Riccia fluitans is a floating aquatic plant found almost in any part of the world. There is quite a few geographic varieties which differs both in the way they look and in the way they grown in the aquarium. Here below are the various varieties of Riccia fluitans plant included pictures that can be clicked for a larger version.

Japanese Riccia Fluitans

Pictures below is the Japanese variety of Riccia, which is the most useful in the aquarium - either used in the traditional way as a floating plant or in the very beautiful submerged form. Left - the floating form. Right - the submerged form.

European Riccia Fluitans

The European form is not very useful in the aquascaping aquarium - this is particularly true for the submerged form. Left - the floating form. Right - the submerged form.

Thailand Riccia Fluitans

Photos of Riccia fluitans below are the Riccia variety from Thailand. In line with the European variety, the submerged form is unsuitable for the aquascape aquarium. Left - the floating form. Right - the submerged form.

Singapore Riccia Fluitans

Finally we have the variety of Riccia fluitans from Singapore. The submerged form of this variety is also unsuitable for the aquarium. Left - the floating form. Right - the submerged form.



The Japanese variety with relatively long thalli is the most suitable for aquascape aquarium use. The other Asian and European forms are much more fragile. They break easily when they are attached to a piece of rock and they cannot create a thick and beautiful turf before they loosen and drift to the surface.

However, Takashi Amano from Japan invented the technique of securing the aquatic liverwort Riccia fluitans to a piece of lava rock or slate and thereby keeping it submerged. Click this link to find How to Secure Dwarf Riccia with ADA Riccia Stones completely.

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The new tropical aquarium plants below is Anubias Barteri var. Nana‘Petite’ originates from West Africa and including one of the smallest Anubias species. This freshwater aquarium plant is popular among aquascapers for its hardiness, its low lighting requirements and its ability to grow without substrate, allowing placement on driftwood and rocks.

The Anubias barteri var. nana ‘Petite’ have a dark green and tough leaves. They grow on short stems that originate from a central root or rhizome. It is sometimes recommended for aquascapes that house aggressive tropical fish species or invertebrates as they can stand up to some abuse as compared to other types of flora.

The maximum height of the Anubias nana ‘Petite’ is about 5cm. It grows slowly and is not particular about aquarium lighting levels. For optimal health, it should be kept at the range of 22-28 degrees Celsius. The Anubias nana propagates through cutting up the rhizome or side roots.


Anubias barteri var. nana ‘Petite’ is perfect for beginners in aquascape aquarium hobby - a new aquascapers who desire a flora that is easy to care for. An effective and easy aquascape composing of Anubias nana ‘Petite’, Java Fern and Java Moss can be created with driftwood and rocks. Such an aquascape will be very forgivable when it comes to lighting and nutrient levels. So if you are new to aquascaping, its recommended for you to give the "Anubias Barteri Nana" a try when you set up new freshwater aquarium plants.

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Hottonia palustris is a pinnate-leafed aquatic plant, commonly referred to as Featherfoil, is a native of marshes and bogs in Europe and Asia. It is usually found growing totally submersed except for the long flower spikes each bearing a set of light purple flowers. Hottonia palustris also often found on the outer edges of these marshes and ponds this plant produces unmistakable purple/lilac colored flowers which are striking against its naturally green environment.

In fact, botanists often refer to this freshwater aquarium plant as Water Violet, due to the vibrant purple flowers it produces. Grown in slightly dense patches and reaching a height of 80 cm, Hottonia palustris serves as an ideal hiding place for invertebrates such as beetles, water spiders,dragonflies and damselflies.

Hottonia palustris has become a very popular pond plant for its unique flowers, but it has also grown in popularity among aquarists who enjoy the pulsing green color of its leaves as it is grown underwater.



