We have had Bacopa monnieri "Type II" in store for several months now. Compared to "Type I", it has more oblong, spatulate leaves and a creeping habit. Originally, this plant was introduced to us as Hedyotes salzmannii but it became clear even in submersed cuture, that it was in fact a form of B. monnieri. Flowering experiments soon confirmed this opinion.

Due to the different shape of each form, their respective use in the aquarium is slightly diferent. Since Type I grows more upright, it lends itself to being used from mid- to background. At least, in medium to small aquaria. Especially under lower light, growth will be fairly straight. Despite a medium tendency to branch out, sideways growth is manageable and not too rampant. Again, this will depend on illumination: The brighter the lights, the more branching.

Bacopa monnieri "Type I" (left) with Rotala mexicana, Rotala macrandra and Saururus cernuus

Bacopa monnieri "Type II" with Alternanthera reineckii, Lilaeopsis brasiliensis and
Hydrocotyle spec. "Japan"

Bacopa caroliniana "Compact"

Bacopa caroliniana 'Compact'

From the Latin flos – flower; scoparie – like a broom: a reference to the flower spike in some species. scandens = climbing.

Flowering Floscopa scandens

When I received a few shoots of Floscopa scandens in winter 2010 from H.G. Kramer, I was curious. Both habit and shape of this recent addition to the palette of aquarium plants are quite new and unique.

If any, the closest resemblance is with another Commelinaceae which we sell under name of "Athraxon". Floscopa belongs in the same family but is much bigger than Athraxon. It is almost never available in shops as its is not grown commercially in large quantities yet. Even among specialists it is a rare plant and its debut in aquascaping contests has yet to happen.

So, I wondered what I was to expect from this new and intriguing plant. My first guess was that this would be a specialist's plant which would probably thrive in aquaria with lots of CO2 and soft water, in the company of Tonina, Eriocaulon etc.

Floscopa scandens in the aquarium

Due to many enquiries about what is the right pH value for an aquarium, if CO2 is to be supplied, here's a table that corellates pH with Carbonate Hardness (KH). KH is the key factor in adjusting pH values to get the amount of CO2 right. This is because carbonates act as buffers and will offset your CO2 content. 

Note: pH Tests will roughly match the colours in the table: Go for a turquoise green for optimum CO₂.

Note: The correct pH depends on the Carbonate Hardness (KH) of your water:

CO2-content (mg/l)in Relation to Carbonate Hardness (KH) and pH

pH-Wert

KH	6.3	6.4	6.5	6.6	6.7	6.8	6.9	7	7.1	7.2	7.3	7.4	7.5
2	32	25	20	16	13	10	8	6	5	4	3	3	2
3	48	38	30	24	19	15	12	10	8	6	5	4	3
4	64	51	40	32	25	20	16	13	10	8	6	5	4
5	80	63	50	40	32	25	20	16	13	10	8	6	5
6	96	76	60	48	38	30	24	19	15	12	10	8	6
7	111	89	70	56	44	35	28	22	18	14	11	9	7
8	127	101	80	64	51	40	32	25	20	16	13	10	8
9	143	114	90	72	57	45	36	29	23	18	14	11	9
10	159	126	100	80	63	50	40	32	25	20	16	13	10
11	175	139	111	88	70	55	44	35	28	22	18	14	11
12	191	152	121	96	76	60	48	38	30	24	19	15	12
13	207	164	131	104	82	65	52	41	33	26	21	16	13
14	223	177	141	112	89	70	56	44	35	28	22	18	14

Measure your Carbonate Hardness and match with a medium range CO₂-content (green band), e.g. 20 mg/l. Then, read off the corresponding pH value and adjust your dosage accordingly.

Staurogyne repens growing in the aquarium

Despite its reported predominant emersed growth when occurring naturally, this plant is a very suitable and persistent aquarium plant. Maintenance is easy - just pinch out new shoots regularly to keep clumps in shape and achieve a beautiful, dense groundcover.

Especially the narrow-leaved Hygrophilas often leave you guessing until after a couple of weeks, submerged growth shows their real identity. In order to protect my customers from buying the wrong species of plants, I have set up a tank where I keep all plants I offer at my online shop. I keep them for at least three months growing in ceramic pots and, of course, submerged. This allows me to state the correct names and cutural requirements.

