Have you always dreamed of having a lush, green aquarium filled with beautiful aquatic plants? Well, look no further! Introducing Water Wisteria, scientifically known as Hygrophila difformis – the perfect addition to any aquarium setup. This species is widely available and loved by fishkeepers of all levels, making it a great choice for your aquarium.
If you’re looking for a freshwater plant that’s both beautiful and easy to care for, look no further than Water Wisteria. This guide will take you step-by-step through the planting process, help you troubleshoot any issues, and show you how to convert your wisteria from emersed to submersed growth. Let’s dive in!
| Care Data | Description |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hygrophila Difformis |
| Light | Medium to high |
| Temperature Tolerance | 18 to 30°C (64 to 86°F) |
| Optimum Temperature | 24 to 28°C (75 to 82°F) |
| Carbonate Hardness | 2 to 21°dKH |
| pH Value | 6 to 7.5 |
| Carbon Dioxide (CO2) | 10 to 40 mg/l |
| Nitrate (NO3-) | 10 to 50 mg/l |
| Phosphate (PO43-) | 0.1 to 3 mg/l |
| Potassium (K+) | 5 to 30 mg/l |
| Iron (Fe) | 0.01 to 0.5 mg/l |
| Propagation | Cuttings |
| Can grow emersed? | Yes |
| Aquarium suitability | Yes |
| Usage | Background |
| Difficulty | Very easy |
| Growth | Fast |
Choosing the Right Water Wisteria
When shopping for Water Wisteria, it’s important to find healthy specimens with long and abundant roots. The plant should be upright, able to support its own weight, and have bright and consistent colors. If you see any yellow or brown areas, it’s a sign that the plant is in poor health. A good bunch of Water Wisteria typically costs between $5 and $10.
Ease of Cultivation
One of the best things about the Water Wisteria is how easy it is to cultivate in an aquarium. It grows well under moderate light, but with more intensive lighting, its health and overall volume improve dramatically. If you want to see your Water Wisteria really take off, provide it with lots of light, CO2 injection, and a good nutrient supply.
This plant can absorb large amounts of nutrients, making it a great choice for newly set-up tanks as it helps keep ammonium levels down. The pinnate leaves grow even more refined with lots of light. Water hardness and pH don’t play a significant role, so you can enjoy this plant even if your tank conditions aren’t perfect. However, don’t forget to add micronutrients like iron, as the Water Wisteria reacts strongly to a lack of these essential elements.
Water Parameters
Water Wisteria is an undemanding species that can thrive in a variety of aquarium setups. You’ll need a tank that’s at least 10 gallons in size, with a sandy or fine-gravel substrate. The water should be heated to between 70-82°F (21-28°C), with a neutral pH of 6.5-7.5 and a hardness of 2-8 KH. The plant will need access to light, but most aquarium lights will suffice as long as the plants aren’t in shaded areas.
Size Considerations
The Water Wisteria can grow quite large, so it may not be the best choice for smaller tanks. However, in large aquariums, it can be a real showstopper. Its leaf form makes it a beautiful contrast to other species with differently shaped leaves.
Planting and Caring for Water Wisteria
When planting Water Wisteria, make sure to use the right substrate, as the roots need to be able to move through the grains to anchor the plant and gather nutrients. Sandy substrates are ideal, but fine gravels are also suitable.
The first step in growing your water wisteria is planting it properly. Here’s what you need to do:
- Carefully remove the stems from the rubber band, bundle, or rock wool inside the plastic pot.
- Trim any stems or leaves that were damaged during transportation.
- Using your fingers or tweezers, plunge the base of each stem as deeply as possible into the gravel or substrate.
- Plant each stem separately approximately 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) apart so they have room to develop roots and become anchored.
Plant the stems in areas with plenty of light, and avoid planting them too densely, as they may compete with each other. If you want the carpet effect, plant the stems on their side and root them in place. If not, simply plant the roots in the substrate and let the stems grow towards the light.
Water Wisteria is a fast-growing species, so you may need to trim the stems to control its size. When trimming, make sure to remove the cuttings from the tank, as they will grow into their own plant. If you notice that the plants are not growing as well as they should, you can add some nutrient supplements, but be careful not to promote excessive algae growth.
If you have fish that like to dig in the substrate, protect the newly planted stems by surrounding the patch of wisteria with a ring of rocks, wood, or other decorations. Alternatively, wisteria can also be grown as a floating plant, which simply rises to the water surface and develops lots of hanging roots all along the horizontal stem.
Propagation Made Easy
Water Wisteria is a self-propagating species. In the wild, it grows until parts of the plant fall off and develop into new plants. In captivity, you can mimic this process by taking cuttings and planting them in the substrate.
Within no time, your cuttings will grow roots and develop into full-fledged plants! Just make sure that the cutting you take has leaves so it can photosynthesize. Frequent trimming will result in a beautifully bushy plant.
