Bacopa Caroliniana – Live Aquarium Plant

Bring fresh green colour and upright structure to your planted aquarium with Bacopa caroliniana. This easy-care stem plant has thick, rounded leaves arranged in pairs and looks especially attractive planted in groups in the midground or background. Under stronger lighting, its upper leaves may develop bronze or reddish tones, although colour varies with growing conditions.

Care at a glance

• Difficulty: Easy; suitable for beginners.
• Placement: Midground or background, depending on tank size and trimming.
• Light: Low to medium light is suitable; moderate light generally encourages fuller, more compact growth. Low light can produce longer gaps between leaves.
• Lighting duration: Start with 6–8 hours daily on a timer and adjust gradually according to growth and algae.
• CO₂: Injection is optional, not essential. Added CO₂ can improve growth and density when lighting and nutrients are balanced. Avoid increasing light aggressively in a non-CO₂ tank.
• Temperature: A practical aquarium target is approximately 20–28°C; avoid prolonged overheating and sudden changes.
• pH: Adaptable; approximately 6.0–8.0 is a practical target. Stable water conditions are more important than chasing a precise number.
• Growth: Generally slow to moderate, depending on light, nutrition and CO₂.
• Size: Can reach around 20–40 cm or more if left untrimmed; trim to suit your aquarium.

How to plant

1. Gently unpack and rinse the plant. Remove any packaging, weights or growing material. If supplied in a pot, carefully remove the pot and rock wool; if supplied in tissue culture, rinse off the gel.
2. Separate the stems and remove damaged leaves and leaves from the portion that will be buried.
3. Plant each stem individually, burying only the lower bare stem. Leave approximately 2–3 cm between stems so light and water can reach the lower leaves.
4. Keep the plant submerged in a freshwater aquarium. Plant into substrate rather than attaching it to wood or rock.

Substrate and fertilisation

A nutrient-rich aquarium substrate is helpful, but Bacopa can also grow in sand or gravel with appropriate nutrition. Use an aquarium plant fertiliser according to its label, and consider root tabs in an inert substrate. It takes up nutrients through both roots and leaves. Avoid overdosing fertiliser to compensate for poor lighting.

Trimming and propagation

Trim tall stems just above a leaf node to encourage side shoots and a bushier group. Healthy top cuttings can be replanted after removing their lowest leaves. Remove loose trimmings and replace ageing or bare lower stems with healthy tops when needed.

Settling in and ongoing care

Some older leaves may deteriorate while the plant adapts, especially when moving from emersed to submerged growth. Remove decaying leaves and watch for healthy new growth. Keep lighting consistent, carry out regular water changes and avoid abrupt changes in temperature or water chemistry.

If growth becomes stretched or lower leaves are lost, check shading, stem spacing, lighting and nutrition before changing several things at once. If algae appears, review light duration, feeding, maintenance and nutrient balance.

Please note

This is a live plant. Size, colour and leaf shape naturally vary, and its appearance may change as it adapts to your aquarium. Inspect and consider quarantining new plants before introducing them to an established tank. Do not release aquarium plants into natural waterways.