Hottonia palustris Plant Profile :

• Scientific Name: Hottonia palustris
• Common Name: Featherfoil
• Difficulty: Easy
• CO2 Requirements: Low
• Aquarium Lighting Systems Requirements: Medium
• Plant Arrangement: Midground
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Family: Primulaceae
• Genus: Hottonia
• Origin: Europe
• Plant Type: Stem
• Water Hardness: Medium (GH = 9-13 dH)

Growth characteristics

Hottonia palustris in its submersed form is extraordinarily different from its emersed growth. Underwater it is formed of bright green, feather-like leaves that bush out horizontally. Hottonia palustris can reach a height of 30 cm and a span of 20 cm when grown in good nutrient rich, and well lighted conditions. When provided with direct light, the water violet will branch out horizontally to form a low growing bush. Carbon dioxide inject will increase the growth rate of this plant but it is not required. Since it feeds mostly from the water column and substrate, it is important to either have a nutrient rich substrate or regularly add supplements to the water.



Aquascaping Application

Hottonia palustris is best planted in the midground areas of a planted aquarium with taller plants in the background. The fine leaf structure contrasts well against larger leaf plants such as Java Fern, Cryptocoryne balansae, or sword plants. Aquascapers will trim each stem in half to encourage the water violet plant to produce side shoots. This results in a perfect midground bush.

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Hygrophila corymbosa is a very hardy, fast growing plant. The genus Hygrophila has been first described by Brown in 1810. In 1826, Blume described this same genus under the name Nomaphila. According to the Aquatic Plant Book by Christopher D.K. Cook - the two names would be synonymous and both names could be used to describe the Hygrophila genus. Lots of cultivated variety of the Hygrophila corymbosa species is commercially available. Hygrophila corymbosa “augustifolia”, “compact”, “aroma”, “siamensis” and “stricta” are all variation of the natural corymbosa species. Hygrophila corymbosa, also known as Hygrophila stricta, originates from Southeast Asia (Thailand, India, and Malaysia). In the US, it is found in certain part of Florida.

Hygrophila corymbosa has long and narrow pointy leaves with an average of 3 to 5 inches. If let grown, the height of the plant can reach up to 24 inches. The leaves are bright green and quite dense if the plant is kept in proper conditions. Because it is fast growing, this plant can be used as cycling plants. They are also very popular in Dutch aquarium for their bushy appearance and in cichlid tanks for their ability to adapt to a broad range of water parameters.

In the wild, this freshwater aquarium plants can be seen in both its submerged and emersed forms. The roots develop in a wet substrate while the leaves grow above or below the water line. When the leaves reach above the water line, they usually become blue/brown, the stem becomes stronger and little blue flowers start blooming. The size of the leaves will also vary depending if the plant grows emersed or submerged.

Although Hygrophila corymbosa is very hardy, it will thrive best in a rich substrate. Iron, minerals and strong lighting are recommended for the plant to develop bright green leaves and to get a bushier appearance. One problem encounters by many aquascapers familiar with this plant is that it will loose its lower leaves if the plant in not kept in the best conditions and pruned on a regular basis. This problem reside in the fact that when they grow, the upper leaves create shade for the lower portion of the leaves on the stem, which results in a lack of lighting and disintegration of the leaves. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to prune the plants before they reach the water line, unless the tank benefits of optimum water and lighting conditions. Trimming Hygrophila corymbosa regularly will also increase the diameter of the plant, giving it a bushier appearance. Propagation is done through cuttings.

Hygrophila corymbosa is one of beautiful and hardy aquatic plants species such as Hygrophila polysperma that doesn't require much attention to grow well. It grows pretty large leaves, allowing a single stem to occupy a significant part of the tank. Left alone, it easily crosses the water surface and begins to assume its emersed form: the leaves are darker and harder, and the plant produces purple flowers that give out a pleasant scent. But in this case it also ends up shedding all underwater leaves, so frequent pruning aquarium plants is required if you don't want that. Any pruned stem may be buried in the gravel and will readily generate a new plant. Even without enriched soil, this plant will create strong roots. There seems to be some confusion in literature between the names Hygrophila corymbosa, Hygrophila stricta and Nomaphila stricta. Possibly these are all variants of the same "aquatic plants species".

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Hygrophila polysperma is an ideal freshwater aquarium plants for beginners and help with algae problem in aquarium. Commonly known as Dwarf Hygrophila, Dwarf Hygro, Miramar weed or Indian waterweed, Hygrophila polysperma is an aquatic plant in the acanthus family. It is native to India and Malaysia, and has also been introduced to the US states of Florida, Texas and possibly Virginia.

