About the species

Najas guadalupensis 'Guppy Grass' is a brittle, light green stem plant that is usually left to float freely in the aquarium. The species comes from North and South America, grows 20–40 centimetres long and forms a dense, grass-like tangle of narrow leaves. It can also root in the substrate with long, fine roots, but it does not have to.

Facts

• Latin name: Najas guadalupensis 'Guppy Grass'
• Plant type: Stem plant
• Origin: North America
• Height: 20–40 cm
• Growth rate: Fast
• Position: Background

Light requirement

Low light requirement. It manages with the lighting that comes with most aquariums and is happy in partial shade behind or beneath taller plants. Strong lighting does not harm it, but raises the risk of algae on the leaves because the plant cannot use all the available light.

CO₂ & nutrition

Manages entirely without added CO₂, which makes it as suitable for a simple aquarium as for an aquascape. Liquid carbon or injected CO₂ speeds up growth but is never a requirement. Dose an all-round fertiliser with iron and micronutrients every week.

Planting

Split the bunch and set the stems one by one, about two centimetres into the substrate and two to three centimetres apart. Removing the lowest leaves first stops them rotting in the substrate. A group of five to ten stems looks far better straight away than single plants.

Rinse all the gel off in lukewarm water before planting, otherwise it can cause bacterial cloudiness. The cup holds many small plants — divide them up and plant them in several portions.

Care & propagation

Top the plant when it reaches the height you want and replant the cuttings — that propagates it and gives a denser group at the same time. Trim regularly so light reaches the lower leaves, and discard the old lower sections once they start thinning out.

Position in the aquarium

Given its mature height it belongs at the back or along the sides, where it forms a dense wall of greenery and hides equipment. In a smaller aquarium it can also be used as a solitaire in one corner.

Difficulty level

🟢 Easy — grows in most aquariums without CO₂ and under ordinary lighting.

Delivery format

Delivered as 1-2-Grow! — a laboratory-grown cup holding many small plants in nutrient gel. Because the plant is cultivated in vitro it is completely free of snails, algae, planaria and pesticides, which makes it the safest choice for a shrimp aquarium.

Recommendation

Our standard plant in breeding tanks and shrimp aquariums: the dense structure is perfect cover for fry and at the same time an effective nutrient sink against algae. It grows very quickly, so keep the quantity in check every week and discard the surplus.