|
Name: Limnobium laevigatum |
| Care |
Gravel | Light |
|
Origin: Tropical America |
|
Easy |
None |
Medium |
Limnobium is a wonderful floating plant that is useful in many aquarium applications. One of my favorite uses of this plant is to provide a floating root system in biotope/natural aquascapes that require tops and restrict the use of genera such as Pistia. Killifish and Anabantoids love this stuff as well. The thick root systems and shade provided by this plant makes it a perfect choice for people wishing to keep and breed these types of fish both indoors or outdoors in buckets and ponds. I've kept it in nutrient poor aquaria with moderate light with some success. This plant flourishes in tanks with high light, good water column supplementation, and good but gentle circulation. If kept in favorable conditions, a little bit of Limnobium will cover a 300 or 350 L tank in a couple weeks and will provide attractive little flowers. I highly recommend this species for all but the most dedicated and light-hungry planted tank.
I have used these plants on several occasions. I believe it helps soak up nitrates and phosphates as my algae cleared up with some of these in the tank. Good plant to have if keeping hatchet fish or for fry, as the roots can provide a bit of cover. It will split into baby plants and the older plants soon seem to die of for some reason. A good plant to try.
While it may be an attractive aquarium plant, Limnobium laevigatum is a very serious non-native invasive aquatic pest in the USA...it should not be propagated and intrastate transport of this pest is prohibited.
Got some experience to share? No registration necessary to contribute. Your privacy is respected: your e-mail is published only if you wish so. All submissions are reviewed before addition. Write based on your personal experiences, with no abbreviations, no chat lingo, and using proper punctuation and capitalization. Ready? Then send your comments!