The Dwarf Hygrophila is a really popular plant among aquascapers. Its not slow growing aquarium plants such as Staurogyne Porto Velho. It is extremely fast growing with good light and CO2 injection. Therefore Hygrophila polysperma needs to be pruned regularly to maintain its health. The growth of this species is often so rapid that a trim of some sort is required within two or three weeks of the last pruning. It reproduces from both cuttings and side shoots. The cuttings can even be as small as a single leaf in nutrient-rich environments.

Scientific name: Hygrophila polysperma
Common terms: Dwarf hygrophila, East Indian hygrophila, Indian swampweed, Indian waterweed, Miramar weed, hygro
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Hygrophila
Location: India, Bhutan, Malaysia
Hardiness: Very Easy
Lighting required: Moderate to High (I have had mine with success from between 1.5-3.7 WPG)
Temperature: 20-30C
Water chemistry requirements (pH, hardness): Can be kept under various conditions
Growth Rate: Very fast
Plant Structure: Stem
Size: Individual stem width: 8 - 15cm (3 - 6in)

Hygrophila polysperma also listed on the Federal Noxious Weed List in the US and is illegal to import and sell in a number of states including Kansas and South Carolina. If you're looking for aquarium plants that will add a thick bushy garden look to your tank the Indian waterweed is the plant for you. It's really easy to grow and it will multiply just by putting the clippings back into the gravel, even a free floating leaf of this plant will make an entire new plant!

It has proven to be a true survivor - Hygrophila polysperma survived and thrived for 6 weeks without adaquate light, filtration, CO2, or fertilization. A truly difficult aquarium plants to kill, and a lovely addition to the planted aquarium.

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Staurogyne sp. "Porto Velho" is a relatively new plant in the aquascape aquarium hobby and is gaining popularity due to its unique growth. It was initially introduced as a Hygrophila species (closely related). It is a perfect foreground plant and can do well in medium light. Acclimatization periods may be long but once adjusted, growth will be quite rapid and dense. Occasional trimming is required and cuttings are easily obtained.

This species is easier to grow submersed. Macro and Micro nutrients should be made available. Growth is slightly faster when CO2 is supplied.



Staurogyne Porto Velho profile
Genus: Staurogyne
Family: Acanthaceae
Structure: Stem
Origin: Brazil
Height: 1-4 cm
Width: 5-8 cm
Light: Medium - High
Temp: 22-28 °C
Ph: 6.0-7.0
Difficulty: Medium
Growth: Slow

Other information about this freshwater aquarium plant:
Staurogyne sp. Porto Velho is an attractive and versatile species that will likely remain so well into the future. Although it is more established in Japan, it is a relatively new entry into the United States, where it first appeared in specialty aquarium shops. Plants traded as Hygrophila sp. ‘Roraima’ are apparently the same thing and may be from a separate importation. The Brazilian states of Rondonia – of which Porto Velho is the capital - and Roraima are both in the western part of the country, so it may simply be two collections of a species with a range that encompasses both areas. Introduced as a Hygrophila, it is instead a member of the closely related genus Staurogyne like the species introduced by Tropica in early 2008.

Regardless of its true identity, Staurogyne sp. ‘Porto Velho’ is deservedly well-liked. In all but the lowest light conditions, it grows much like familiar terrestrial ivy, making it an outstanding foreground plant. Under unobstructed light, subtle purplish accents highlight what are otherwise leaves of a uniform grayish green. Somewhat slow to acclimate, it picks up speed in time and requires occasional thinning. Selective trimming over the whole of the planting soon fills back in and is preferable to removing large chunks. By doing so, cuttings may be easily obtained.

Growing this aquatic plant species in aquarium aquascape emersed can be surprisingly challenging. A slow but steady supply of macro and micro nutrients combined with strong aquarium lighting are necessary.

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Glossostiga elantinoides is the type of freshwater aquarium plant that first popularized by Takashi Amano, aquarist from Japan. Glossostigma elatinoides will flourish if the water conditions in accordance with the requirements. The leaves will overlap each other and the bottom leaves will die due to lack of light. Therefore, the leaves should be trimmed regularly so that the new leaves can grow up and look neat.

