| Description | Under bright light this plant grows fast. CO2 and adequate nutrients are required.
MORE INFORMATION:
| Plant Difficulty |
- Easy |
| Light Requirement |
- Very Bright |
| Plant Type |
- Stem |
| Nutrient rich substrate is required for this plant which grows large. Suitable for large aquariums.
MORE INFORMATION:
| Plant Difficulty |
- Easy |
| Light Requirement |
- Medium |
| Plant Type |
- Rosette |
| Ammаnіа bоnѕаі can be used as a foreground or Midground plant. Under intense lighting, the tips of the plant turn a reddish color that makes it a fantastic accent.
MORE INFORMATION:
| Plant Difficulty |
- Easy |
| Light Requirement |
- Bright |
| Plant Type |
- Stem |
| Requires bright light to grow as a carpet. In low lights it will grow towards the surface.
MORE INFORMATION:
| Plant Difficulty |
- Easy |
| Light Requirement |
- Very Bright |
| Plant Type |
- Stem |
| A small very slow growing plant which can be used in foreground and midground.
MORE INFORMATION:
| Plant Difficulty |
- Easy |
| Light Requirement |
- Medium |
| Plant Type |
- Rosette |
| Bolbitis heteroclita ""difformis"" is a small, fine tripinate -leaved form of B. heteroclita, originating from the Philippines widely known as Mini Bolbitis. This fern grows very slowly under water
and grows best when cultivated as a terrestrial plant. This is more suitable to grow emerged in paludariums/terrariums/phytospheres etc & also suitable for moist & warm terrariums/ Vertical Gardens etc.
The best method to plant this is tying it on a piece of wood / rough stone /tree root with a dark cotton thread or fishing line to attach the plant until the roots holds the material &
doesn’t appreciate being planted in the substrate in submersed condition & the rhizome should not buried in the substrate . Low light, low Co2 & very less nutrients are advised.
MORE INFORMATION:
| Plant Difficulty |
- Difficult |
| Light Requirement |
- Medium |
| Plant Type |
- Rhizome |
|
| Content | Eichhornia diversifolia is an especially beautiful stem plant from tropical Central and South America. It resembles Heteranthera zosterifolia from the same plant family (Pontederiaceae), but the leaves are longer (about 10 cm) and arranged in a distinct spiral along the stem. After reaching the water surface, the stem tip develops round, reniform, shining floating leaves and eventually nice blue flowers.
Eichhornia diversifolia should be well supplied with nutrients and CO2, in water with slightly acid to neutral pH value, for healthy and strong growth. This fast grower should be trimmed in time to prevent floating leaves, if these are undesirable.
As one of the most beautiful stem plants, Eichhornia diversifolia has the best effect as solitary stand of few stems in the aquarium midground.
Eichhornia diversifolia grows submersed or with floating leaves in tropical waters of Central and South America. It is known to form vast zones of floating leaves in rivers.
Under optimal growing conditions, E. diversifolia is a fast grower. It needs strong light, at least 0.75 watts per litre. It should never be placed in shady areas, as its leaves tend to grow transparent then, and are shed after a short time. It needs CO2 fertilisation to form strong, robust stems. Sufficient nitrate and phosphate are crucial to its health, too - approx. 5-20 mg/l of nitrate and 1-2 mg/l of phosphate. A lack of these nutrients is probably the no. 1 reason for difficulties in cultivating this plant. If there is a deficiency, the lowest leaves will turn black and die off. In order for the plant to maintain its dark green colour it needs also large doses of iron and micronutrients. Given that the nutrient content of the water and/or the substrate is sufficient, E. diversifolia forms long, robust shoots.
This palm-like stem plant produces many shoots given that it has sufficient room, and develops into a bushy plant with hedgelike growth then, which makes it look a lot like its close relative Heteranthera zosterifolia. By the way, the assumption that Eichhornia diversifolia and Heteranthera zosterifolia are incompatible due to allelopathy has been proven wrong recently.
If E. diversifolia is allowed to grow to the water surface it forms ovate floating leaves with a kidney-shaped basis, and it can sprout beautiful blue flowers. Laterals shoots may be cut off and replanted in the substrate.
