About the species

Sagittaria subulata 'Needle Leaf' is a needle-fine form of the ordinary Sagittaria, with leaves only a few millimetres wide. The leaves grow 15–30 centimetres long and stand upright in airy tufts that move easily in the current. Under strong lighting the fresh green foliage can take on a faint orange tone. It spreads by itself with runners, just like the parent species.

Facts

• Latin name: Sagittaria subulata 'Needle Leaf'
• Plant type: Runner plant
• Origin: South America
• Height: 5–20 cm
• Growth rate: Medium
• Position: Midground

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

Added CO₂ is recommended — Tropica reckons 6–14 mg/l as a medium requirement. The plant can be grown without, but then grows more slowly and loses some of its colour. Supplement with liquid fertiliser weekly and keep iron and potassium levels up.

Planting

Plant the individual plants with their roots in the substrate and the crown free above it. The plant then spreads by itself with runners beneath the substrate and gradually fills out the area, so leave room around each plant from the start.

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

Thin the runners where you do not want them and move the daughter plants where you want more. Cut them free with scissors rather than pulling, so the mother plant's roots stay put. A nutrient-rich substrate makes it spread considerably faster.

Position in the aquarium

Its height makes it a classic midground plant. It works nicely as the transition between low foreground plants and tall background plants, and looks best in a group or around a piece of wood.

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

A softer alternative to Vallisneria when you want grass at the back without broad, shading leaves. Plant ten to fifteen specimens with a little space between them and they knit into a continuous meadow.