Family: Hydrocharitaceae
Continent: Cosmopolitan
Region: Cosmopolitan
Height: 15-40"
Width: 1-2"
Light requirements: medium-very high
Temperature: 50-78°F
Hardness tolerance: very soft-very hard
pH tolerance: 5-10
Growth very fast
Demands: easy

Egeria densa is a good plant for beginners, and its rapid growth helps create a balance in the aquarium from the start. It can also help prevent algae because it absorbs a great number of nutrients from the water. The plant secretes antibiotic substances which can help prevent blue-green algae (a type of bacteria). The growth rate depends largely on the amount of light and nutrition available. Growth does not stop in unfavourable conditions, but the plant turns light in colour and the tendrils grow thin.

What I have been doing to trim this plant is I pull the stem and roots up from the gravel and cut from the bottom of the plant. I tried cutting the tops, but I found I did not like the way it grew when trimmed this way.

This plant grows well with lighting of 1 1/2 watts per gallon. I believe this plant will grow ok in brackish water at 1.004 salinity. I say I believe, because my crabs eat it so fast I can not tell if it would live in there or not.