When you get a tank, you want plants to mimic the wild environment as nearly as possible. Water Wisteria helps you to get there. But what is water wisteria? how can you care for water wisteria in the tank? What are the tank requirements for water wisteria?
Water Wisteria is a popular aquatic plant that is most preferred due to its undemanding, attractive, and easy to care for nature. That’s why it is supposedly called the set and forget plant.
You can take off these plants even if you are new to fish keeping and have zero experience. The simple guidance will do the job for you, all you have to do is follow those simple instructions.
So here is a detailed study to help through the process. Be sure to learn everything carefully. Easier and undemanding don’t mean there are not aspects you should closely look at.
Water Wisteria: An Overview
Plants not only serve decorative purposes but also make sure your fish has enough hiding space. And choosing the right plant for your aquarium is not an easy task.
So, here enters water wisteria with all its wonderful characteristics and beginner ideal aspect. But where did Water wisteria originally belong? What makes this plant so wonderful for your tank?
Water Wisteria Habitat
Water wisteria, before the captive-bred version, is native to Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, and even Nepal, or say the Indian subcontinent.
They originally belong to shallow water bodies as well as marshy lands. These plants are seen floating and immersed in the water surface during the rainy season and this season over dry ones.
Water Wisteria: A Description
Moreover, Water Wisteria is also known for its scientific name i.e. Hygrophila difformis among other aquarists and experts along with their other scientific names like Ruellia difformis and Synnema triflorum.
It is a freshwater plant carrying the popularity of being one of the hardiest aquarium plants.
These beautiful plants are well-known for their various features, the first being their leaves. They have beautiful bright green leaves that can grow from 0.5 to 1.5 inches with serrated margins, oval and lace-like shape.
Likewise, water wisteria is also famous for its other amazing feature. They can adjust themselves to the environment and change or alter their morphology accordingly.
So, when you see them a little different than they originally are, that’s probably their reaction to the tank. There is nothing to worry about her.
Next, come their height and width. The height of water wisteria goes between 7 to 20 inches and can spread from 5 to 10 inches.
Then again, there comes its versatility, Water Wisteria can be grown as both carpet plants and floating plants.
It depends completely on you, you can choose whatever you want to do with these plants, but keep in mind what type of fish you have.
Tank Requirements
Water wisteria might be one of the hardiest plants in the aquarium, but they too need care and attention to thrive. There are certain things you need to do once you get water wisteria.
Any living things when separated from their native environment, they need certain things to adjust to the new environment.
The following is the list of things Water Wisteria ask for in the tank:
Tank Size
You can go large in the case with the tank size for Water wisteria. But any less than 10 gallons can bring consequences that you won’t like.
You need to know how to set-up a fish tank to maintain these plants. These plants spread well and grow in height as well, so they need enough space to thrive.
Temperature
All aquatic beings prefer the temperature that mimics their natural habitat. The same goes for water wisteria as well.
The ideal temperature for water wisteria lies between 68 °F to 82 °F. The slightest fluctuation in the temperature changes the photosynthesis dynamic in the tank.
Photosynthesis plays a vital role in the growth of the plant; temperature change can stop the growth and may kill the plant as well.
PH
These plants prefer the neutral side in case of pH. The ideal pH for Water Wisteria ranges between 6.5 to 7.5.
They don’t grow well in overly acidic or alkaline water. That’s why it is necessary to maintain and adjust the pH of the aquarium to keep them safe.
Hardness
Well, when it comes to hardness the preference of water wisteria is the same as they are. These plants prefer water that is either soft or moderately hard but never hard water.
The ideal hardness level i.e. 2 to 8 dKH clearly states that they are soft water plants and will not handle hard water.
You need to maintain the water hardness in the aquarium to let water wisteria live freely and stress-free.
Lighting
Light is the most important thing when it comes to planting development either it is terrestrial or aquatic.
Every green plant needs to conduct photosynthesis to survive even in the tank. Water wisteria needs moderate lighting in the tank from aquarium lights, not sunlight.
CO2
The ideal carbon dioxide level that should be maintained in the tank is between 10 ml to 40 ml per liter.
You need to ensure that the CO2 level doesn’t deplete than this or else you’ll have a dead plant floating in the tank.
Supplements
There is a certain level for each supplement your wisteria needs in the tank:
Nitrates: 10 to 50mg/l
Phosphates: 0.1 to 3mg/l
Potassium: 5 to 30mg/l
Iron: 0.01 to 0.5mg/l
Caring For Water Wisteria
When you get an undemanding plant that barely asks for any setup, you tend to forget they need attention periodically.
