Leaf colourgreen
Native range
- Cambodia
- New Caledonia
- New Guinea
- Northern Territory
- Philippines
- Queensland
- Western Australia
rosette background midground
The narrowest of the vallisnerias: leaves a few millimetres wide, more like tall grass than ribbons. It spreads by runners and makes a fine-textured green wall.
- Light
- medium–high
- Difficulty
- very easy
- Height
- 30 – 60 cm
- Temperature
- 15 – 30 °C
Parameters
Plant typerosette
Growth ratefast
Tolerates lightmedium – high
pH6 – 8
Carbonate hardness2 – 21 °dKH
Placementbackground, midground
Propagationrunners
Grows emersedno
Appearance
Very narrow dark-green leaves 30–60 cm long grow from rosettes on the bottom. From a distance a stand of it reads as tall grass swaying in the current.
Keeping
Very easy: it grows fast in moderate light and does without carbon dioxide. It feeds through the roots, so a nutritious substrate matters; a root tablet does more than anything added to the water. Sudden changes in the water may cost it leaves, which then grow back.
Placement
The back and side walls. The leaves are narrow and cast little shade, so plants in front of it keep their light.
Propagation
By runners: a shoot creeps under the substrate and a new rosette appears beside it. Cut the runner once the youngster has its own roots.
Fish and this plant
Water conditions match
The water suits 983 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: Vallisneria gigantea, Vallisneria gigantea 'Curly', Vallisneria gigantea 'Marmor', Vallisneria gracilis, Vallisneria Gigantea 'Rubra', Vallisneria ''Striped''