E. diversifolia is a beautiful green stem plant highly suitable as an eyecatcher or accent in the middle- or background of an aquarium.
| Common names |
Variableleaf water hyacinth |
| Synonyms |
Heteranthera zosterifolia Vahl |
| Complete botanical name |
Eichhórnia diversifólia (Vahl) Urb. |
| Family |
Pontederiaceae |
| Genus |
Eichhornia |
| Difficulty |
medium |
| Usage |
Background, Midground |
| Growth |
fast |
| pH value |
5 - 7 |
| Temperature tolerance |
18 - 35°C |
| Carbonate hardness |
0 - 10°dKH |
| General hardness |
0 - 30°dGH |
| Propagation |
Cuttings |
| Can grow emersed? |
unknown |
| Common Name: Ruffle Sword
Ruffle Sword plants have been a long-time staple for planted tank geeks. Their long, thick ruffle-textured leaves have beautiful striations that catch the eye, even in the back or mid-ground of your tank. Their bright green color makes an arresting contrast with red colored plants. They are easy to keep and a great option for beginners.
Ruffle sword plants can grow rather huge, so they need to be pruned regularly. They can be great plants for large size tanks and will grow either submersed or emersed. In their native habitat of Central and South America, they are typically found growing submersed along river banks and streams. With a nutrient rich substrate these plants will tolerate most lighting conditions, but moderate to high lighting is ideal. CO2 injection is not necessary but will help the plant grow faster.
Ruffle sword plants propagate through side shoots off of their leaves, which can be trimmed and replanted into the substrate. To control the size of your Ruffle sword plant you can remove the side shoots and older leaves.
Notes:
- Echinodorus is a very hardy species of aquatic plants. Most Echinodorus require nutrient-dense soil to thrive as they are heavy root feeders.
- Echinodorus grow fairly large and are more suitable for larger planted aquariums.
- Do not make drastic changes to the aquarium. Unstable parameters will result in melt and rotting of the aquarium plant.
- Please be sure to remove this plant from its pot. Remove the cotton surrounding the roots and plant into a quality substrate.
- CO2 injection and quality aquarium soil will yield better growth.
- Please research appropriately to ensure your plant thrives.
Family Name: Alismataceae
Origin: Central/South America
Height: 12-24”
pH: 6.5-7.5
Care: Easy
Light: Moderate
Co2: Not necessary
Propagation: Adventitious shoots
Growth rate: Medium |
Ammania Sp. Bonsai: (scientific name: Rotala indica)
Overview: Native to Southeast Asia, Ammania Sp.Bonsai is a fairly undemanding aquatic plant and is a great addition to aquascape, especially in nano - aquariums. Ideally, this plant is great as a mid-ground plant in freshwater aquariums, but when planted in groups, it can be grown specifically to form a dense carpet or bush.
Appearance: Ammania sp Bonsai is an upright herb with soft stems that can attain a height of 60 cm. The leaves are green on top and pinkish red in the bottom and are arranged in opposite whorls along the stem. The leaves are approximately 3 cm long, oblong or oval in shape with thick cartilaginous margins. The plant bears tiny pink flowers that have 4 petals each.
Hard/Soft plant: Soft plant
Ideal water temperature conditions: Ammania Sp Bonsai grows well in waters having temperatures between 22 and 27 degree Celsius.
Lighting conditions: Ammania Sp Bonsai prefers moderate to high lighting intensity and at least 3 to 5 gallon per gallon by full spectrum (5000 to 7000K) bulbs. The red tip of the stems is due to high lighting intensity, which adds color and vibrancy to aquariums. Otherwise, the stems become compact when exposed to low intensity.
Ideal pH conditions: Ammania Sp Bonsai thrives in good quality water with pH levels between 6.0 and 7.5.
Functions and advantages:
1) When bushy, Ammania Sp Bonsai is a great place to hide for fry and smaller fishes.
2) Versatile plant in aqua scaping and works well with both midground as well as dense carpet-like scaping.
3) Can grow in immersed condition also.
Did you know?
Ammania sp Bonsai propagates easily and can be facilitated by cutting off a part of the top stem and re-planting it in substrate soon after which roots start developing from the first node.
| Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Honda" is a beautiful variant of Hydrocotyle Tripartita that originates from South-East Asia. It is a wonderful stem aquatic plant with green leaves. The fast and compact growth makes it a great addition to the aquarium. When the right nutrients are provided, Hydrocotyle Tripartita attains a dense structure that increases the overall look of the tank. It can be used as a foreground or midground plant in aquariums and vivariums. You can also give a carpet like look to the tank with Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Honda" by gently pressing the leaves. Earlier, Hydrocotyle Tripartita was not in aquarium use; however, with time, the different variants of this green plant came into being and were explored by the aquarists for aquarium use. You can buy the tissue cultured Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Honds" for the best result.
