Flora & Fauna

Beautiful dark green fern that attaches to wood and rock. Grows slowly but forms lush, textured midground or background. Prefers moderate flow and no direct substrate planting.

Bolbitis heudelotii (African Water Fern) is a large, impressive aquatic fern from African rivers with deeply pinnate, translucent dark-green fronds that can reach 40–50 cm. Like Java Fern, the rhizome must be attached to hardscape and not buried. It thrives in moderate flow and benefits from soft water; hard, alkaline water stunts growth. Its bold, architectural texture makes it a dramatic midground to background accent plant.

Compact form of the popular Alternanthera reineckii — shorter internodes make it far easier to maintain. Deep red leaves create stunning contrast against green plants. Widely used in Dutch and Nature-style scapes.

A rare variegated cultivar producing ghostly white to cream-coloured new leaves that slowly green up with age. The contrast between the white young growth and mature green leaves is striking. It is slower and slightly more demanding than green Anubias — it needs healthy roots and water but still tolerates low light. Avoid strong fertiliser, which can cause leaves to revert to solid green. A centrepiece plant for collectors and dedicated scapers.

A compact, small-leafed Hygrophila with needle-like leaves that can take on striking red and pink hues under strong lighting. Ideal for the midground in Iwagumi and Nature Aquarium layouts where space is at a premium. One of the more colourful members of the genus.

Popular carpet plant forming a dense lawn of short, narrow blades. Grows slowly without CO2 but rewards patience. Spreads via runners — plant individual blades 1cm apart for the fastest carpet.

Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost is among the most coveted collector buce varieties, producing small, dark leaves with a striking purple-silver sheen that shifts with viewing angle. It is rarer and commands higher prices than common buce varieties, and is slightly more sensitive to water quality and flow. CO2 injection and soft, slightly acidic water bring out the full iridescent coloration.

Bolbitis is a slow-growing African water fern with elegant, translucent dark green fronds. It attaches to rocks and wood like java fern and anubias, and thrives in moderate flow. CO2 and good lighting significantly improve its growth rate.

A highly sought-after Cryptocoryne among collectors, prized for its dramatically patterned leaves featuring brown-green to dark olive surfaces with reddish-brown splotches, spots, and a heavily bullate texture. Multiple forms exist — some have narrow leaves, others broader. Slower and more delicate than common Crypts, it rewards patient keepers with unique, jewel-like foliage. Best maintained in stable, soft, slightly acidic water with minimal disturbance.

Cryptocoryne Spiralis produces unusually long, slender leaves with a finely serrated or slightly twisted edge, giving it a distinctive spiral character unlike most other crypts. Leaves can reach 30–50 cm, placing it firmly in background territory. It prefers softer, slightly acidic water and benefits from CO2 supplementation to sustain its taller, more demanding growth habit.

A large, majestic Cryptocoryne species with broad, heavily bullate (bumpy-textured) leaves in shades of brown-green with reddish undersides. One of the biggest Crypts available, capable of reaching 50–60 cm in ideal conditions. Best suited to large tanks where it serves as a dramatic centrepiece or bold background plant. Slower to establish than smaller species but extremely long-lived and rewarding.

Cyperus helferi is the only fully aquatic sedge used in aquascaping. Its long, gracefully arching bright green leaves create a unique grass-like texture that moves beautifully in current. It requires CO2 and fertilisation to grow well submerged.

Pogostemon helferi (Downoi or Little Star) is a distinctive, star-shaped rosette plant from Thailand with deeply ruffled, wavy-edged bright-green leaves radiating from a central crown. It grows low (5–8 cm) and is one of the few compact foreground rosette plants with real textural interest. It requires medium to high light and benefits from CO2 and soft, slightly acidic water. Popular in detailed Iwagumi and Nature Aquarium aquascapes.

Dwarf hairgrass forms a lush, grass-like carpet in the foreground of aquascapes. It requires moderate to high light and injected CO2 to spread effectively, otherwise growth is sparse and slow. Regular trimming encourages lateral runners and a denser mat.

Eleocharis pusilla (Dwarf Hairgrass Mini) is a nano-scale hairgrass species producing extremely fine, short blades reaching only 3–5 cm, making it noticeably shorter and denser than standard Dwarf Hairgrass (E. parvula). Under CO2 injection and good light it spreads rapidly via runners to form a tight, lawn-like foreground carpet highly prized in Nature Aquarium-style layouts. It is particularly effective in nano aquariums where even E. parvula would be too tall.

An extremely fine, thread-like hairgrass originating from the Belem region of Brazil, producing the thinnest, most delicate stems of any Eleocharis in the hobby. Blades rarely exceed 3–5 cm tall, creating a wispy, ultra-fine carpet that looks unlike any other aquatic grass. Demands good light, CO₂, and a nutrient-rich substrate to spread reliably. A favourite among competitive aquascapers who want a finer-textured foreground than standard dwarf hairgrass provides.

Eleocharis acicularis is the most popular hairgrass for carpeting in aquascapes. Its ultra-fine, bright green blades create a lush lawn effect, especially with CO2 injection. It spreads via runners and fills in quickly under good conditions.

