Growing Echinodorus Quadricostatus Var. Magdalenensis (Echinodorus Quadricostatus Var. Magdalenensis) In The Aquarium

There is 3 variants of Echinodorus Quadricostatus. They differ each other appearance of seeds and their natural habitat. Described variant comes from Colombia. Its natural habitats are coasts of Magdalena River and it tributaries.

The plant has rosulate, pale green and elongated leaves. The leaf blade looks like a sword. It is 0.5-1 cm wide and it has short leaf stem.

This species should be planted in the foreground or middle of the aquarium. We can plant it singly. Then we plant groups of the seedlings and we systematic cut their side shoots. The plant grows upwards and forms dense clump. We can also form dense laws with this species. Then we don't cut its side shoots. The parent plant grows laterally. We can also plant seedlings in the substrate in a checkerboard pattern at distance of a few centimeters.

The plant doesn't need additional fertilization of the water but it prefers fertile substrate and light about 0.3-0.5 W per litre. Its leaves will yellowing when the lighting is too low or/and the substrate is without iron.

This is spermatophyte species but it small and white flowers develop only above the water surface. In aquarium we reproduce it vegetatively – by the runners (side shoots). We may cut the side shoot when seedling took root.