Staurogyne repens
Staurogyne repens
A splendidly low growing plant with beautiful foliage and a tendency to crawl along the tank bottom, Staurogyne repens is the easiest carpeting plant for a planted aquarium and one of the best options for capeting a low-tech tank without CO2 injection.
Despite being a fairly recent addition to the hobby Staurogyne repens is surprisingly easy to cultivate and works extraordinarily well in small aquariums and low tech tanks while being able to take full advantage of high tech luxuries. It is a naturally compact plant that likes to form thick bunches. Because it spreads laterally via a creeping horizontal stem, it's a great way to achieve that coveted foreground "lawn" or "carpet" appearance. It is supremely useful with or without CO2 and is significantly easier than the traditional small leaf carpet plants (HC Cuba, Monte Carlo or Glosso).
If you are looking for an amazing foreground or are working with a small tank, we highly recommend this beautiful, versatile and very rewarding plant. It's a fantastic addition to your planted aquarium and remarkable how well it can tie an entire aquascape together for a natural, glossy catalog look.
Staurogyne likes to feed from its roots so good substrate nutrition is important. If you're using CO2 and have good lighting, this plant can get very dense - though, surprisingly, not messy - and use up nutrients (iron in particular) from the water column. Since it's such a robust plant, it will outcompete more delicate plants for resources so remember to fertilize.
QUICK NOTES:
Difficulty: Easy
Type: Low growing stem plant
Size: Depending on pruning size will vary. Plants can maintain anywhere from 5 - 20cm in lateral (horizontal) growth.
Native Range: Brazil (endemic to the Rio Cristalino of the Southern Amazon)
Position and Usage: Carpet or foreground
Growth Rate: Moderate in the beginning and then fast following a period of root development.
Lighting: 2/5 - 5/5
Water Conditions: Soft water is recommended although this plant will tolerate mildly hard water. Staurogyne is adaptable and can grow in a range of pH.
CO2: Not required
Propagation: Propagation by cuttings at least 5cm long; remove the leaves from the stem on all nodes except at the top of the cutting and replant.
Special Requirements: None but a fertile substrate and good micronutrient (iron) availability is recommended as this plant can grow quite dense in high-tech tanks with good lighting and CO2.
Emersed Growth: Suitable for emersed or semi-emersed growth in Wabi Kusa and Paludariums.
Description
Staurogyne Repens can be kept short with frequent pruning to create a slightly taller than average foreground carpet. It is one of few carpeting species that will survive and even thrive in lower-light, lower-tech tanks. However, Staurogyne will also grow well in high lighting and can send out creeping runners that can quickly blanket a foreground with little intervention on the part of the aquarist. Although this plant is capable of absorbing many nutrients from the water column, it is a voracious root feeder and requires a rich, fertile, and fine substrate. It is one of the only carpeting plants that does not require carbon dioxide injection, though supplementation will enhance growth dramatically. Given the space, thriving specimens may maintain up to 20 cm in lateral growth. This growth can be cut and re-planted in the substrate, although cuttings should be at least a couple of inches long and contain several nodes. It is recommended to remove the leaves from the stem on all nodes except at the top of the cutting (taking care not to damage the main stem).
