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need help with stem plants(hydros.)



Hello all,
I am new to this site and I hope I can find some advice.I have had a planted 
tank for about 3 years now and I've gone from not being able to grow 
anything, to actually being pretty good at this.It took alot of reading and 
alot of trial and error(not to mention money) but I'm now able to grow most 
of the plants I want.
I still have all kinds of problems with any kind of hydrophila. My supplier 
tells me its a weed and should grow like one!! I have recieved them in really 
nice shape but within a week the stems are rotting(bellow gravel) I keep 
cutting away the dammaged part and within 2 weeks I have a suitable forground 
plant instead of the backround plant I wanted!!! Let me give you some basics 
and any advice would be greatly appreciated.First of all my plants share 
there home with discus, so the water is warm 85. My PH is 6.8. Nitrite are 
undetctable. nitrate is 15ppm. Lighting is provided by 130 watts of compact 
flourescent in 60 gallons of water.Recently started co2(currently using 
homemade reactor, complete system should arive teusday) I use 3-4 inches of 
fine gravel over a laterite base. Plants that I raise with no problem include 
african tiger lotus, ludwigia repens, cabomba carolinia, apontogen 
crispus,and a few assorted swords, and rotala rotundifolia.Light is on for 12 
hours a day.Sorry for the long post,I'll keep it shorter in the future!! As I 
said any help would be greatly appreciated!
Rob