Aquarium bacopa is a perennial plant that can exist both in water and on land. It is often used by novice aquarists to decorate their artificial pond. It is easy to plant and care, and when creating favorable conditions, it blooms constantly.
Features
In a comfortable environment, the bacopa grows to 60 cm, the plant has creeping or erect shoots, slightly branched. The width of the stem is 4 mm, the structure is fleshy, the underwater part does not have a margin, the surface part, on the contrary, is highly spiked.
The leaves are small, not more than 3 cm in length, and the width varies from 8 to 15 cm, the shape of the plate is ovate, the location is crosswise opposite, the structure, like that of the stems, is fleshy. The color of the stems and leaves is represented by different shades of olive from light to dark, with good lighting, some parts of the plant may turn brown. The root system is rather weak.
Views for the aquarium
For landing in artificial ponds, 5-10 varieties of bacop are suitable. Consider the most common.
- Karolinskaya - These are quite unpretentious representatives of the aquarium flora, which do not require special care. The optimum temperature regime, contributing to the full growth and development of such a bacope, is + 25 ... 28 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is lowered, the leaves and stems begin to deteriorate, and the plant stops growing. This variety requires a long daylight hours of at least 11-12 hours.
- Australian - This aquarium inhabitant grows up to 35-40 cm, leaf plates are located opposite.To maintain the health of the Australian bacopa, a large reservoir with a volume of 50 l or more is required, while the substrate layer should be about 3-5 cm. This variety is propagated by cuttings.
- Madagascar Bacopa - It is highly effective in cleaning aquarium water, destroying algae and individual shady plants. Growing a Madagascar bacopa in an artificial environment is not difficult at all, although its growth slows down a little after the cuttings, and in order to restore the previous pace of development, it is necessary to increase the lighting power.
- Monier - This green pet is very popular among aquarists. This is not surprising, because it has a spectacular decorative look, richness and richness of colors. The plant looks harmonious with any background of the aquarium and emphasizes the beauty of the fish, and in addition, it can grow in a variety of types of substrates.
- Variegated - These aquarium pets are usually used to decorate rectangular and custom shaped tanks. Traditionally, they are placed in the foreground, because for the full growth of this aquarium inhabitant needs bright light. In addition, it is very important to adhere to the optimum temperature regime, without going beyond the recommended heating level.
All varieties of bacop are distinguished by their individual external features, so experienced aquarists usually place them in different parts of the reservoir.
Monnier most harmoniously look in the corners of the aquarium, since this species grows very quickly, decorates dark areas and creates a very interesting effect in the tank.
The variegated flower is very fragile and delicate, it requires attention and constant care. It is quite painful for any transplant, therefore it is advisable to place it away from other representatives of the aquarium flora.
Australian bacopi look very impressive in the foreground. Often, breeders combine several species of these plants in one container at once.
Conditions of detention and care
It is possible to engage in the cultivation of bacopa only after having previously studied some features of the care and maintenance of this culture in the aquatic environment.
The volume of the aquarium where you plan to plant the bacops should be large - not less than 50 l the water temperature in it should be kept at around 20 ... 25 degrees Celsius.
To maintain a comfortable living environment, bacopa needs slightly acidic water, preferably soft - if it is excessively hard, then deformations occur on adult leaves.
The growth and development of plants is not affected by the presence of food residues and other organics in the habitat - brown and green algae rarely appear on the surface of the bacopa, which can have an adverse effect on the state of the crop.
Bacopa receives all the necessary nutrients from the water, where they enter along with the fish food and the remains of the mollusks, no additional feeding is necessary.
Bacopa loves good lighting, so lamps should be installed in the aquarium. It is better to give preference to luminescent, since they, unlike incandescent lamps, do not heat water. The power and spectrum of the glow are selected individually, depending on the volume of the tank and the characteristics of the aquatic flora and fauna.
Please note that for aquatic plants, not only artificial, but also natural sunlight is very important - it has the most beneficial effect on their growth. The total duration of daylight hours should be at least 10-12 hours.
Bacop's root system is weak, therefore many aquarists advise planting erect subspecies in a separate pot; they are usually placed in the corners and in the background of the tank. The plant is characterized by accelerated growth rates, so when you place them in the center pretty quickly fills the entire space.Creeping varieties will be useful to press with a stone or other decorative element, after the culture is completely rooted, it will look like a beautiful green rug.
From time to time, the bacopa requires replanting and pruning of overgrown branches - such manipulations contribute to the decorativeness of the plant, the growth of new shoots and the formation of cuttings.
Breeding
Usually bacopa is propagated in two main ways.
Vegetative - as a rule, the Cherenkov method is used. For this, shoots from 10 to 15 cm long are cut from the top of an adult plant and transplanted into the ground without waiting for the roots to appear - they will appear in the substrate a few days later.
Seed - this method is more common. Bacopa is usually planted in the first decade of March. At this time, you need to prepare a nutrient substrate - it must be as loose as possible and have a low acidity. But the saturation of the soil with useful micro- and macrocells largely depends not only on the plants themselves, but also on the features of caring for fish and other moving inhabitants of the aquarium.
The soil must be pre-disinfected and compacted, the container with seedlings should be placed in a well-lit place at a temperature of + 20 ... 25 degrees. It is important to maintain constant humidity, for this use a drip irrigation system. Usually, shoots appear after 2-3 weeks, at one month of age they will get stronger, and they can be moved to an artificial reservoir.
In general, the maintenance and reproduction of bacopa does not require highly specialized skills and knowledge. This plant is quite unpretentious, therefore, even with minimal care, it grows very quickly and decorates any aquarium with its appearance.
And if you place several different types of bacopas in one container, then the water landscape will never be boring and monotonous.
About the bakop of Madagascar, see the next video.
