Product description
About the species
Limnophila aquatica from South East Asia is one of the hobby's handsomest stem plants, with light green leaf whorls. The finely divided leaves sit in tightly packed whorls around the stem, which grows 25–50 centimetres long and up to fifteen centimetres wide. In good light it sends out horizontal side shoots and becomes impressively bushy. In open aquariums the shoots can rise above the surface and bear small blue flowers.
Facts
• Latin name: Limnophila aquatica
• Plant type: Stem plant
• Origin: Asia
• Height: 20–30 cm
• Growth rate: Fast
• Position: Background
Light requirement
Medium light requirement. Reckon on around 0.5 W per litre or a modern mid-range LED unit. Too little light gives sparse, stretched shoots and pale leaves, while the right amount keeps the plant compact and richly coloured.
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.
Carefully remove the pot and rinse the rock wool off the roots before planting — leftover rock wool can otherwise hinder rooting.
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
🟡 Moderate — wants stable lighting and regular fertilisation to look its best.
Delivery format
Delivered as a pot grown submerged, with the roots in rock wool. The pot holds several plants or stems that can be divided and planted separately.
Recommendation
A natural solitaire at the back of a larger aquarium, where a single bush is enough as a focal point. Give it a nutrient-rich substrate and preferably CO₂ — the whorls then grow almost twice as wide.