Hygrophila salicifolia and Hygrophila corymbosa var. 'Angustifolia'

The first two species I will compare are Hygrophila salicifolia and Hygrophila corymbosa var. 'Angustifolia'. These are the first two pots in the photo above. You can use the following criteria to distinguish between the two:

H. corymbosa var. angustifolia:

• Narrow leaves but up to 15 mm wide, so clearly broader than those of H. salicilolia. Length 60-100 mm. No hairs.
• Stem round, 2-3 mm thick near the tips. Dark green or brown. No hairs.

H. salicifolia:

• Narrow leaves, 3-6 mm wide, 60-100cm long, no hairs.
• Stem square, tips up to 4mm thick, green, no hairs.

The photo compares both species:

We also have other species of Hygrophila corymbosa at Extraplant, some of which I have cultivated over the past months so that I can now be certain as to which is which.

The two pots on the right in the image at the top of this post are two subspecies with different leaf colouration and -shapes. The right one is the popular and widely available "Nominal form" of H. corymbosa.

Hygrophila corymbosa

Iis leaves will remain mostly green, even under strong lighting. The opposite leaves are closely spaced and growth is steady under almost all conditions.

Hygrophila corymbosa "Red Lucanas"

This name is not a proper name but a trade name. The plants are imported from Tenerife, from the "Las Lucanas" nursery. This plant is most likely identical with H. corymbosa var. 'Glabra'. It's popular name is "Cherry Leaf". It is a wonderful, striking plant which I can recommend especially for larger aquaria as a background species.

Hygrophila corymbosa var. stricta "Blue"

This is also a trade name, referring to the light blue flowers. As a matter of fact, you will frquently notice blue flowers in freshly imported specimens. Under water, this is a relatively small-leaved variety, similar to H. corymbosa 'Siamensis' but with reddish leaves and dark green to brown-red leaf veins. Leaves also tend to be a bit wider than those of the 'Siamensis'. This species is slightly more demanding when growing submerged than the aforementioned. Growth is aslo slower.

More descriptions will follow shortly!

Bacopa sp. 'Purple' and B. crenata

Whilst species such as B. caroliniana and B.monnieri are a common choice with aquarists, B. lanigera is kept only very rarely in Europe. B. crenata, a wonderful species, is not available at shops and is hence also a rare plant. B. madagascariensis is hardly ever on sale anywhere. B. spec. 'Purple' is so new that I have the privilege to introduce it here for the first time.

Woolly Bacopa (Bacopa lanigera)

Bacopa lanigera

First, I'd like to do away with a prejudice. It is often claimed that B.lanigera is hard to keep. Whilst it is true that its submersed growth is slow and roots are only produced sparsely, in my experience this plant has turned out to be a good grower and is generaly trouble-free. It does not have particular demands as to water quality (albeit I use almost pure rain water due to the hardness of the tap water in Münster), nor does it seem to need any special fertilizer treatment. The only thing it needs is strong light. The Wolly Bacopa tends to lose its lower leaves, which is probably even more pronounced under low light. Due to this tendency, it is best kept as a midground filler with frequent re-planting according to the classic Dutch method for planted tanks. At the same time, you can cover the lower portions of the stem with medium high foreground plants. (H. corymbosa 'Compact' is a good choice). Due to this frequent care, B. lanigera will never reach great heights, making it an ideal midground plant. One of my favourite features of this plant is its bright green colour which will never convert to red, even under very bright lights.

Dentated Water-Hyssop (Bacopa crenata)

Bacopa crenata

Another candidate with brigth green leaves, also witout the tendency to develop any red pigment, even under high light. Its green is of a particularly pale shade, which creates the impression of great freshness - a feature much desired in Nature Aquariums. Root development is strong and this plant will grow best on a good quality, iron-rich aquarium substrate. Interestingly, this plant will show twisted or distorted leaves if something is not right. For healthy plants, the submerged form is indiscriminable from the emersed form. Use strong lights to keep this plant happy. Recommended position is in mid- to background. Do not re-plant too often. (Not that you will have to as its growth is not fast). Propagate through cuttings but do not wait too long as the remaining stems should have at least 2 to 4 leaves left.

Bacopa madagascariensis

Bacopa madagascariensis

My personal favourite. Despite its similarity to B. monnieri, some of it's features are very unique and characteristic. Its habit is always upright, even under strong light, whilst its growth rate is slightly slower - a real boon for maintenance. I really value this plant for its leaves, though: They are never twisted or rolled in at the sides, like B. monnieri's leaves often are. The slightly stiff habit is created by its relatively thick stem compared to the rather small leaves. It is this charcteristic appearance which makes B. madagascariensis such a wonderful accent plant.

