Some new images...

echoofformless said:
DrVader - I think you are referring to the blyxa aubertii. It has fast become my favorite plant. Has been nothing but a pleasure since I started off with a few last summer.
Click to expand...

I thought they were Eriocaulon cinereum at first glance.
Then I thought oooh - an available alternative to Erio, I wonder if they're cheaper & easier to care for. After consulting plantgeek, and seeing that they like soft, acidic water and can be difficult, I think I'll keep an eye open for Erio once I'm done going w/ pressurized CO2.

At any rate, very nice pics!
 
See I read they were supposedly difficult to keep. But honestly my experience has been the exact opposite. These plants have thrived for me with almost no effort and no special treatment at all.

Where I have dealt with so many supposedly hardy plants like hygrophila, ludwigia, etc not doing well for me at all the blyxa aubertii has done decidedly well. I have seen them survive extended blackouts, neglect of added ferts...you name it they survive it. And they require no maintenance. As much as I love swords I get annoyed with having to constantly prune dying leaves. Aubertii's leaves just don't die often. And when they do they're gone to nothingness before I even notice.

Upon dividing them once I accidentally cut almost all of the roots off of one side. I figured it for dead but still planted it - and there it is on the far right in the front of the tank. You can see how it grew in nicely and last I checked it has huge roots. Wonderful comeback. That tells me these things are hardy.


Honestly I can't praise these plants enough. If you have decent lighting and a good substrate you will likely find them being happy and maintenance free. Just plant them and forget about it. It's that easy. I hardly do anything in that blackwater tank. My maintenance is simply to disconnect the double tap on my 2213, use that to drain the water, and then add the new water in every three weeks. I never vac the gravel, rarely prune the hygrophila, and just feed the fish and add ferts. I don't even have CO2. And I blame it all on blyxa aubertii. Like a magic bullet of perfect.
 
Nice - you and I may well have to work out a trade sometime.

W/ me, it's the finely divided leaves I can't keep. I've killed Cabomba, Myrio, narrow leaf Java fern and I have some dwarf sag on its last legs.

On the plus side, I grow jungle vals, moss (despite Excel use), crypt (wendtii), bacopa and (especially) HM, Stargrass and Najas like crazy.
 
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