Staurogyne Repens Aquarium Plant Guide contains plant appearance, ideal water conditions, tips, propagation, maintenance & tank mates:
Aquarium plants are
available in multiple sizes, shapes & colors so you have to decide which
plant is better for your location & after checking your tank size,
lighting, water quality & conditions, you can buy a plant suitable for your
aquarium. If you are looking for lush green plants then my suggestion is to add
Staurogyne Repens to your aquarium.
If you want to grow
a plant in the foreground of your aquarium then adding Staurogyne repens will
do the job. It spreads a green carpet on the substrate which is good for the
fish that likes dwelling in the substrate, & also invertebrates will like
the shelter of Staurogyne repens. This plant can help in adding oxygen to water
& wiping out nitrates. If you want to take care of your aquarium water
& fish then introduce Staurogyne Repens to your tank.
Staurogyne Repens
is a great plant that forms carpet over the aquarium gravels. It is an ideal
plant for anyone who is looking for beauty. It is a beginner's plant which
means it needs simple care. Staurogyne Repens looks beautiful in aquariums,
& it is a very popular plant. It is beneficial for your aquarium water.
This plant needs easy care, & can grow in harsh conditions. It is a green plant which can be kept in the foreground of a fish tank.
Staurogyne Repens Origin:
Staurogyne Repens is native to South America. It can be discovered in rivers. It belongs to Acanthaceae, which is a large family. It has about 3000 types of plants.
Staurogyne repens was discovered in River Rio Cristalino in the Southern Amazonas.
Staurogyne Repens can provide a beautiful & healthy environment for your fish. It helps in oxygenating the tank water & reducing the nitrate level in your aquarium water.
Appearance of Staurogyne Repens:
Staurogyne repens
looks beautiful with its carpet effect, which is also beneficial for the tank
inhabitants. It can grow carpet that is able to reach a height of 4 inches. It
will need space in the bottom of the aquarium & fish will have enough space
for swimming at the medium & higher levels of aquarium. It has beautiful
densely packed bright green color leaves.
I have seen
pictures of an aquarium with & without Staurogyne repens, & the
addition of this plant changed the overall appearance of the tank. The addition
of Staurogyne repens can make your aquarium look fully different from the original.
You won’t see the
roots of the plant because they are hidden underneath gravels but if you dig
into it then you can watch small & pale roots of the plants.
It has thin &
long leaves. The leaves start from the stem, & the width of the leaves
taper off when it reaches the end.
Ideal Water Conditions for Staurogyne Repens:
Staurogyne repens
do not grow worldwide, because they need specific water conditions for growth.
If you can create an environment like Cristalino River in your aquarium, then
this plant will grow fast.
Keeping Staurogyne
repens in a minimum of 10 Gallon aquarium will give more room for its growth.
Also, you need to provide medium to high lighting to allow this plant to
spread, & also take care of water quality & gravels. Staurogyne repens
and spends all of its time rooted into substrate. If your gravel size is
smaller or if you are using sand as substrate then it will help Staurogyne
repens to push its root downward into it.
Also, light is
important for the photosynthesis of aquatic plants. Sunlight is sufficient if
your plant is located outside but, in an aquarium, light is required for the
growth of the plant. Normal tank lights have medium to high brightness so make
sure you leave them on for around 10 hours every day or use a timer which will
automatically turn on or off lights. Do not keep your aquarium in direct
sunlight because it will help algae grow abruptly in aquariums.
The ideal water
temperature range for Staurogyne repens is between 68 to 86 Degree Fahrenheit.
Ideal water hardness is between 3 to 10 dKH. The ideal pH range is between 6 to
8.
Staurogyne repens
grows relatively slowly in aquariums.
Staurogyne Repens Tips:
If you want to
propagate Staurogyne repens then remember a few things. Upon growth, it will
detach shoots from the side of its stem. You can plant these shoots into
substrate for regrowing this plant. If you are looking to propagate this plant
then use the same procedure. Do not wait for the plant to drop shoots, but cut
the stems & replant it.
Staurogyne repens
is a stem plant that does not carpet; however, you can spread the plant by
trimming & replanting the cuttings. It gets nutrition from the aquarium
water through its roots & leaves.
If your aquarium
water is dirty then it will stop light from reaching the bottom. Cleaning of
water is very important because it can help light to penetrate through it.
If your plant is
growing very slow, then you need to trim its stems. Do not worry if your plant
growth rate is slow because Staurogyne Repens is a slow growing plant. Stems of
your plant grow at different pace, so trim the stems that grow faster so that
you can get a nice carpet appearance in the tank.
Add nutrients &
carbon dioxide if Staurogyne Repens is weak & its growth rate is very slow;
but add them in certain amounts so that they are not polluting your aquarium
water.
When you want to
grow this plant in a fish tank, then you need to cut off the longest upright
shoot & fresh, horizontally crawling shoots will grow on the substrate
& will cover it like a carpet.