Water wisteria might be set up and forget plants but there are certain things you need to do first. You need to make sure they have the ideal condition in the tank and for that look at these things listed below:
Lighting
You need to buy an aquarium light that is moderately powered for the accurate growth of Water wisteria in the tank.
Also, remember to turn on these lights for at least 10 hours a day if you genuinely want to grow them to their fullest.
Direct Sunlight is the nightmare that you don’t want to sleep into. Sunlight ignites the algal growth in the tank that can be harmful to both plants and fish inhabiting there.
NICREW 150W Aquarium LED Reef Light is one of best aquarium light you can get for the tank with plants.
Water Temperature
Water temperature, as already said, determines how well your plant is going to grow in the tank.
You need to maintain the ideal temperature all the time and cannot depend on room temperature for that.
The best option is to go for a submersible heater. These heaters help you to maintain the optimum temperature automatically once you set them properly.
Filter
You need to get a pH kit to check the acidic or alkaline level of water once in a while. And you need an aquarium filter with mechanical filter media to clear out the tank pollutants.
Plants thrive in the pollution-free water that’s why you need to clean and maintain aquarium as fast as possible and filter helps to achieve that level of water.
Mechanical filter doesn’t disturb the water movements so harshly and does it work without disturbing your plant.
Tetra Whisper and Aquaclear are the two best options to for the tank with water wisteria.
Fertilizers
Fertilizers, as we know, help in the rapid and healthy growth of the plants. But waster wisteria doesn’t ask for any fertilizers for their growth.
The fertilizers that contain iron will help you solve the discoloration problem of the water wisteria.
Thrive+ Aquarium Plant Fertilizer is highly recommended fertilizers for your water wisteria.
Substrate
You can jump into any substrate as they are the ones that hold on to the plants and their roots in the bottom of the tank.
The substrate that is enriched in nutrients is an excellent choice for these plants. Although you can go for sand-based or gravel-based substrate when good fertilizer is used.
But remember to choose fine gravels as it is easier for roots to get attached to fine gravel over larger-grained gravel.
Supplements
These wisterias don’t ask for any supplements, not even CO2. However, it is never wrong to give a little extra when it gives you the result you want.
You can add supplements along with the fertilizers mainly iron so that the leaves don’t turn yellow or brown.
Trimming
You can’t let these plants grow into a bush and overcrowd the aquarium. When they grow more than necessary, they tend to shade other plants and kill them eventually.
You need to shorten your plant regularly so they don’t cover your entire tank. Or else they will take all the nutrients present in the tank leaving none for other plants.
How Can You Trim Water Wisteria?
It is quite simple to trim these plants. Their height helps you a lot in this case. All you have to do is shorten their height as much as you desire or is appropriate for that tank.
You need to get rid of all the shoots as soon as you finish trimming them as they can grow into new plants from their stem. Also, the cut parts invite algae and other harms in the tank if they rot there.
Planting Water Wisteria
It is quite simple to plant these plants in the tank compared to other aquarium plants. Once you have your substrate ready and appropriate for the wisteria, it’s time to jump into the next step.
But make sure all the tank requirements are met before this step. Now you have to take the plant along with the root kept separately and plant it into the substrate.
If you want your plant to carpet the substrate then you should plant these stems by their side. And if you want a normal plant just place the root inside the substrate while the stem remains upright towards the light.
You have to, however, plant these within a distance of a certain inch for further propagation. Overcrowding can result in improper or no growth at all.
There is another method to plant this wisteria as well, the same way they grow in the wild. You can let them float on the surface around the light source and they will happily develop into a healthy plant.
This floating root method, however, asks for more trimming than the previous one. Also, this root system helps to provide cover and food for the fish and shrimp while floating in the water.
Water Wisteria Propagation And Reproduction
Once you plant your wisteria in the tank, you want more of it. There is a simple process to propagate these plants in the tank.
And here is how you do it. You need to cut the stems from the well-grown plant and separate the leaves from the plant up to 2 inches.
Once you have cleared the stems, plant the stem into the nutrient-rich substrate from the side with no leaves.
After a few days, the stem will develop its root and hence you get a new plant in the tank. You need to, however, make sure that you have planted them at a safe distance so that they don’t crowd or shed each other.
Water Wisteria Tank Mates
These wisterias are very compatible plants and can adjust with most of the small fish that doesn’t feed on them.
