Eleocharis viviparous is an aquatic species of flora, they are often decorated with aquariums. This plant can be found in swamps and “slow” rivers in North America, Australia and Central Asia. Eleocharis belongs to the Bolotnitsa genus. This genus includes about 260 plants.
Kinds
There are several varieties of Eleocharis. Among them is Eleocharis vivipara, which usually forms extensive bushes and grows rather quickly. Because of this, it is used to decorate the back of the aquarium. The height of the plant varies from 35 to 40 cm. The leaves of this species are dark green, shaped like needles. At the tips of these parts of the plant, daughter eleocharises are grown, which have aerial roots. The rhizome of this species is fibrous, it grows into the soil almost immediately.
Another species of this sitnyaga is Eleocharis mini. This is a dwarf species of the well-known sitnyaga. It differs in a huge number of leaves. The plant looks like a small bush, its height is usually about 7 cm.This subspecies is used to decorate the front wall of the aquarium, because its bushes visually increase the depth. Being in favorable conditions, Echeolaris usually grows and fills the entire bottom of its “house”.
Another subspecies of the sitnyaga is Echeolaris parvula. The plant has pale leaves that form dense, but low-growing thickets. Eleocharis acircularis also boasts needle-like leaves and dense bushes, whose height varies from 10 to 40 cm. If the aquarium is poorly lit, the height of Eleocharis will not exceed 10 cm. This subspecies grows slowly. It is perfect for decoration if the water level in the aquarium is low.
Appearance
Echeolaris stems are slender, usually green in color. The rhizome of the plant is weak, it can be both filiform and fibrous. Spikelets are elliptical in shape, they are almost invisible. Echeolaris flowers are arranged in a spiral, the fruit of this shitnyaga is white and has a rounded shape.
Care and maintenance
Eleocharis vivipara is rather unpretentious. It is better to plant it in small or medium-sized aquariums, because in a large “home” it will lack light. This plant is planted only on sandy soil. The thickness of the soil should be more than 4 cm. The ambient temperature should be about +24 Celsius. However, Echeolaris can live in colder water, but its temperature should not be less than +18. The hardness index should not exceed 6 dH, and the acidity of the water should not exceed 7 pH. The illumination of the aquarium should also be within 100 LM / L. To accelerate the growth of Eleocharis, it is fed with micronutrient fertilizers with carbon dioxide. The plants must have a filtration system in their “house”. Aeration is usually done to reduce the risk.
It is also advisable to prune the plant because it grows at a high rate. To better control the growth of a species, you need to surround it with snails, amano shrimps. But this plant will be in danger if the number of unicellular organisms increases sharply in the aquarium, because of this, the leaves begin to die off and the water becomes cloudy. Extra sprouts are also harmful and should be cleaned once a week. The plant also needs to be combed.
Echiolaris mini loves sandstones, moreover, the thickness of the soil should be about 5 or 7 cm. This species is usually planted in small bunches, a few centimeters apart. The plant is able to exist in a wide range of temperatures: from +15 to +27. Water hardness should not be less than 4 dH, while acidity should not be less than pH 5. To accelerate the growth of Eliokharis mini, you need to feed it with carbon dioxide and mineral fertilizers.
The species called “Acircularis” is very fond of haircuts, this procedure should be done about once a month. Sprouts do not form on the leaves, therefore you do not need to comb out these little sows. This plant loves warmth, so the water temperature should be +23 ° Celsius. But despite this, Echiolaris mini will be able to survive the changing conditions and colder habitat. The hardness of moisture should not be higher than 15, and the acidity can be 7 pH. The soil should be rocky, ideally, its thickness should be 4 cm or more.
Reproduction
Daughter plants are formed on large leaves with a diameter of more than 10 cm. You should wait until the moment when they start to sprout. So they will take root better in the soil. When these daughter shoots are fully formed, they should be separated from the leaf and planted. These bushes can be planted close to each other, in which case the thickets will be dense.
Useful life hacks
- Eleocharis needs to be transplanted along with the soil due to the branched root system.
- To prevent too strong growth of green algae, you need to use an external filter, establish a biofiltration system.
- A fork will help rip off any excess sprouts.
- It is necessary to clean Echiolaris from moss, because it clogs up in the bushes of the plant.
- If you do not want to grow Echiolaris anymore, you should constantly remove its shoots even after removing the aquatic plant itself.
- In order for the plant to develop quickly, you can plant it with theodoxus, who are underwater orderlies.
- This species is often used as an anchor, keeping Riccia at the very bottom.
