Leaf colourgreen, bronze or brown
Native range
- Argentina Northeast
- Argentina Northwest
- Bolivia
- Brazil Southeast
- Brazil South
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
stem plant background midground
Thin soft stems with narrow leaves, green to orange-brown depending on the light. It spreads by runners across the substrate and grows fast in almost any water.
- Light
- medium–high
- Difficulty
- easy
- Temperature
- 4 – 28 °C
Parameters
Plant typestem plant
Growth ratefast
Tolerates lightmedium – high
pH6 – 8
Carbonate hardness2 – 14 °dKH
General hardness0 – 30 °dGH
Placementbackground, midground
Propagationrunners, cuttings
Grows emersedno
Appearance
Narrow ribbon leaves along slim upright stems that rise from creeping runners. Under strong light the stems take on an orange-brown cast; in dim light the plant stays green.
Keeping
Easy: it tolerates a wide range of hardness and cool water, does not ask for much feeding and needs no carbon dioxide. The catch is its speed — it grows prolifically and needs regular pruning, or it fills the back of the tank.
Placement
The middle or back of a medium to large tank. The fine leaves move with the current and read as a soft screen rather than a wall.
Propagation
By runners, which spread on their own, and by cuttings of the upright stems.
Fish and this plant
Water conditions match
The water suits 977 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: Potamogeton gayi Topf