Echinodorus Iguazu 2009

[FatPleco]

This is a plant that seems to grow quite big and is hard to accomodate in an aquascape. Too big for a planted tank ? Does it reach a maximum size or should I expect a houseplant sized monster ? Can it be trimmed without looking sad ?

In a nutshell, what is your experience with this plant ?

 

[bradquade]

My experience is that Echinodorus "Iguazu" grows as large as you let it. If you want it to be small, just pull it up when its getting too big and split the base using a razor blade. I kept many of them small for multiple years using this strategy. When I learned I was moving in 2020/2021 I stopped maintaining my tanks outside of mandatory trimming and let an Iguazu grow for 1-1.5 years. It got extremely large. All pictures below are in a 40B and the plants are always in the front right corner of the tank.

October 2020. All subsequent pictures are progression of the smallest ones in the front right corner. The biggest one was annoying and I got rid of it.

March 2021

July 2021

October 2021 it stopped wanting to grow submerged and only put out leaves above the water.

One of my plants from mid 2020. I think I split this to get the largest iguazu in the first picture.

I tried fitting the above plant into my 75 gallon and it was too large to look nice.

 

[DutchMuch]

Such a unique plant, I don’t think any other plant in this hobby produces that “nuclear” green coloration. Beautiful specimens @bradquade.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

My experience is that Echinodorus "Iguazu" grows as large as you let it. If you want it to be small, just pull it up when its getting too big and split the base using a razor blade. I kept many of them small for multiple years using this strategy. When I learned I was moving in 2020/2021 I stopped maintaining my tanks outside of mandatory trimming and let an Iguazu grow for 1-1.5 years. It got extremely large. All pictures below are in a 40B and the plants are always in the front right corner of the tank.
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October 2020. All subsequent pictures are progression of the smallest ones in the front right corner. The biggest one was annoying and I got rid of it.
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March 2021
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July 2021
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Which blyxa species is that in the back left? Beautiful!

 

[BenB]

Which blyxa species is that in the back left? Beautiful!

Blyxa japonica var. Recurvifolia @Burr740 sells it. I tried to link to an old auction just so you could see the pic, but I don't know how to link to a FB post and not sure the rules allow it anyway.

I have an ID question myself. In the last pic, what is the yellow/green/orange Rotala just to the left of the Igazu? I know it's R mexicana Gois or somehting that starts with an A? Not sure. I love it. Rocco, I think I've seen it in one of your pics.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Blyxa japonica var. Recurvifolia @Burr740 sells it. I tried to link to an old auction just so you could see the pic, but I don't know how to link to a FB post and not sure the rules allow it anyway.

I don't think so, Blyxa recurvifolia is a funky little stem plant like this:

Burr does sell it for sure, but I'm talking about the massive blyxa sp in the back:

this one! It's way too big and pointy to be japonica, but could it be Blyxa roban under low light?

 

[BenB]

@Naturescapes_Rocco Sorry, I thought you meant this one.

 

[bradquade]

@Naturescapes_Rocco The tall green Blyxa in the back left is Blyxa octandra. I haven't seen anyone selling it for many years and I don't think it is widely available anymore.

@BenB The plant immediately to the left of the Iguazu in the last picture is Blyxa japonica var. 'recurvifolia'. It's the same as the plant you circled in the previous post.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

@Naturescapes_Rocco The tall green Blyxa in the back left is Blyxa octandra. I haven't seen anyone selling it for many years and I don't think it is widely available anymore.

Hell yes, I just got ahold of 2 Blyxa octandra plants! They're so stunning. I love the look, so this tank is great inspiration.

 

[BenB]

@BenB The plant immediately to the left of the Iguazu in the last picture is Blyxa japonica var. 'recurvifolia'. It's the same as the plant you circled in the previous post.

That's really interesting. I've never had the plant and every pic I've seen of it looks like the one I've circled. I like it better with the lighter coloring. Was one tank more NO3 limited?

 

[BenB]

Hell yes, I just got ahold of 2 Blyxa octandra plants! They're so stunning. I love the look, so this tank is great inspiration.

Score!!

 

[bradquade]

That's really interesting. I've never had the plant and every pic I've seen of it looks like the one I've circled. I like it better with the lighter coloring. Was one tank more NO3 limited?

Not intentionally. I always dry dosed the same quantities of NPK into these tanks (1/2 tsp KNO3, 1/4 tsp K2SO4, and 1/8 tsp KH2PO4 in a 75 gallon 3x per week). Maybe there was some difference in nitrate availability because of water changes or plant uptake, but I never quantified that.

 

[Underworldaquatics]

@Naturescapes_Rocco The tall green Blyxa in the back left is Blyxa octandra. I haven't seen anyone selling it for many years and I don't think it is widely available anymore.

@BenB The plant immediately to the left of the Iguazu in the last picture is Blyxa japonica var. 'recurvifolia'. It's the same as the plant you circled in the previous post.

I will have some available soon. Octandra

 

[Underworldaquatics]

@Naturescapes_Rocco The tall green Blyxa in the back left is Blyxa octandra. I haven't seen anyone selling it for many years and I don't think it is widely available anymore.

@BenB The plant immediately to the left of the Iguazu in the last picture is Blyxa japonica var. 'recurvifolia'. It's the same as the plant you circled in the previous post.

 

[FatPleco]

Thank you bradquade. If I slice the plant to keep it small, will it grow smaller leaves or will it keep sending out large ones?