Ruby Bacopa (Bacopa spec.'Purple')

Bacopa spec. 'Purple'

Its similarity with B. caroliniana suggests close relation of the two but this is yet to be confirmed. The Ruby Bacopa is slightly smaller than B. caroliniana. Its striking ruby red colouration is present under normal light and does not require extreme illumination to develop. Describing the hues of green and red that this plant displays requires some poetic talent I cannot muster :).

Bacopa spec. 'Purple'

Its leaves display a variation of hues from bright green down to deep purple red. This spectacular play of colour make this plant a wonderful red accent but interestingly, it lends itself also to be used as a companion for other red plants, as the above picture demonstrates (Ludwigia ovalis in the background here).

Southern Bacopa (Bacopa australis)

Bacopa australis

This plant, which looks rather atypical for a Bacopa, is still relatively new but has already taken a firm foothold in the world of aquascaping. Its thin stems, bushy growth and round, light green leaves remind of a larger form of Baby's Tears (Micranthemum umbrosum). In actual fact, this Bacopa is much easier to look after, tolerates a larger scope of water conditions and -temperatures and thrives under low to high light. If you want compact, bushy growth, you should provide sufficient light, though. B. australis takes some time to settle in but once it has taken root, it needs to be trimmed at least once a week. As soon as a dense clump has formed, it will be difficult to keep the shape by weekly trimming and a more radical cut-back may become necessary. Allow for some time for the remaining plants to recover. This may take a while. If you want to avoid your plants looking a bit rough for a while, you can always re-plant the cuttings after removing the entire clump.

Bacopa australis

One of the most outstanding properties of this Bacopa is its truly dense, you could even say, opaque, growth habit. No other species is capable of forming continuous clumps from fore- to background with a similar tolerance to trimming. Maybe this is the best plant for Dutch Style "Streets" yet.

Anyway...

For those of you who don't know what a Street is, I recommend looking at the winning tanks at the Nederlandse Bond Aqua Terra. (This is a framed site so I can't post a direct link. Make sure you click on "KEURINGEN" and then go to "Gezelschapsaquaria"). The 2009 entries were a bit disappointing but check out those of the past 5 years and you'll find some great examples.

There are several popular species of plants used for this feature. Lobelia cardinalis is by far the most popular as it is easy to keep, can be trimmed indefinitely and will last forever. Moreover, this plant will form a lovely, smooth and leafy surface if maintained properly and is thus an ideal plant for the Dutch Street.

However...

If you think you can just go out and buy just any old Lobelia cardinalis, stop right there. You may be in for a surpise. You may buy the wrong L. cardinalis. It is a little known fact that this species exists in two varieties. Both are lovely plants but only one lends itself to being used as  a Dutch Street. If you want to build a street, get L. cardinalis 'Mini', sometimes known as L. cardinalis 'Round Leaf'. This variety will stay much smaller and finer than the species and its leaves really are round and small. In Holland, the round-leaved variety is about the only variety used for this feature.

Here is a direct comparison of the two:

Lobelia cardinalis 'Mini'

It has to be said that it takes a lot of experience to get the Lobelia street to look just like this but isn't it wonderful...? This street is relatively low and does not climb up much towards the back (which is something that I like :)

Compare this to the species:

Lobelia cardinalis

Again, this is a very lush planting, showing off the Lobelia at its best but the street character is probably achieved best in the top example.

Anyway... should you have trouble choosing the right variety, now you know what each one does.

Crypts are generally considered easy. A beginner's plant. Especially Sri Lankan species such as C. wendtii, C. walkeri, C. beckettii and C. undulata will still grow under the most adverse conditions. I never actually took any photos of tanks in dreary anterooms of offices or across at the local burger joint...

At one time I had almost given up on Crypts. I thought that 'beginner's plant' was to be taken literally and that, in the hands of a seasond aquarist, these plants would not thrive. At that time, every time I planted Crypts in my aquarium, new leaves would emerge only to rot away immediately so that a captivating layout would never develop.

This reaction to environmental change is known as "Cryptocoryne Desease" as it used to be believed that this was, in fact a disease. Maybe the term "Cryptocoryne wilt" is more apt, though.

I have since started to use rainwater and pH is kept at around 6.95. My cryptocoryne wendtii is thriving and a nice, dense tuft has formed.

Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Green'

Sadly, this lovely group has been completely consumed by CD, if for completely different reasons. I am currently experimenting with a new fertilizer containing high doses of macro nutrients. Phosphate is generally considered to be ideal below 25mg/l. While I was trying out different dosage I had inadvertently raised the phosphate level to ten times the recommended maximum. Some plants responded by developing holes in all but the youngest leaves. Staurogyne and Hygrophila were affected the most. I assume that the high phosphate levels acted as an inhibitor to iron uptake and hence caused these deficiency symptoms.

Deficiency signs in Staurogyne

I reduced phosphate levels gently by changing about 1/3rd of the water every week, over a period of six weeks. The Staurogyne responded well and has almost completely recovered.

Staurogyne

Unfortunately, the entire population of C.wendtii has collapsed. The interesting thing to notice is that the leaf wilt began only after I had startet to reduce phosphate levels. I don't think there is a satisfying scientific explanation yet for this.

Melting Cryptocoryne wendtii

Even the Cryptocoryne crispatula var balansae is now affected and is developng clear signs of leaf wilt. On the other hand, a C. beckettii which is growing in the same aquarium is not affected at all. This may be due to it being less prone to leaf wilt but there  could be other reasons just as well.

Cryptocoryne beckettii

Other aquarists have told me that a change in lighting can trigger Cryptocoryne Wilt. Hence, lights should never be exchanged at the same time but one by one over a period of six months.Water changes have also been reported to start the melting.
I have not experienced this myself, actually but perhaps if the water is changed after a long time and a lot of fish are kept, phosphate levels may have built up enough to cause the wilt after the fresh water is added and levels are reduced.

One fact remains - it is always safer to try and keep everything as stable as possible if you want to grow Crypts successfully and over a long period of time.

In a Dutch Style aquarium setup, stem plants are the most commonly used species and need constant pruning and replanting to keep the aquascape looking lush and healthy. I have illustrated my most frequently recurring care procedure, which is replanting Myriophyllum pinnatum. This species is such a fast grower that replanting is required every three weeks. Here’s a photo of the left side of my 800L tank with a rather overgrown group of this red millfoil, three weeks after replanting.

Myriophyllum pinnatum

You can leave the millfoil floating for several weeks if you want to propagate it because it will develop abundant side-shoots once it has reached the surface. Since this group is large enough, it is time for maintenance:

First, take out the whole bunch by grabbing it near the lower portion of the stems:

Uprooting the whole bunch...

Then, lay out each stem on a table in front of the aquarium. (I use a butcher block from a well-known Swedish furniture warehouse). I have sealed the top with a 4mm PVC board. You can also use a plastic bag or similar. Don’t prune your plants on an unsealed wooden surface though because the wood will suck up the moisture and your plants will dry out more quickly.

Ready for pruning

Now, trim off the lower, rooted portions of the stems and dispose of them. Again, if you need to propagate, you can keep some of the bottom portions for re-planting but be patient. Propagating M. pinnatum this way will be considerably slower than the method described above.

I usually replant in three rows so I trim away the stems at about 20, 18 and 16 cm to obtain cuttings of the right length.

Cuttings for replanting

Now, I start replanting at the back, using the longest cuttings, and working my way back to the front row. It takes some practice to get cutting lengths right the first few times but this procedure will soon become routine. If you discover that you left some of the cuttings too long, you can always pinch off the bottom parts between thumb and forefinger while replanting. When you re-plant, use long, finely pointed forceps and stick the cuttings into the substrate for a depth of least 8 cm. This is important because you’ll need to make some adjustments after 24 hours (see below).

Replanting

When your’re finished replanting, the stems will not look their best. When stem plants reach the surface, their growth will become floating and not erect. Leaves and stems also tend to grow bigger and sometimes coarser. It will take about 24 hours for the plant to adopt an upright habit again. Compare this group of Myriophyllum right after replanting and 24 hours later:

5 Mins after replanting

24 hours after replanting

You’ll notice that the stems have straightened out now and their real length can be judged a lot better. Now it is time for the last adjustment. Pull out shorter stems until you achieve a slightly curved top line, a bit like a shoulder. Each row should start low at the sides and become higher towards the middle. Try to avoid straight rows. It is important to stick the stems in all the way when replanting in order to avoid uprooting your fresh cuttings when making this final adjustment. This the result:

Done!

Again, a little practice is needed to get this right so don’t give up if your plants don’t play along the first few times.