Mollies, Tetras, Guppies, Corydoras, Rasboras, etc. are small fish that make an excellent companion to these aquarium plants.
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Even certain varieties of snail can live well in the tank with these beautiful plants. The few snails that are the best tank mates for water wisteria are Ramshorn Snails, Mystery Snails, Japanese Trapdoor Snails, And Nerite Snails.
Likewise, alike snails, shrimp that lives in freshwater and prefers the same water requirements as these plants go together without any obstacles.
Shrimps like Blue Tiger Shrimp, Blue Velvet Shrimp, Amano Shrimp, Vampire Shrimp make ideal tank mates for these plants.
There are, however, few fish that can never go together in the tank with these wisterias. Goldfish, Rainbowfish, and Oscars are predators that feed on the leaves of this beautiful plant and can even uproot them sometimes.
Also. Avoid keeping Crayfish and Crab with them as they are extravagantly destructive.
Common Water Wisteria Problems
Certain problems tend to follow these undemanding plants as well. But every problem comes with a solution, you just need to analyze the problem carefully.
Decolorization
Your plant tends to lose its color when it isn’t getting enough nutrients in the tank. The bright green color changes into yellowish color making the plant look unhealthy and dying.
Make sure you dose them with supplements that provide enough nutrients to the plant. You can provide them liquid nutrients directly to improve their condition.
Loss Of Leaves
Another problem that might stress you is the way these plants lose their leaves when the light density fluctuates.
They need moderate lighting for their growth. So, any high or low lighting makes these plants shed their leaves.
You can solve this problem by adjusting your aquarium lighting to a moderate level.
Physical Transfer
When you transfer these wisterias that generally grows on the surface of the water into the water, they tend to shed leaves.
But it is just their way of adjusting to the change and will have its leaves grown back after a while.
Benefits Of Water Wisteria
You don’t want to get to start that because the Benefit list of Aquarium Plants is quite longer than you imagine. These beautiful plants barely have demerits when it comes down to comparison.
Here are some of the benefits of Water Wisteria in the tank:
Wide Range Of Tankmates
You can never go wrong with water wisteria when it comes to tank mates. Except for big fish and fish like goldfish, Oscars, rainbow fish, crayfish, and crab, these plants go well with everyone.
The tank mates for water wisteria cover shrimp to small fishes that are non-aggressive. Some varieties of snails also do well in the tank with these plants.
Water Wisteria Helps To Oxygenate Water
Plants always keep the oxygen supply constant in the tank. You can never have a shortage of oxygen when there is enough water wisteria in the tank.
But it also depends on the tank population but the adequate oxygen supply still by your side when you have these plants.
Aquarium Look
Plants are the first choice because of the look they give to the aquarium. Even these beautiful water wisteria plants help you to attain that environment in the tank mimicking the natural environment.
water wisteria plants are a beautiful addition to the tank and they make your tank more vibrant and aesthetic with their bright green color.
Biological Filtration
Beneficial bacteria convert the toxic ammonia that causes ammonia poisoning in the aquarium into nitrite then finally nitrate subtracting the toxicity from the tank.
These Water Wisteria uses the nitrate produced as a fertilizer that can help them grow into healthy plants.
Inexpensive Expense-Wise
Water wisterias are hardy plants that are easily found and can be easily propagated. This is the reason you will find the plant in almost every store at a cheap price.
Medicinal Value
Water wisteria has certain medicinal purposes and possesses various pharmaceutical properties like anti-convulsant activity, anthelmintic activity, analgesic properties, Hepatoprotective effect, and antioxidant activity.
Things To Remember While Buying Water Wisteria
There are certain things you need to look closely at while buying water wisteria. You don’t want a damaged, nearly dead, or rotten plant for your tank, do you?
- You need to look at whether the roots are long and abundant or not.
- The stem and shoots should be standing upright to support the plant’s weight.
- Never buy a plant with yellow and brown leaves. Go for plants with bright green leaves.
- Once you buy water wisteria, you need to quarantine it to remove probable parasites, bacteria, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Water Wisteria Easy To Grow?
Yes, water wisteria is well-know to be hardy and easy to grow in the tank environment.
How Long Does It Take For Water Wisteria To Grow?
Once you plant these plants properly, they grow 2 to 3 inches every week after a week of planting them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Water wisteria is the best thing you can do for your fish and your tank. They are very easy to care for and don’t give many headaches once you plant them properly. But you can’t forget about it, remember to trim and check the water condition once in a while. If you take good care of your plant and tank, then there is no doubt of you having the most beautiful tank.
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