Elegant plant with very fine, grass-like submerged leaves. Creates a soft, wispy texture perfect for natural-style aquascapes. Tolerates cool water well and can be used in temperate tanks.

Lush, feathery stem plant with large whorls of finely divided leaves. Fast-growing background plant that creates a spectacular bushy effect. Needs good light and CO2.

A delicate stem plant with tiny, round-to-oval bright green leaves growing in whorls of 3–4 around thin stems. Often confused with H. micranthemoides but has slightly larger leaves and a more upright growth habit. Grows quickly with CO₂ and high light, producing dense, bushy clumps that work well as a background planting. Without CO₂ it grows slowly and may become leggy. Regular trimming encourages compact, lush growth.

Hydrocotyle tripartita is a fast-growing stem plant with unique three-lobed leaves that create a lush, dense carpet or mid-ground cluster. With CO2 and high light it forms tight mounds. Without CO2 it grows taller and more open. Very popular in aquascaping.

A striking stem plant with ultra-narrow, needle-like leaves that turn deep red-purple under high light and CO₂. The fine, dense foliage creates a delicate, feathery texture rarely seen in other stem plants. Grows quickly and benefits from regular trimming to maintain a bushy appearance. The colour is highly dependent on light intensity — low light produces mostly green growth. One of the most popular plants in competitive aquascaping.

A standout aquascape plant with oak-like lobed leaves that are dark green on top and purple-red beneath. Unlike most Hygrophilas it can be attached to hardscape like Anubias. Under high light and CO2 the purple coloration intensifies dramatically, making it one of the most visually striking stem plants available.

The base species of the popular lancea group. A delicate, fine-stemmed plant with small, narrow lance-shaped leaves that grow in tight whorls around the stem. Under high light the leaves develop attractive reddish-pink tones. More compact and slower growing than most Hygrophilas, making it well-suited for the midground of Nature Aquarium and Iwagumi layouts.

An ultra-compact cultivar of H. lancea that stays exceptionally small — typically under 5 cm — making it one of the few true foreground stem plants. Leaves are tiny, needle-like, and can blush red or pink under strong lighting and good CO2. Ideal for nano tanks and detailed foreground work in competitive aquascapes.

A Taiwanese-bred cultivar with slightly broader leaves than the Araguaia form and notably more vivid red-pink coloration. Stays compact and dense with regular trimming and responds well to high light and CO2 by turning a deep wine-red. A sought-after plant in the ADA-style planted tank community.

Ludwigia Super Red (also sold as Ludwigia sp. 'Red') is the full-size counterpart to Super Red Mini, producing larger oval leaves of intense blood-red to deep crimson coloration under high light and iron dosing. Its vivid, uniform red makes it one of the most striking background plants in aquascaping. Regular trimming and replanting of cuttings maintains colour intensity throughout the stem column.

Ludwigia Super Red Mini is a highly popular aquascape stem plant producing small, rounded leaves of an intense, uniform blood-red colour that few other plants can match. The compact leaf size and bushy growth habit make it more versatile than larger ludwigia species — it works equally well in nano tanks and as a detailed midground splash of colour in larger aquascapes. Adequate iron and CO2 are key to maintaining colour intensity.

Lush, feathery stem plant with fine bright-green whorled leaves. Faster-growing and more forgiving than its red cousin. Creates a spectacular soft texture in the background of planted tanks.

Monte carlo produces small, round leaves on creeping stems and is widely used as a foreground carpet alternative to hairgrass. It requires moderate to high light and CO2 injection to spread horizontally rather than growing upward. Its bright green colour adds a vivid pop to Nature Aquarium-style aquascapes.

Eleocharis Acicularis, Needle Hairgrass, produces extremely fine, hair-like leaves that are noticeably thinner and longer than the closely related E. parvula, creating a delicate, windswept grass carpet effect. It requires good light and CO2 to spread vigorously via runners; without injection it grows slowly and sparsely. Regular trimming keeps the carpet dense and lush.

Ludwigia Arcuata is a fine-leaved stem plant with narrow, needle-like leaves that turn deep red to orange-red under high light and iron-rich dosing, contrasting beautifully with broader-leaved green plants. It requires more light and nutrients than L. repens to achieve its signature colour. Frequent trimming promotes bushy side-shoot growth and prevents the lower stem from going bare.

Beautiful stem plant with coppery-pink to deep red leaves under strong light. Relatively easy to grow compared to other red stem plants. An excellent alternative to Alternanthera for reliable red colour.

Pogostemon erectus is a striking stem plant with needle-like whorled leaves arranged in perfect spirals around each stem. It creates a distinctive, almost Christmas-tree silhouette. It requires CO2 and good nutrients to maintain its compact, fine-textured form.

Echinodorus Tenellus, the Pygmy Chain Sword, is a dwarf sword plant that forms a low, grass-like foreground carpet via prolific runners. Its narrow, strap-like leaves rarely exceed 10 cm, making it one of the few true sword plants suitable for foreground use. Under good lighting and CO2 it spreads rapidly; without CO2 growth is slower but still achievable.

The red tiger lotus produces large, dramatic maroon-red leaves with speckled patterns. Without high light and CO2 it will send leaves to the surface; regular trimming of surface leaves encourages bushy underwater growth. An impressive centrepiece plant for larger tanks.