Blyxa

Blyxa japonica

A grass-like plant that grows in loose rosettes and moves with the flow. In bright light with fertiliser it turns golden and bronze, which is why it became a signature plant of Japanese-style tanks.

Light: medium
Difficulty: medium
Height: 10 – 20 cm (3.9 – 7.9 in)
Temperature: 16 – 32 °C (61 – 90 °F)

Leaf colour: green, red +1 green, red, bronze or brown
Plant type: stem plant
Growth rate: medium
CO₂ demand: medium
Tolerates light: medium – high
pH: 5 – 6
Carbonate hardness: 0 – 7 °dKH
General hardness: 0 – 30 °dGH
Placement: background, midground +1 background, midground, foreground
Propagation: cuttings, seeds, division +1 cuttings, seeds, division, daughter plants
Grows emersed: no

Appearance

Narrow leaves 10–20 cm long radiate from a short stem; a group of rosettes looks like a green tuft rather than a stand. Under strong light the leaves take on gold and red tones.

Keeping

Moderate demands: it wants a nutritious substrate above all, plus decent light and carbon dioxide for the colour. Soft, slightly acidic water suits it. In poor ground it stays small and pale.

Placement

The middle of the tank or the front of a large one, in a group; the rosettes fill the space between a carpet and taller plants.

Propagation

Side shoots appear beside the parent rosette and can be separated with their own roots.

Water conditions match

The water suits 343 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.

Hypsolebias picturatus Geophagus Brokopondo Boraras naevus Festivum cichlid Betta unimaculata Hummingbird Tetra Aphyosemion mimbon Six-banded Barb Callistus Ladigesia roloffi Betta hendra Aphyosemion scheeli Reticulated Barb Yellow Tetra Trinidad Tetra Anchor Catfish Betta persephone Jae Barb Butterfly Barb Marbled Whiptail Dwarf oto Betta mandor Dwarf Botia Kuhli Loach

Will eat this plant

These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.

False Black Tetra

Will uproot it

These species dig through the substrate and pull rooted plants out.

Peacock Eel Forktail Loach Painted Pleco Geophagus altifrons Geophagus winemilleri

Matching water does not mean the fish will leave the plant alone.

The same plant with a different look: light, water and care are shared with the species.

Blyxa japonica var. alternifolia

Blyxa japonica var. japonica

Other varieties: Blyxa alternifolia

Scientific and other names, conservation status

Other scientific names: Hydrilla alternifolia Miq., Blyxa alternifolia (Miq.) Hartog, Blyxa leiocarpa, Hydrilla japonica
Blyxa japonica: (Miq.) Maxim. ex Asch. & Gurke
Family: Hydrocharitaceae
Conservation status: LC

Blyxa

Tank conditions

Care and keeping