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hygrophila melt in brackish water



I have some hygrophila polysperma growing in three tanks--two freshwater,
neutral pH, low to medium hardness, unheated (temps mid-70s), and base of
gravel over fluorite plus some potting soil, and one slightly brackish
(s.g. 1.004-1.006), pH 7.4-7.6, heated to 75 degrees, with crushed coral
base over the same fluorite plus potting soil.  The hygrophila appears
superficially happy in all three, putting out green leaves from the top and
keeping up with snacking by the goldfish, but the base of the stems is
melting in the brackish tank and then the green tops just float away from
the dead black stems.  I am wondering if the culprit is the different salt,
pH, substrate, or something else?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

--diane

(Other plants in the brackish tank include amazon swords, micro swords,
crispus, crinums, h. difformis, c. thalictroides, cabomba, hornwort, dwarf
sagittarias, some sad vals (but with new little leaves giving some hope
they're not dead), hairgrass, java fern and java moss, banana plants, and
bacopa, most of which seem to be pretty happy, despite some brown algae on
the slower growers.  There is a moderately heavy fish load with mollies
(and some unauthorized reproduction by same), a silver shark cat, and
orange chromides, and an eclipse filter/hood with 73 watts of fluorescent
lighting for the 29G tank.)