Plant_Species

ANANCHRIS (Elodea spp.)
ORIGIN: North America
LIGHT: High
OTHER: A very common bunch plant. Small leaves on thick stems. Strong light is needed to get to the leaves on the base of the stems or those leaves will fall off. Propogate by cutting the tips off and sticking them in the gravel, where they'll usually root.

ANUBIAS spp.
ORIGIN: Africa
LIGHT: Low
OTHER: Will grow in very low light conditions. Enjoys having nutrients in the gravel. The leaves remain on the plant for so long algae has a tendency to build up, so having some sort of algae eater in the tank is a good idea. The most important thing about these plants is to plant them so that their rhizome (the thick green part, see picture) is above the gravel. Thin roots will grow down into the gravel. These plants will grow on driftwood or rocks if fastened to them.

CRYPT (Cryptocorne spp.)
ORIGIN: Southeast Asia
LIGHT: Low
OTHER: Another plant that does well at low light levels. Comes in red and green. Can be affected by crypt rot. Grows in bogs in its native countries.

TAPE GRASS (Vallisneria spiralis)
ORIGIN: Most tropical waters
LIGHT: High
OTHER: Jungle Val and Giant Val are two types found in stores. Should be reserved only for very tall tanks, as it can get BIG. Leaves are long and stringy- can grow up to 60" in some species. Because the leaves are so long, it requires strong light.

WATER SPRITE (Ceratopteris thalicroides)
ORIGIN: Southeast Asia, India
LIGHT: Medium
OTHER: Can be grown as a floating plant or with roots in the gravel. Floating plants are a useful shelter for fish fry. Propagates by producing daughter plants on the leaf tips, similar to Java Fern.

AMAZON SWORD PLANT (Echinodorus spp.)
ORIGIN: South America
LIGHT: High
OTHER: There are several species of sword plants common in the home aquarium. Chain swords spred by runners over the bottom of the tank and resemble grass- each blade is only 2-3" long. Other species have 6-7" blades, and still others (Brazilians) can have 12-16" blades.

CABOMBA spp.
ORIGIN: South America
LIGHT: High
OTHER: A very fine leaved plant- the leaves grow in whorls up the stem. The leaves are easily damaged and tend to collect algae. If they are not provided with enough light, they will decay rapidly. Propogate by cuttings, very fast grower.

HYGROPHILIA spp.
ORIGIN: Southeast Asia
LIGHT: High
OTHER: Comes in several varieties and several species- Giant and "Tropical Sunset" (reddish leaves) are two common types seen in stores. They prefer well lit tanks, and will grow very fast if conditions are right. They are almost weed-like in growth.

JAVA FERN (Microsorium pteropus)
ORIGIN: Southeast Asia
LIGHT: Low
OTHER: Java Fern has a unique look- blade shaped leaves with a sort of wavy look to them. Reproduces by developing plantlets on the tips of its leaves which eventually break off. The best way to grow Java Fern is to rubber band each plant to rocks or driftwood. The roots will grow down into the soil.

WATER WISTERIA (Hygrophilia difformis)
ORIGIN: Southeast Asia, India
LIGHT: Medium
OTHER: Fine, light green leaves. Adaptable to lower light conditions, making it ideal for smaller tankswhere multiple bulbs are not possible. Can be confused with other species such as water sprite.