Plant · Rhizome

Bucephalandra

Bucephalandra · Borneo · also Buce

Photo: Manuel Werner, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Glue or tie it to rock or wood like anubias; burying the rhizome rots it. It grows very slowly, so keep light moderate to stop algae covering the leaves, and expect many named forms that look different.

At a glance

Light

Low light

CO₂

No CO₂

Growth

Slow growth

Where it goes

On wood, rock

Temperature

20–26°C

5–7

Height in a tank

5–10 cm 2–4 in

Difficulty

Easy

What it does for your tank

Small, colourful leaves that suit nano tanks and rocky scapes and give shrimp a grazing surface.

Fish that eat or uproot it

Almost nothing eats it, though pieces can be knocked loose by digging fish.

Growing more

Cut the rhizome into pieces with a few leaves each.

Bucephalandra

Plant · RhizomeEasy

Low light
No CO₂
Slow growth
On wood, rock
20–26°C

Small, colourful leaves that suit nano tanks and rocky scapes and give shrimp a grazing surface.

Bucephalandra

Borneo

Temperature: 20–26°C
pH: 5–7
Height: 2–4 in · 5–10 cm
Light: Low
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Slow
Goes: On wood or rock
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Cut the rhizome into pieces with a few leaves each.

Almost nothing eats it, though pieces can be knocked loose by digging fish.

Full care guide

Photo: Manuel Werner, CC BY 4.0

Sources

The care values on this page come from these sources.

Grows well with

Same light and temperature, but a different spot in the tank, so they fill it out together.

Amazon frogbit

Plant · FloatingEasy

Low light
No CO₂
Fast growth
Floats
20–27°C

Long dangling roots shelter fry, bettas and gouramis, and the plant soaks up nitrate fast.

Amazon frogbit

Limnobium laevigatum

Central and South America

Temperature: 20–27°C
pH: 5–8
Height: 2–6 in · 5–15 cm
Light: Low
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Fast
Goes: Floating
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Sends out runners with new plants that break off on their own.

Goldfish and some snails eat the spongy leaves; strong filter flow pushes it under and kills it.

Full care guide

Photo: Cardex, Public domain

Amazon sword

Plant · RosetteEasy

Low light
No CO₂
Steady growth
Middle
20–28°C

A big, classic centrepiece whose broad leaves give shade and are used by angelfish and other egg-layers for spawning.

Amazon sword

Echinodorus grisebachii 'Bleherae'

Central and South America

Temperature: 20–28°C
pH: 6–8
Height: 8–20 in · 20–50 cm
Light: Low
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Medium
Goes: Middle
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Baby plants grow on long flower stems; let them root, then cut them free and plant them.

Goldfish, silver dollars and large cichlids tear or uproot it, and some plecos rasp holes in the leaves.

Full care guide

Photo: Salvatore vitale, Public domain

Cryptocoryne wendtii

Plant · RosetteEasy

Low light
No CO₂
Steady growth
Middle
22–28°C

A hardy low-light plant whose leaves give cover to bottom fish and shrimp.

Cryptocoryne wendtii

Sri Lanka

Temperature: 22–28°C
pH: 5–8
Height: 4–12 in · 10–30 cm
Light: Low
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Medium
Goes: Middle
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Sends out runners under the gravel; dig up the new plants and replant them.

Rarely eaten, but goldfish, big cichlids and digging fish can uproot it.

Full care guide

Photo: Haplochromis, CC BY 2.5

Duckweed

Plant · FloatingEasy

Low light
No CO₂
Fast growth
Floats
6–30°C

Shades the tank, gives fry cover and soaks up nitrate.

Duckweed

Lemna minor

Nearly worldwide, including Canada

Temperature: 6–30°C
pH: 6.5–8
Height: 0.4–0.8 in · 1–2 cm
Light: Low
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Fast
Goes: Floating
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Each tiny leaf splits into new plants on its own.

Goldfish, koi, silver dollars and many other plant-eating fish eat it.

Full care guide

Photo: Kostka Martin, CC0

← All plants