If your tank lights
are low, then Staurogyne repens will grow upright & the growth of
horizontal shoots will be low.
They provide extra
shelter for bottom-dwelling fish, oxygenate water & remove nitrates.
How to plant Staurogyne Repens in aquariums?
Steps are pretty
straightforward for planting Staurogyne repens in aquariums. Do not add many
stems of this plant in the aquarium at a time. Add a few stems at a time &
wait & see how they grow. If there is space left then add more.
Experts say that
for every 2 to 3 gallons of aquarium water, you can add 1 stem. Plant every
stem around half an inch or slightly more in the gravels, which will help the
growth of the roots & will keep itself in place. When Staurogyne repens
starts growing in aquariums then the plant roots will attach themselves to
rocks or decorations.
In a few weeks,
Staurogyne repens will reach its complete height, & will create a green
carpet over the substrate. Allow artificial light to hit the plant because it
helps the plant in photosynthesis. Do not add floating plants in the same
aquarium because they will block the tank light.
Propagation of Staurogyne Repens in Aquarium:
Staurogyne repens
propagates in the wild from the side shoots that detach themselves from the
live plant & fall down onto the gravels, & form roots & grow as a
fresh plant.
In your home tank,
you can grow this plant from cuttings. Let Staurogyne repens to grow a height
of 3 to inches, & then cut 1 to 2 inches of stem, & plant the stem in
the gravel. In a few days, your new plant will grow roots.
Maintenance of Staurogyne Repens:
Staurogyne repens
grows slowly which makes it a best choice for aquarists. Other plants like Java
moss grow abruptly without maintenance.
Staurogyne repens
also needs pruning & trimming. If you take care of the plant then it will
spread a nice uniform carpet on your substrate.
If your plant
develops weak or faded colors & the leaves of the plant are droopy then it
means things are not right. Staurogyne repens needs clean water & the
absence of light will adversely affect your plant.
Adding liquid
nutrients will help in the growth of plants. Staurogyne repens can grow without
adding any nutrients but still you need to provide good water conditions for
better health.
Clean your aquarium
regularly so that plants & fish receive minerals that fresh water contains.
Make sure you clean your aquarium once in a month. Scrub off algae from the
tank glass using a soft cloth.
Trimming is also
required to avoid plants from growing out of control which could provide less
room for your fish. Do not use soap or detergents for cleaning your aquarium as
they are toxic to fish & plants.
Change aquarium
water regularly so that debris & other pollutants that are dangerous for
your fish are removed. Remove 30 to 35 percent water from your aquarium every
week if you have fish in the aquarium. Do not change all water from the tank
because you will lose lots of good bacteria that is essential for keeping fish
healthy.
Staurogyne Repens Tankmates:
If you have fish
that dwell at the bottom of aquarium like catfish or loaches, then they will
like Staurogyne repens because the plant provides a lush, green environment
& the fish will be exploring the stems of the plant for food.
Most species of
Goldfish have the habit of digging gravels & uprooting live plants, &
they also eat plants so do not keep Staurogyne Repens in their aquarium.
Rainbowfish have the habit of nibbling on some plant species & they also
eat Staurogyne repens. If you want to add fish to Staurogyne repens tanks then
make sure you add those that don’t eat or uproot plants.
Shrimp loves
scurrying over the carpet that Staurogyne repens provides. They like eating
leftover food, & they aren’t destructive to plants. Most aquarium snails
love eating live plants, except Assassin snails. So, you can add Assassin Snail
to aquatic plants aquariums.
Below is a list of
plants, fish, invertebrates that you can keep in Staurogyne Repens tank:
- Java Fern
- Hornwort
- Guppy
- Danio
- Betta
- Tetra
- Cherry Barb
- Dwarf Gourami
- Molly
- Swordtail
- Cory Catfish
- Shrimp
- Rasbora
- Cichlid
- Catfish
- Loaches
- Assassin snail
Advantages of Staurogyne Repens in Aquarium:
Staurogyne Repens
has many advantages when keeping in aquarium. Check out the important benefits
of keeping this plant in the aquarium.
- It creates a bright green carpet on gravels
- Offers shelter to bottom dwelling fish
- Wipes out nitrates & dangerous chemicals from tank water
- Adds oxygen to aquarium water
Summary:
Category | Rating |
Family | Acanthaceae |
Care Level | Simple |
Growth Rate | Slow |
Max. Height | 4 inches |
Min. Aquarium Size | 10 Gallons |
Ideal Water Conditions | Temperature: 68-86 Degree Fahrenheit pH: 6 to 8 dKH: 3 to 10 |
Tank Lights Intensity | Medium to High Lighting |
Propagation in Water | Side Shoots or Cutting |
Placement in Aquarium | Creates a Carpet over substrate |
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