Leaf colourgreen, red +1
Native range
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- Borneo
- Cambodia
- China South-Central
- China Southeast
- Hainan
- India
- Japan
- Korea
- Malaya
- Manchuria
- Myanmar
- Nansei-shoto
- Nepal
- New Guinea
- Sulawesi
- Sumatera
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Vietnam
stem plant background midground foreground Conservation status: LC
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
- Temperature
- 16 – 32 °C
Parameters
Plant typestem plant
Growth ratemedium
CO₂ demandmedium
Tolerates lightmedium – high
pH5 – 6
Carbonate hardness0 – 7 °dKH
General hardness0 – 30 °dGH
Placementbackground, midground +1
Propagationcuttings, seeds, division +1
Grows emersedno
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.
Fish and this plant
Water conditions match
The water suits 343 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.
Hypsolebias picturatusGeophagus BrokopondoBoraras naevusFestivum cichlidBetta unimaculataHummingbird TetraAphyosemion mimbonSix-banded BarbCallistusLadigesia roloffiBetta hendraAphyosemion scheeliReticulated BarbYellow TetraTrinidad TetraAnchor CatfishBetta persephoneJae BarbButterfly BarbMarbled WhiptailDwarf otoBetta mandorDwarf BotiaKuhli Loach
Will eat this plant
These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.
Will uproot it
These species dig through the substrate and pull rooted plants out.
Peacock EelForktail LoachPainted PlecoGeophagus altifronsGeophagus winemilleri
Cultivars
The same plant with a different look: light, water and care are shared with the species.
Other varieties: Blyxa alternifolia