Leaf colourgreen
Native range
- Argentina Northeast
- Bolivia
- Brazil Southeast
- Brazil South
- Brazil West-Central
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
stem plant background midground
One of the toughest plants in the hobby: it grows in almost any water, at any light, planted or simply floating. The classic first plant, and a fast one at soaking up excess nutrients.
- Light
- medium–high
- Difficulty
- very easy
- Temperature
- 15 – 30 °C
Parameters
Plant typestem plant
Growth ratevery fast
Tolerates lightmedium – high
pH5 – 9
Carbonate hardness0 – 20 °dKH
General hardness0 – 30 °dGH
Placementbackground, midground
Propagationfragmentation, cuttings
Grows emersedno
Appearance
Long stems covered in short narrow leaves in dense whorls, bright green. It is thinner and finer than the common elodea and looks lighter in a group.
Keeping
Very easy and very fast — the two go together. It puts up with cool water, hard water and dim light, and it eats nitrate quickly, which helps a new tank settle and starves algae. It does need cutting back, or it fills the tank. It can be left floating instead of planted; then it shelters fry and shrimp.
Placement
The back and middle of the tank, in a group, or floating at the surface. Because it grows so fast, keep it where it is easy to reach with scissors.
Propagation
It breaks up by itself: any piece of stem carries on growing. Cut a length and plant it, or simply let it float.
Fish and this plant
Water conditions match
The water suits 1014 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.
Swordtail GuppiesCobra GuppyBlood Red MollyButterflyfishRed Zebra CichlidJulii CorydorasRed-finned ParotocinclusGastromyzon monticolaEgg-shaped GoldfishFlame TetraGardner's KillifishAfrican TetraKenyi CichlidCuckoo CatfishGolden SwordtailHypsolebias picturatusCommon ZaccoLabeo BicolorGambusiaFlying barbGastromyzon scitulusAlbino Zebra DanioGeophagus BrokopondoZebra Mbuna
Will eat this plant
These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.
Bengal LoachZebra LoachBurmese Border LoachEmperor BotiaSpined LoachMarbled HeadstanderPellegrin's LeporinusLeporinus striatusFalse Black TetraCommon MetynnisMylossoma duriventreRed Whiptail CatfishMolly sphenopsBalloon MollyLyretail MollyMarble MollyHi-Fin PlatyHawaii PlatyBlue PlatyPintail PlatyBlack PlatyChocolate MollyMoonlight GouramiMelanotaenia parva
Will uproot it
These species dig through the substrate and pull rooted plants out.
Marble LoachPeacock EelForktail LoachGuntea LoachLong-nosed LoachHorseface LoachPearlscaleBlack Moor GoldfishShubunkinPainted PlecoFeatherfin SynodontisReddish Mystus CatfishBlue AcaraAulonocara maylandiAulonocara multicolorAulonocara OrchidGeophagus altifronsGeophagus winemilleriPearlscale CichlidPearl CichlidRedbelly CichlidRed-spotted CichlidChuco godmanniHaplochromis philanderRed ChromideJack Dempsey cichlid
Cultivars
The same plant with a different look: light, water and care are shared with the species.
Other varieties: Egeria najas, Egeria najas Topf