Leaf colourgreen, bronze or brown
rhizome carpet
A clover fern with narrower leaflets and thicker stems than its relatives, so the mat it makes is noticeably denser. New leaves come up orange-brown and turn green with age.
- Light
- medium–high
- Temperature
- 20 – 28 °C
Parameters
Plant typerhizome
Tolerates lightmedium – high
Carbonate hardness2 – 12 °dKH
Placementcarpet
Propagationrunners, rhizome division +2
Grows emersedyes
Appearance
Four narrow leaflets on a thin stalk, growing from a creeping stem. Fresh leaves are deep orange to brown and shift to bright green, so an established patch shows both colours at once.
Keeping
Fairly easy for a carpet plant and adaptable, though it wants good light reaching the bottom — that is what keeps it low and dense. It spreads at its own pace and asks for little trimming.
Placement
The front of the tank, filling gaps around hardscape or mixed into a lawn of fine grasses for a change of texture.
Propagation
By runners: pieces of the creeping stem with leaves and roots can be separated and replanted.
Fish and this plant
Water conditions match
The water suits 1005 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 BotiaMarbled 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