Together with Khim and Simon of South Island Aquarium and Jason, a mate of Khim's, I went on a plant spotting expedition into Malaysia. It was an extremely enjoyable trip. Got up at 0500 local time, set off at 0545 and returned to the Hotel at 0010. We first stopped off at a small stream which had almost fallen dry to see some Cryptocoryne schulzei.

It was still quite dark so my camera flashed all the takes. (I bought a NIKON D60 for this trip and I am still learning how to use it.) C. schulzei is endemic to the Kota Tinggi region of southern Malaysia, meaning it only grows here.

Habitat of C. schulzei

According to Simon, who manages the plant propagation at South Island Aquarium, it is kind of hard to cultivate because it takes a long time to get used to new soil conditions. It is possibly due to some geologic characteristics in Kota Tinggi that its occurrence is limited to this region.

Unfortunately I didn’t have my test kit with me so I could not determine what may be the unique features of the soil here but Hildebrand suggests that it is soft and acidic and very nutrient rich. Here is a a soil sample for visual examination :)

Cryptocoryne schulzei soil sample

The plant looks very similar to C. cordata which we discovered later. We carefully took some sample specimens, bagged them and transferred them to a polystyrene box. Khim is going to pot them for me so I can take them back to Germany and try them out in the aquarium.

It goes without saying that we didn’t take more than we needed and did not destroy any habitat.

Note, that the plants grow semi-emersed. They were also shaded by large trees. Obviously, this is the only habitat I saw so I cannot say if this Crypt will grow in more exposed conditions also.

C. schulzei habitat

Here’s a close-up of one of the samples. Most of the plants at this location were startin to dvelop flowers and so is this specimen. Note the spirally twisted spathe. Once it is fully developed, the spatha wil open up ad the twisting will straighten out. The black, elongated stippling of the leaves is also very characteristic for this species.

Flowering Cryptocoryne schulzei

Next was breakfast. Chinese.

As soon as I got out of the car, I was tapped by mozzies. When I noticed that none of my chinese companions were bitten, Jason aptly remarked that maybe the mosquitoes were after some western food today… right.

Hot broth with pieces of meat in it. Some liver, intestines and kidneys with chinese spices. “Spare parts”. Very nice. Since I had tried the intestines part before (in Porto/Portugal, where they call it Tripas), and I didn’t like it too much then, I gave that a miss. The rest was delicious.

Breakfast at Kota Tinggi

After breakfast, it was another two hours until we got to the turnoff to the Endau Rompin. After that it was all off road. I had never before done real off road. It is actually physically exhausting to do this. Simon’s Toyota took a real beating. It is absolutely beyond me how Jason could be sleeping through this.

We stopped halfway to the national park on a bridge with a nice view of the river.

Off-Road

We didn’t know at the time that the worst stretch was yet to come…. But here’s the view out the passenger side. Postcard.

Malaysia

Maybe some inspiration for an upcoming aquascape called “Malaysia”. Who knows…

Not far from here, underneath another bridge we found a stand of Utricularia graminifolia and individual plants of Blyxa aubertii. The location seemed to be just recovering from recent disturbance. Maybe a clue to the somewhat ruderal strategy of these two plants but that’s just a guess, if an educated one.

Here’s Utricularia growing in shallow, flowing water in direct sunlight. The leaves gave a silvery appearance and seemed almost bleached but upon closer examination, It looked more like the leaves were reflecting the sun light at certain angles.

Utricularia graminifolia

Right opposite, in deeper water at about 60cm we found individual specimens of Blyxa aubertii. The Blyxa plants were also spaced widely apart, making this location appear to be recovering from recent disturbance.

Blyxa aubertii

Further along, we found a still pond with large stands of Cryptocoryne cordata.

When I waded into the water to take the photos, I immediately sunk in knee deep and the bubbles that emerged from underneath the thick mat of Crypts sent up wafts of methane-laden gases. My foot felt warm in the swampy soil and I thought, well here’s the justification for the gravel heater in my aquarium.

The methane and the even distribution contradict the argument put forward by the industry though, that concentrated hot spots around the heater cable will further circulation in the aquarium gravel and thus counteract anaerobic decomposition. Hm…. maybe plants just like hot feet.

Cryptocoryne cordata

Note also that the plants are growing in full sun. There is only some partial shading offered near the water’s edge.The plants were covered in algae and, as many holes and missing portions of leaves proved clearly, obviously served as part of the diet of some creature living in these waters. Probably the very one which in turn feeds the many frogs residing in this pond. Not that we saw any but they were certainly making themselves noticed. Verbally.

