the aquarium and washed under running water. The procedure must be carried out carefully, since the plant has delicate stems. If the branches do break, they can be placed in a pond where they will easily take root.

Hornwort grows quickly in favorable conditions.

Hornwort reproduces quickly and can take over most of the aquarium. To prevent oppression of other plants, it must be thinned out. Old bushes lose their decorative properties, so they are removed. When the stems reach the surface of the water, they need to be cut off.

Hornwort will not develop in dirty water, so it needs to be changed once a week. Allow the liquid to settle for a week and add ¼ of the total volume.

Diseases

Ceratophyllum has good immunity and withstands unfavorable conditions. But it can lose its decorative effect when the stems and leaves are exposed to direct rays of the sun. If such a misfortune does happen, you need to cut off the damaged plant fragments.

When the aquatic environment becomes infected, a gray coating may appear on the shoots. To improve metabolic processes, the hornwort is periodically washed and the water in the aquarium is changed.

Price

This type of algae is one of the most common and has a low price. Sold in a pet store that sells products for aquarists. Dark green hornwort is often available for sale. The average price is 30 rubles. for a bush. It grows very quickly, so it is enough to purchase one copy. If the bush is lush, you can immediately divide it. Redstem is less common and costs a little more.

A perennial aquatic plant will grow in an aquarium for many years if the minimum maintenance requirements are met. Hornwort can significantly improve the condition of the microflora of the aquarium and provide a good service to fry, crustaceans and catfish that like to hide in green thickets. Beginning aquarists should not be afraid to purchase this type of algae, since the care is minimal and the returns are high. Leave comments and share the link to the article on social networks.

Breeding

Overgrown bushes can be propagated. When the stems reach the surface of the water, they are cut off. Sections 10-15 centimeters long are placed in an aquarium. They can be left free floating. The second option is to secure it at the bottom with stones or driftwood.

A branch of hornwort is enough to propagate it in your aquarium.

Sometimes the shoots separate from the parent bush on their own. They need to be monitored to prevent them from rotting. There is another way to propagate hornwort: by seeds. But aquarists usually do not use it because it is labor intensive.

Table of basic maintenance and care parameters:

What should the temperature be?	from +17-30 °C
What should the pH be?	from 7-7.5
What should be the stiffness?	6-24 °dkH (depending on the species)
What should the substrate be?	any, as it lands on snags, stones and other decorations or can float on the surface of the water
What kind of lighting should there be?	moderate
Maximum height	up to 1 meter if not trimmed
Growth rate	active
Content complexity	simple

Kinds

There are several varieties of hornwort:

Semi-submerged

The bush grows slowly, so it is suitable for small aquariums. Semi-submerged hornwort has light green leaves and stems. They are very fragile, so you need to be careful when washing them. In bright light, the leaves take on a reddish color.

Immersed

Whorled leaves are formed along the entire length of the shoot. The stems of the crop are colored red, the leaves are dark green. With their help, the plant receives nutrition from water. Submerged hornwort prefers to develop in warm water. In cold liquid, it sheds its leaves and presses to the bottom.

Mexican

The stem of the Mexican hornwort is dark brown. The leaves are green, whorled. In an aquarium it can float freely or be attached to the bottom. Red-stemmed ceratophyllum is considered the most unpretentious variety. Withstands water temperatures within 18-30°C. Due to its large size and rapid growth, the plant is unsuitable for a small aquarium.

Cuban

It looks very decorative because of the many long stems covered with fluffy leaves. Like other varieties, it is very unpretentious to living conditions. Cuban hornwort has a year-round growing season.

Flat needle

It has several names: five-awned, five-spined, Komarov's hornwort. Its stems are covered with soft green foliage. It dies off in the winter, but is reborn in the spring.

Under natural conditions, hornwort can grow both in shallow water and at a depth of 10 meters. It is found on all continents except Antarctica, which indicates its unpretentiousness. By multiplying quickly, the culture is capable of oppressing other representatives of the flora.

Why isn't it growing?

Even such an unpretentious plant as hornwort can grow poorly, turn yellow and shed its leaves. The main reasons are:

poor-quality soil and decor for the aquarium, which emit harmful substances that affect the plant;
hornwort does not tolerate medications used to treat fish;
bad light;
insufficient filtration and rare water changes;
sudden changes in water parameters.

