Dustin's Blog — Aquarium Plant Species

Read Time: 5 mins Looking for a wicked aquarium plant that grows tall and wavy like seaweed without having to do too much to it?  Say hello to our not so little friend, Val.  History of Vallisneria Vallisneria is a genus of plants named for the Italian scientist Antonio Vallisneri (1661 - 1730), one of the first researchers in Europe to say, "Hey, maybe we should...you know...actually TEST scientific theories and provide evidence with experiments." He made a stir with his contemporaries, and stood tall in his field - so it's an appropriate name for this plant.  Carl Linnaeus, a...

Read Time: 5 minutes Hygrophila History, Biology, and Taxonomy - AKA how Petunias, Australia, and Diabetes are Related Taxonomy Hygrophila (sometimes called swampweed) is the more popular of the two aquatic genuses in the Acanthaceae family, which makes it a "cousin" to other commonly kept plants like Acanthus (Bear's Breeches), wild petunias (Ruellia), and the polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya). There are about 100 Hygrophila species currently recognized. Botanists and taxonomists are in the process of re-evaluating how to define the genus and its species, though, so the number might change in the near future. History (Or, how I came...

Read Time: 5 mins Looking for info on easy aquarium plants with a ton of variety for any part of your tank? You've come to the right place. Here, we'll break down the Echinodorous genus of plants, highlight some epic sword species, and give you tips and tricks for keeping your swords looking sharp. (Scroll to the bottom for a quick reference guide for how to care for Amazon swords!) About Amazon Swords They're called "Amazon" swords because of how prevalent they are in the Amazonian regions of South America, but these plants are native throughout the Western hemisphere. How they...

8 Facts about the banana plant (Nymphoides aquatica), a fun and easy grower sure to be a conversation-starting newcomer in your planted fish tank.  Read Time: 5 minutes 1. Funny enough, the 'bananas' really are food  What are the bananas on Nymphoides aquatica? They're actually uniquely modified storage organs (tubers) designed to build up nutrients for later use. We eat bananas for food. So does Nymphoides, in a way.  2. When we say they're easy to keep, they're easy in every way you can think of Like most aquarium plants, they're great in high-light/high-nutrient conditions, but aquatic banana plants can survive (even thrive) as a...

Guide to Cryptocoryne Aquarium Plants Read Time: 4.5 minutes Tales from the Crypts: History of Cryptocoryne These are some of the coolest, hardiest aquarium plants alive. The name "Cryptocoryne" is Greek, from 'crypto' (hidden) and koryne (club). They're also called water trumpets because of the shape of their stems' flower clusters (inflorescence).  Cryptocoryne plants (or just "crypts") were first described as a species in 1779, then as a genus in 1828 by botanists Anders Jahan Retzius and Friedrich Ernst Ludwig von Fischer respectively. So they've been in the hobby a while. Expeditions to find new crypt and other aquatic plant species are still...