Unlike the C. schulzei, these crypts were not flowering. We did not take any specimens back as this is a commonly available aquarium plant.

Just before we actually reached the access to the park proper, we came by some orang-asli stilt houses. I assume that this one was not erected for tourists as no tourists ever come here. So I claim this photo to show a truly Malaysian dwelling just as genuine as the red bricks out of which we build whole villages in Westfalia. (Which are equally genuine and puzzle tourists).

Stilt house

Inside Endau Rompin, we had to apply for a visitor’s permit. We were also instructed that we were not allowed to take any plants. Damn. That was our safari cactused. Never mind. The trip was still worth it because we were rewarded with some great scenery and primary rainforest. Actually this forest is the oldest in the world and predates the Amazon. The power of nature is overwhelming and standing knee deep in the water with fish swimming around your feet is a great experience.

Our guide took us to the beginning of a trail through the forest. It meant we had to take a 45 minute boat ride along the Sungai Andao with some more inspiration for aquascapes.

Endau Rompin

Along the trail, Simon thought he saw some plants in one of the tributaries of the Andao and him and I climbed down the steep river bank. I was still figuring out how to hold my camera out of the water safely when Simon dashed past me into the water and started swimming towards the patch of green we had spotted. Unfortunately, all he discovered were algae so I postponed the dip for later. Here’s Simon playing Swamp Thing:

Only Algae

Albeit we didn’t find any more higher plants for the aquarium, Khim was lucky in spotting some species of moss growing on a decaying branch. It turned out later to be unable to grow submerged.

Moss

There were actually a few species of moss growing here. I wonder if any of them are suitable to grow submerged…

I walked bare footed most of the time because my boots were completely soaked from wading the numerous streams we had to cross. I was lucky all that bit me was a leech. I put my boots back on after we met this little fellow. Maybe some herpetologist can enlighten me as to which species this is. According to our guide, it is venomous.

Snake

We finally reached the waterfall and had a short rest. Here’s a view of the scenery:

Waterfall at Endau Rompin

Unfortunately, I wrecked my mobile phone while I tried to negotiate one of the river beds with bare feet. So, hopefully, my iPhone will arrive soon…

That was it, mainly. I will take back some Cryptocoryne schulzei to Germany to try it under aquarium conditions. I’ll surely post my findings here.

Oh, and one last thing: Here’s a tour map showing the locations of our trip. Thank you, Google earth.

Johor, Malaysia

This plant is generally considered hard to keep and demanding at the best of times. Its natural habitat are highland streams in Madagascar where it grows in cool, shady waters. In my tank, it grows in 22.5 – 23.5°C. I have attached a chiller to the tank to keep the water cool on hot days. It is doing quite well but there are still a few mysteries: Older leaves get brown spots which makes them rather less attractive to look at. I wonder if this could be avoided. I have read somewhere that a nutrient-rich substrate could cause this so I avoided fertilising the gravel. Still, this effect is quite pronounced. Fortunately, the plant grows quite fast (if not as fast as Echinodorus species or other Aponogetons) so there are always enough young leaves to replace the older, blotchy ones.

Aponogeton madagascariensis

Other plants on the above image:

Left: Saururus cernuus.
Foreground: Glossostigma elatinoides.

I have had this plant for several months now and I pinch out emerging flower stems. I don’t know if this is really necessary but I fear that the plant might die back once it has flowered successfully.

When I started this plant I had a difficult time with its leaves becoming small and turning brown very quickly. I have now blotted out some of the light in the light hood and the plant is definitely doing a lot better so a shady spot seems to be necessary. Generally, it has to be said that this plant requires some time until it gets used to the aquarium environment but once it has taken root, it will grow well, given the right conditions.

Temperature-wise, I would like to know if anyone has tried growing this plant in higher temperatures for a longer time. I learned recently, that the bulbs that are imported from Madagascar into Singapore for propagation are grown in relatively warm water. Albeit I didn’t get an exact temperature, my guess with an air temperature of around 32°C would be a water temp of not under 26°C. Obviously, the bulbs are kept at this temperature for a limited time so maybe that’s why no adverse effects have been observed.

Aponogeton madagascariensis

Aponogeton madagascariensis in natural habitat
[image courtesy of wildmadagascar.org]