Planting plants allows you to make the landscape in the aquarium much more beautiful. In addition, various representatives of underwater flora, like terrestrial ones, are able to release oxygen and absorb nitrates. And this, in turn, makes the water more suitable for keeping fish. There are many types of underwater plants used to decorate aquariums. For example, Echinodorus Uruguay looks very impressive underwater.
Origin
In the wild, this beautiful plant is found mainly in South America in fast-flowing rivers. A feature of Echinodorus Uruguay, among other things, is that under different environmental conditions it can have different sizes and colors. This underwater plant is found in South America quite often. But it is especially abundant in the rivers in the south of this continent.
General Description
Echinodorus of this variety can grow very large even in small aquariums. Therefore, it is usually placed in the background behind other plants. At the same time, echinodorus are planted inaquariums, even in large ones, in most cases singly. Due to the large size and bright color of the leaves, such plants look very impressive under water. Photos of Echinodorus Uruguay are presented on the page. As you can see, this plant is actually just luxurious.
This representative of the underwater flora receives nutrients from the soil. One of the features of this plant is the absence of a stem. Echinodorus leaves grow directly from its roots. The color of this beautiful plant in most cases is green. But sometimes in aquariums you can also see red Uruguayan echinodorus. The content of both these forms is technologically no different. In any case, both green and red leaves of this plant are large. They can be up to 50 cm long and 8 cm wide.
The density of Uruguayan echinodorus leaves when grown underwater is not too high. If there is good lighting in the aquarium, their plates are translucent and look very bright. The leaves of this plant never rise above the water. The upper part of them floats on the surface of the water in the aquarium.
One rosette of Echinodorus can grow quite a lot of leaves. Therefore, this representative of the underwater flora actually looks very impressive. Usually the rosette of one such plant includes 8-10 full-fledged leaves.
Uruguayan echinodorus content in the aquarium: water parameters
To the most demanding representatives of the underwater florathis wonderful plant does not apply. Even in beginner tanks, without any special care, including CO2, it usually looks quite decent.
To plant such a plant, since it has a significant size, of course, it is possible only in sufficiently large aquariums (from 100 liters). Adult echinodorus of this variety can reach a height of 1 m.
Despite the fact that in nature this representative of the flora grows in rivers, he still loves water not alkaline, but slightly acidic. The most suitable indicators for this plant are pH 6.5-7.0.
Water parameters in terms of acidity are not critical for echinodorus. If desired, this plant can also be planted in an aquarium with slightly alkaline water. In this case, Echinodorus will not die, but still slow down its development. And his appearance in such water will not be so impressive.
This plant is found in nature in hot countries. However, as already mentioned, Echinodorus prefers a fast current. The water in such rivers is usually not too warm. So Echinodorus Uruguay will develop well even in an unheated aquarium. The optimum water temperature for this plant is 18-24 °C.
Lighting Echinodorus Uruguay loves quite intense. It is advisable to equip an aquarium with this plant, for example, with T5 fluorescent lamps. The optimal length of daylight hours for echinodorus is 6-12 hours.
What soil do you need
Like many othersaquarium plants, echinodorus uruguay loves sufficiently nutritious substrates. Ideal for this representative of the flora would be a special purchased soil, saturated with minerals. Such substrates for echinodorus are laid with a layer of 5-15 cm and covered with pebbles on top.
If you can't buy a special aquarium soil, you can plant this plant simply in a pot with garden soil. In this case, the soil is also covered with pebbles on top. The pot for echinodorus should be taken large enough. Subsequently, it will have to be masked not with sand and pebbles, but with some items of aquarium decor.
How to plant
Echinodorus soil is thus best suited for nutritious soil. But large enough, this underwater ornamental culture can grow simply on silt-saturated pebbles in an old aquarium. In any case, both red and green Uruguayan Echinodorus should be planted correctly.
In the soil for this plant, first dig a fairly large hole. Next, echinodorus is installed in it, its roots are straightened and sprinkled with earth and pebbles. This plant is planted in pots like this:
- pour some garden soil into the bottom of the container;
- put Echinodorus in a pot and straighten its roots;
- sprinkle the roots with so much earth that it fills the pot by about 2/3;
- fill the soil on top with a thick layer of small river pebbles.
At the final stage, the pot withEchinodorus is simply carefully placed in the aquarium. Of course, the acquired plant is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (slightly pink) before planting by immersing it in it for 20 minutes.
How to propagate
In aquariums of 100-250 l, echinodorus, as already mentioned, usually grow singly. But in a very large container (for 300-500 or more liters), you can, of course, plant several of these plants.
Echinodorus Uruguay reproduces by daughter shoots. The latter are formed in adult plants on the flower arrows released by them. If you wish, you can propagate Echinodorus in an aquarium by dividing a bunch of its roots.
