TCulture Egeria Densa (Hydrilla) (Pot)

Description

The cosmopolitan Egeria densa is a good plant for beginners, and its rapid growth helps create a balance in the aquarium from the start. Stems grows fast to 40-100 cm and becomes 2-4 cm wide. Egeria helps preventing algae because it absorbs a great number of nutrients from the water.
The growth rate depends largely on the amount of light and nutrition available. Growth does not stop in unfavourable conditions, but the plant turns light in colour and the tendrils grow thin.
A bundle of stems or young plants gathered in an anchor. Remove the anchor and split into separate plants. Regarding stem plants, remove the leaves from the lowest 5 cm (2“). Remove any damaged leaves. Plant the individual plants with some distance into the bottom substrate. Roots will develop soon and the plant start growing.

Plant info

Type:
Stem

Origin:
Cosmopolitan

Growth rate:
High

Height:
20 – 30+

Light demand:
Low

CO2 :
Low

Egeria Densa as a Fast-Growing Starter Plant

Egeria densa, the plant many locals still call hydrilla, is our go-to recommendation for anyone cycling a brand-new tank. It grows quickly even under modest light, and that speed is exactly what you want in the first weeks: a hungry stem plant soaking up ammonia and nitrate gives algae far less to feed on while your filter matures. In our 27-29C ambient water it rarely sulks and seldom needs a heater.

You can plant the stems in substrate or simply let bunches float, which many shrimp keepers prefer because the dense foliage shelters fry and shrimplets. Trim the tops regularly and replant the cuttings to thicken the stand; the offcuts root readily. It is undemanding about CO2, though injection makes the growth even more lush and the internodes tighter for a fuller background.

Explore the rest of our background plants, and if you are setting up a fresh tank read our nitrogen cycle guide and our stem plant trimming guide to keep it tidy.