Tropica Bucephalandra pygmaea ‘Bukit Kelam’ 1-2-Grow!

Description

In nature, Bucephalandra usually grows on rocks or wood in rivers and streams – much like Anubias, which they resemble regarding use and care in the aquarium.
Bucephalandra ‘Bukit Kalem’ is an easy, slow-growing plant that prefers lower light levels. A nice, dense appearance is ensured by the willingness to branch, even without trimming.
The green leaves are 2 cm wide and 5 cm long with wavy edges. Tiny white spots will appear on immerse leaves.
The creeping stem, rhizome, must not be covered when planting. This will cause the plant to rot and die.

Plant info

Type:
Rhizomatous

Origin:
Asia

Country or continent where a plant is the most common. Cultivars arise or are bred in cultivation.

Growth rate:

Growth rate of the plant compared to other aquatic plants.

Height:
5 – 10+

Average height (cm) of the plant after two months in the tank.

Light demand:

The average or medium light demand of an aquarium plant is 0,5 W/L.

CO2 :

A medium need in CO2 is 6-14 mg/L. A high demand in CO2 is approx. 15-25 mg/L.

Bucephalandra pygmaea ‘Bukit Kelam’ 1-2-Grow in Singapore

This pygmaea variety is one of the easier, smaller Bucephalandra, growing on rocks and wood in nature much as Anubias does. It is slow-growing, prefers lower light, and branches readily on its own to form a neat, dense clump without needing trimming. Supplied as clean 1-2-Grow tissue culture, it arrives pest free, which we appreciate in our warm local tanks where introduced snails establish quickly.

Divide the gel-grown portion into small pieces and attach them to hardscape with the rhizome exposed; burying the creeping stem leads to rot. Its compact size and undemanding nature make it ideal for nano and shrimp tanks that fit easily in HDB and condo homes. Expect a little melt during acclimation, then steady submerged growth. The low light requirement also helps keep algae off the leaves in shaded positions.

Browse our full epiphytes range for pairings. For detail, see our Bucephalandra care guide and our Bucephalandra-only aquascape ideas.