Finicky Hottonia Inflation

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Hottonia inflata came to us from distant North America, where it grows in reservoirs with stagnant water or with a slow current. In home aquariums, it can be found quite rarely - this aquatic beauty is quite finicky and very demanding on lighting and water parameters. However, if you manage to grow it in an aquarium, you will definitely not have to regret it - its alternating feathery light green leaves will become a truly magnificent decoration

Getting to know the plant

Hottonia inflata is a primrose family and is a soil aquarium plant. Its medium length rhizomes are endowed with small roots extending in large quantities from the main root. The stalks of this aquatic beauty are also of medium length and are arranged vertically.

The main "veins" depart from the stems, on which green dissected leaves sit in pairs. In length, they usually grow up to four centimeters, and in width - up to one. By the way, on the lower sides, the leaves can sometimes have a whitish-greenish color.

The extremely attractive white five-petal flowers of hottonia inflata in most cases come out onto the water surface. This is due to the pedicels originating in the tops of the plants. However, this finicky beauty blooms exclusively in natural conditions - it is almost impossible to observe its flowering in aquariums.

How to grow

It is recommended to keep hottonia inflat in aquariums at temperatures from twenty-two degrees to twenty-eight. In order for the water to always be clean, it must be changed once a week (it will be enough to replace 30% of the total volume) and enrich it with oxygen. Hard water will be extremely unsuitable for the full development of hottonia inflation, so this parameter must be monitored with special care. A ten to twenty degree hardness is ideal. As for the acidity of the aquatic environment, an indicator from 5, 5 to 7 will be the most optimal.

Only natural soil is desirable - both river sand and various pebbles can act in its role. The soil is laid with a layer of at least five centimeters. From time to time, it is useful to feed a wonderful water beauty with peat fertilizers.

The best illumination for hottonia inflat is considered to be average (0.4 - 0.5 W / l), and its daylight hours should not exceed twelve hours. It is recommended to turn off the entire light at night. If the lighting is sufficiently long and bright, the hottonia of the inflation will begin to rush towards the light. Such a craving for the fastidious aquatic inhabitant for the light will lead to the fact that she will begin to lag behind in development, and the formation of bare gaps will begin between the branches of her leaves. And the leaves themselves will gradually become smaller. Nevertheless, the lack of light will also not do this green pet for the benefit - its leaves will begin to shrink in the same way, and the stalks will noticeably thin out.

The wonderful hottonia of the inflat is propagated by cuttings. In the internodes of the main stems, young roots are periodically formed. As soon as this happens, a small stalk should be separated along with young leaves and a stem with roots. Then it is placed in the ground. And in order for new specimens to take root as quickly as possible, the soil should be small enough for young plants.

It is best to plant the hottonia of the inflation in small groups, then her health will be much better. If the plantings are overly thickened, the finicky water beauty can begin to shed leaves from the lower parts of the stems. As a decoration, it is usually placed in the middle ground, however, the background is also quite acceptable. This luxurious long-stemmed representative of the plant kingdom is able to decorate with its presence even the darkest aquarium.