Glossostigma elatinoides only requires sufficient fertilizers and an adequate source of the gas CO2 (carbon dioxide), or a good liquid carbon substitute like Excel or Natural Aquarium Vital. It also likes water that is not too hard. The leaves are a beautiful shade of bright green, making it an excellent foreground plant for higher light aquariums. In lower light the plant tends to grow upward as if to reach the light, and eventually withers away.

"Glossostigma elatinoides" besides requiring a sufficient supply of carbon dioxide also requires a lot of light. Therefore, placement these plants near the aquarium lighting will provide enough light for Glossostigmat elatinoides to photosynthesize, besides seek to no other plants that cover the aquarium lights.

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Cryptocoryne are the type of freshwater aquarium plants including the amphibian species (the leaves can grow inside or on the water surface). There are a few Cryptocoryne species that can grow under the water alone, one of them is Cryptocoryne aponogetfolia.

Almost all types of Cryptocoryne susceptible to 'Cryptocoryne Rot' diseases which leaves 'melt' or 'become mush' when planted in the aquarium. This is because Cryptocoryne commonly cultivated in the upper surface of the water (hydroponics) or on the wet ground with temperatures around 30 °C. If later Cryptocoryne drowned in a cold aquarium water, the sensitive leaves will be stress and melt due to changes in temperature. To overcome this, before planting we must cut the older leaves are more susceptible and leave the young leaves are more robust only.

Inside the freshwater aquarium, Cryptocoryne species need time to adapt from the "terrestrial leaf" to the "water leaves". During the adaptation period; only a few nutrients that can be absorbed. Therefore, a lot of nutritional support can make the aquarium excess nutrients and mossy.

Kind of slowly growing "freshwater aquarium plants" such as Cryptocoryne requires sufficient fertilizers on sand and take a long time for adjustments in the aquarium. Often there is no progress in the first two months after planting. But once began to grow after Cryptocoryne can adapt to the water conditions, then it will flourish and spread in the tightly form.

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Rotala macrandra is a "red aquarium plant" which hard to maintain in planted aquarium because it fairly requires intense lighting conditions and a lots of carbon dioxide supply. Oftentimes the leaf color of Rotala which near the water surface will colored more red than the bottoms because the leaf on the top get more light.

"Rotala macandra" is type of freshwater aquarium plants native to India and is a fast growing species found in marshy soils. Rotala macrandra has small leaves that can have a green, tan, to red color form; which make it an excellent choice for a mid-ground plant as it will bring vibrant color and contrast to the aquarium. Because its small leaf size and fast rate of growth, Rotala macrandra will form a dense grouping that will need regular pruning. Rotala macrandra is also available in 'Green' (lime-green leaf tops with pink undersides) and 'Variegated' (a mix of the original and 'Green'); all of them can be found in 'Narrow Leaf' versions.

Due to its sensitivity to conditions and usual fast growth, Rotala macrandrea can be an excellent "indicator" plant. Light intensity should be high to very high at 3.5 to 5 or more watts per gallon provided by full spectrum (5000-7000°K) bulbs. Under inadequate lighting, the lower stems of Rotala macrandrea have been known to disintegrate.

NO3 (nitrate) and PO4 (phosphate) levels have great effect on the appearance of this species. High NO3 levels (10 ppm or more) in conjunction with low PO4 levels (less than 0.5 ppm) lead to lower growth and large, light orange leaves. If nitrate is pushed too high (20 ppm or more), the plants growth can be stunted. Low NO3 levels (10 ppm or less) in conjunction with high PO4 levels (1.5 to 2 ppm) will produce very compact, lush, bright-red growth. Heavy, regular dosing of iron trace elements are essential. If Rotala macrandra start to transform to a pale red or shows white markings, then there is an iron deficiency. CO2 injection is recommended for Rotala macrandra to show its true beauty.

Propagation of Rotala macrandra can be achieved from cuttings, simply cut the top half of a strong stem and gently replant it in the substrate after removing any leaves from the last node of the stem. The "parent" stem will quickly develop new shoots and the newly planted cutting will quickly develop a root system. Over time, this "Topping" process will develop lush, bushy plants. The picture of freshwater aquarium plants above was a Rotala macrandra by Takashi Amano, and it is rare to find Red Rotala macrandra as strong as above.

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