Advantages: There are multiple benefits of having a tissue cultured variant of Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Honda" as the risk of pest infestation become negligible. Many times plants bought from pet stores bring pests with them that can hamper the growth of other plants. It is the reason why choosing tissue cultured Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Honda" will ensure better results over normal Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Honda" plant. Once you buy the tissue cultured plant, make sure to maintain water parameters within the prescribed range for its best growth.
Light and other requirements: Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Honda" is an easy to grow plant. It doesn't have any high or peculiar demand. Instead, medium intensity light and medium carbon dioxide supply will fulfil its demand. You can occasionally provide fertilizers to the plant to get greener flora and dense growth. With the right parameters, Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Honda" attains good compact growth and reaches 5-10 cm in height. The intense green leaves on vertical stems look too good and compliment other aquarium plants as well.
pH Requirements: The plant can thrive well under the pH requirements ranging between 5.5-8.0.
How to Use: Although Hydrocotyle Tripartita "Honda" is a foreground or midground plant, you can also use it as a carpet for the tank. All you need is when the plant attains around 5 cm height, gently press the leaves on the surface with the hand. The dense growth will give a beautiful carpet-like look to the tank.
Care: Remove the tissue culture gel from the plant before introducing it to the tank. Clean it thoroughly with water and remove the gel with a soft brush or your hands. The gel may bring slight changes in the water parameters. Therefore, make sure it is completely removed from the plant before burying in the substrate. | Native to Central and South America, Echinodorus grisebachii or popularly called Amazon sword plant is cultivated in freshwater bodies like ponds, lakes and even aquariums. Aquarists swear by the multifarious uses of Echinodorus grisebachii in aquariums. Depending on the growth conditions, this plant can attain a minimum height of 18 to 20 inches or even more. Aquarium hobbyists have used this versatile aquatic plant in many ways inside the aquarium; whether it is used as a background plant or mid-ground plant as a focal centerpiece, Echinodorus grisebachii works like a charm either way. Echinodorus grisebachii has relatively low demands for optimum growth inside the aquarium. It demands at least 3 to 4 inches of the substrate layer to accommodate its large roots.
Appearance: Echinodorus grisebachii can attain a growth of 16 to 20 inches or more depending on the optimum growth conditions it is subjected to. It has large leaves that impart a beautiful contrast to its smaller counterparts. The leaves of Echinodorus grisebachii have a bright green coloration and new leaves may have a reddish or bronzish color. The leaves about 50 cm long and are submerged inside an aquarium. This plant often bears small white flowers with flat triangular petals. The leaf blades are lanceolate in shape.
Ideal water temperature conditions: Echinodorus grisebachii prefers a warm tropical climate with temperatures ranging between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius.
Water pH conditions: It tolerates both soft and hard water and a wide range of pH levels between 6 and 8.
Ideal lighting conditions: Echinodorus grisebachii prefers moderate lighting for optimum growth. In low lighting, the plant will grow at a very slow rate and fail to develop its characteristic large root system.
Uses and advantages:
1) Aquascaping – Echinodorus grisebachii is best suited as a background plant in large aquariums. However, some aquarists also use this plant in the midground as a centerpiece. The rich green hue and large leaves are in perfect contrast to smaller leaves of other plant species.
2) The large foliage of this aquatic plant is a perfect breeding place for spawning fishes like angelfish. They also provide hideouts for small fishes and fry.
3) The large leaves cleverly conceal unsightly aquarium equipment in the tank such as heaters, cords, filter tubes, thermostats etc., thereby increasing the aesthetics of aquarium.
Did you know?
Cutting off the top part of the stem and replanting it into the nutrient rich substrate can easily propagate Echinodorus grisebachii. Soon, several plantlets grow that can be removed once roots appear. Over a period of time, they can produce many offsprings. | Bolbitis heteroclita "difformis" is a small, fine tripinate -leaved form of B. heteroclita, originating from the Philippines widely known as Mini Bolbitis. This fern grows very slowly under water and grows best when cultivated as a terrestrial plant. This is more suitable to grow emerged in paludariums/terrariums/phytospheres etc & also suitable for moist & warm terrariums/ Vertical Gardens etc.
Growing Tips:
The best method to plant this is tying it on a piece of wood / rough stone /tree root with a dark cotton thread or fishing line to attach the plant until the roots holds the material & doesn’t appreciate being planted in the substrate in submersed condition & the rhizome should not buried in the substrate . Low light, low Co2 & very less nutrients are advised. |
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