At home, as well as in natural conditions, hornwort has a growing season. So, in autumn and winter, the growth of the plant slows down: it sinks to the bottom and often loses all its leaves, leaving only the upper shoots.

In spring it will quickly restore its previous size and beauty. Do not confuse the vegetative sleep of a plant with diseases.

Difficulties in growing

Inexperienced aquarists are faced with the fact that hornwort leaves do not grow, moreover, they begin to crumble. The stems may also begin to rot. The reason is unfavorable living conditions. For example, water temperature and acidity change sharply. In addition, water that is too pure, without organic matter, can negatively affect the plant.

As soon as the Christmas tree begins to crumble or rot, you need to cut off the top, wash it, and place it in a favorable environment. Stems that have lost their decorative properties are thrown away.

Beneficial features

Hornwort is practically indispensable when starting a new aquarium, because it is very important to establish a biological balance in it as soon as possible. Living plants play an important role in the process of forming and maintaining proper chemical balance. But while other plants need quite a long time to adapt and start growing, hornwort begins to grow and “work” almost instantly. This helps avoid unwanted outbreaks of ammonia nitrites and nitrates in a new aquarium. And significantly reduce the time to establish balance.

The beautiful and unpretentious hornwort also has a number of useful properties for the aquarium:

Helps cleanse the aquarium of algae;
purifies water from suspended substances and feed residues;
fry and small fish take refuge in the fluffy leaves of hornwort.

Tips and tricks for growing crops

Experienced aquarists give the following tips and recommendations:

The pond containing hornwort should not be placed in a place that is too sunny.
Plants are placed in the background or side of the aquarium.
Bushes should be washed periodically under running water.
To prevent fragile stems from breaking, they are handled very carefully.
Broken or overgrown shoots can be easily propagated by freely placing them in aquariums or by attaching them to the bottom.
The plants do not require special fertilizing. They feed on biological waste.
To prevent ceratophyllum from oppressing other inhabitants of the aquarium, it needs to be thinned out.

Hornwort is an excellent choice regardless of arrangement.

Hornwort is a spectacular aquarium plant. But it not only serves as a decoration for the reservoir, but also cleans it and saturates the water with oxygen. Caring for it is not difficult: you need to wash it periodically, thin out overgrown bushes, and change the water in the aquarium.

Fertilizers

For nutrition, hornwort has enough substances supplied with water during water changes and fish food. It does not require additional fertilizers or carbon dioxide supply.

Hornwort is a versatile plant that combines well with other plants and is suitable for all types of fish. Its advantages, low maintenance requirements, very rapid growth and reproduction have made it one of the most popular among beginners and experienced aquarists. By planting hornwort in an aquarium, you will receive not only decoration, but also a natural filter.

Habitat in nature

Hornwort grows in almost all bodies of water on the planet : from the northern regions to the hot and humid tropics. Prefers fresh water with low transparency. In its natural habitat it grows at a great depth of up to 10 meters, as it hides from sunlight, which can destroy the plant. This species densely covers the bottom of the reservoir, making it difficult for other species to grow. Dense hornwort thickets are home to bottom-dwelling fish and small species, hiding between the fluffy leaves from predatory species.

Reasons for popularity

Hornwort is one of the most favorite plants among aquarists.

This is due to its graceful beauty and some advantages over other algae :

the ability to grow well in water with a temperature of 5 degrees;
filtering properties, which are manifested due to the needle-like structure of the leaves;
nutritional value for aquarium fish;
dense thickets where fry of viviparous fish, snails and other small inhabitants of the aquarium hide.

In addition, hornwort releases a lot of oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide, regulating gas exchange. This ability of algae allows you not to resort to additional aeration.

How to plant a plant

Sometimes you can come across recommendations that to plant hornwort it needs to be strengthened in the ground. There is no need to do this. Because there is a risk that the part buried in the soil will begin to rot.

To plant, you just need to throw a piece of the stem with the top into the water. The plant will begin to grow on its own and take the place in the aquarium that seems most suitable for its development.

If you want the hornwort to grow like an ordinary plant, not in a floating, but in a purely vertical position, then it can be tied to a snag, a stone, or a sucker, so that all parts are open. When tying, you should not forget that this aquarium grass is very fragile.