why do my stems keep breaking?

[Hassan85]

My stems keep snapping off at the base, especially the Ludwigia and Rotala. Tank's a 20 gallon long, running CO2 at 2 bps, lights on for 8 hours. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Using ADA soil and dosing Thrive twice a week. What's the deal?

[flakey]

Could be the flow. What kind of filter you running? I had a similar issue with my HOB blasting stems too hard. Moved to a sponge filter and they chilled out.

[berrymunch]

My stems keep snapping off at the base, especially the Ludwigia and Rotala. Tank's a 20 gallon long, running CO2 at 2 bps, lights on for 8 hours. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Using ADA soil and dosing Thrive twice a week. What's the deal?

Sounds like a nutrient imbalance. High light plus CO2 means they're growing fast but might be brittle. Try adding more potassium, it strengthens cell walls. Also, check your magnesium levels, low Mg can make stems weak.

[linora]

Yep, had this happen with my Bacopa. Turned out I was cutting them too close to the node. Leave a bit more stem when you trim, gives it room to heal without snapping.

[marckid]

Ever seen your fish mess with the plants? My tetras were nibbling the stems just enough to weaken 'em. Added some floating plants to distract them, problem solved.

[julia]

My stems keep snapping off at the base, especially the Ludwigia and Rotala. Tank's a 20 gallon long, running CO2 at 2 bps, lights on for 8 hours. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Using ADA soil and dosing Thrive twice a week. What's the deal?

Sounds like a nutrient imbalance. High light plus CO2 means they're growing fast but might be brittle. Try adding more potassium, it strengthens cell walls. Also, check your magnesium levels, low Mg can make stems weak.

Agreed on potassium. I use Seachem Potassium and noticed a big difference in stem strength. Also, how often are you doing water changes? Big swings can stress plants.

[pocket]

What's your pH and KH? Soft water with low buffering can make stems more fragile, especially if you're running CO2. Test your tap vs tank water, might need to adjust.

[Hassan85]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna test magnesium and potassium, and maybe dial back the flow a bit. Appreciate it.

[tunnel]

Had the same issue. Switched to root tabs instead of liquid ferts, stems got way sturdier. Maybe your soil's tapped out?

[flutista]

My betta used to snap stems just by sitting on them. Fish are weird, man.