It will form roots quickly and resume strong growth, while the old part you left in the substrate will produce lots of lateral shoots.
Emersed and Submersed Forms
Water Wisteria has two forms: submersed (under water) and emersed (out of water). The emersed form has creeping shoots, unparted leaves with a serrated margin, and blue-violet flowers that develop in the leaf axils. The leaves are covered in sticky glandular hairs and have a strong scent. When planted in an aquarium, the shoots will form submersed leaves within a few weeks, and the old emersed leaves will die off.
Why is My Water Wisteria Plant Dying?
You might be wondering why your new wisteria plant is dying. Don’t worry, this is normal! After you plant the wisteria, expect it to look good for the first couple of days. Then halfway through the first week, emersed leaves will start turning yellow and then brown, especially near the bottom of the stems. Most nurseries and plant wholesales grow amphibious plants out of water, so your plant may have an adjustment period as it gets used to being submerged.
Once the leaves are brown, you can remove them if you wish to avoid having excess rotting organics in your aquarium. If your wisteria is lacking in light and/or nutrients, the stems may turn brown and melt away. Cut off the brown, soggy stems and replant the healthy green parts of the wisteria. Then add more lighting or fertilizer as needed.
Converting Your Wisteria from Emersed to Submersed Growth
The conversion phase can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on the fish tank’s light, nutrient, and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. For a low-tech tank with dimmer lighting and no CO2 injection, it may take about a month for the first submersed leaves to appear.
To speed up this process, use medium to high lighting for the aquarium. Place the wisteria directly under the light and make sure other plants don’t cover it with shade. Also, provide lots of nutrients in the water column using an all-in-one liquid fertilizer, and add a mineral supplement if you have soft water with low amounts of GH.
CO2 injection is not required but will greatly shorten the conversion time since it provides more building blocks for the wisteria to use.
Compatibility and Tank Mates
Water Wisteria can be kept with other plant species, but be careful not to over-plant your tank. You don’t want your plants to compete for resources and end up dying. Most fish can be introduced without any problems, but there are a few species that should be avoided. Fish like Goldfish, Rainbow Fish, and Silver Dollars are known to eat plants, so research your fish before adding them to your aquarium.
Cichlids are usually fine with Water Wisteria, with a few exceptions. Oscars, for example, might uproot the stems. Other ideal tank mates include Bettas, Cherry Barbs, Corydoras Catfish, Danios, Dwarf Gourami, Guppies, Mollies, Rasboras, Swordtails, and small tetras like the Neon Tetra, Serpae Tetra, or Ember Tetra.
Snails can also be added to your aquarium, but be careful of their species. Most snails will eat plants, but Assassin Snails are less likely to do so. Amano Shrimp are another option that can help keep algae off your new plants.
Botanist Description: Get to Know Water Wisteria
Hygrophila difformis, also known as Water Wisteria, is a perennial marsh plant that is native to India and the Malaysian Peninsula. It is a highly adaptable plant that can grow in both decumbent or upright shoots, reaching a height of 30-80 cm.
The plant has a stem that is up to 5 mm thick, pubescent, and green or reddish in color. Its emersed leaves are short-petiolate, decussate, pubescent, and sticky. The leaf blade is lanceolate-elliptic to elliptic, with a serrate margin, and medium to dark green in color.
When submerged, the Water Wisteria plant changes its leaf shape from its emersed state. Its blades are formed after they are pinnatifid to pinnatisect, up to 15 cm long, and light green in color. The plant has an inflorescence up to 1.4 cm petiolate, with 1-3 axillary flowers. It has two bracts, pubescent, about 9 × 4 mm, and five sepals, pubescent, about 10 mm long. Its corolla is 10-16 mm long, about 7 mm wide, and colored pale violet. The upper lip is bi-lobular, the lower lip trilobular. The throat is dark violet in color, pubescent and wrinkled, and arched.
It has four stamens, two of which reach the edge of the upper lip, while two remain slightly shorter. Its anther is deep violet, and its pollen is yellow in color. The plant’s style is finely pubescent, reaching the edge of the upper lip, with a tiny stigma. Its ovary is narrow and acute stretched. The capsule is without a petiole, about 8 mm long, slightly plumy pubescent, and seeds are rarely developed in cultivation.
Taxonomy
| Taxonomy | Description |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass | Asteridae |
| Order | Lamiales |
| Family | Acanthaceae |
| Genus | Hygrophila |
| Species | Hygrophila difformis (Water Wisteria) |
Tim Priest, a renowned aquarium expert with over 15 years of experience in aquatic gardening and fish education, is dedicated to helping enthusiasts create stunning and thriving aquatic environments. As the founder of LearnTheAquarium.com, Tim shares his wealth of knowledge, passion, and expertise through engaging articles, educational resources, and personalized advice.
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