# What stem plants grow like weed in your tank



## Hendy8888 (Mar 6, 2008)

Hygrophila polysperma 'ceylon' is the fastest growing stem I have kept, found it to be quicker than the sunset.


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## Deanna (Feb 15, 2017)

Aromatica, Wallichii, Ambulia, Macrandra and Pantanal


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Fastest I've ever had was Stargrass. I swear you could see it growing.


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## Sam the Slayer (Dec 18, 2019)

I use hygrophilla difformis as a nutrient sponge. Ludwigia Repens always grew very fast for me as well. You sure about the intensity of your lighting? Lower leaves falling off can be a sign of too low of lighting. 


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## Quagulator (May 4, 2015)

Any myriophyllum in my tanks, 1.5" - 2" of growth per day under the right conditions. 

Nothing is as fast at regrowing than those darn weeds I'm plucking off my fishing lures however.


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## Triport (Sep 3, 2017)

Once they took off they all did. That is why I no longer grow stem plants (except a few pieces of Hygrophilla in my 100g). I got sick of trimming. So much work.


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

All of them!


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## HairyNoseWombat (Jan 14, 2020)

All of them


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## Grobbins48 (Oct 16, 2017)

burr740 said:


> All of them!


This is exactly what I was going to say! When things are going good, even the 'slow' growers can only last a couple of weeks before hitting the top!


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Grobbins48 said:


> This is exactly what I was going to say! When things are going good, even the 'slow' growers can only last a couple of weeks before hitting the top!


That's why I love using co2 even for the "low-light" plants. They actually can grow pretty fast. Faster growth usually means less algae, which many times plagues that group.


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

burr740 said:


> All of them!


I believe you, as you have Dutch style with PAR in the 100s. I only have medium light with PAR in the 50s, so the experience is different.

My epiphytes and rosettes: Java fern, anubias, bolbitis, crptocoryn, sword are thriving, but most stems are just hanging on. ADA Nature aquariums are mostly in the 50s PAR range similar to mine, and no wonder very few stems are used.

Im sure there are more vigorous stems available for medium light and want to hear your experience.


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Tiger15 said:


> I believe you, as you have Dutch style with PAR in the 100s. I only have medium light with PAR in the 50s, so the experience is different.
> 
> My epiphytes and rosettes: Java fern, anubias, bolbitis, crptocoryn, sword are thriving, but most stems are just hanging on. ADA Nature aquariums are mostly in the 50s PAR range similar to mine, and no wonder very few stems are used.
> 
> Im sure there are more vigorous stems available for medium light and want to hear your experience.



Some stems grow faster than others of course. The vast majority would actually grow fine with 50 par. Ive done it to my own amazement. Might be smaller and less colorful, and not grow so fast, but health-wise most plants will live and grow just fine with that.


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Tiger15 said:


> ADA Nature aquariums are mostly in the 50s PAR range similar to mine, and no wonder very few stems are used.
> ....


Won't agree with you there. ADA setups run a pretty wide range from Iwagumi to stem dominated scapes. The lights are usually lowered or raised depending on what the setup is.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

In my low tech tanks, the only stem plant I can think of that grows consistently well is dwarf ambulia and crypt spiralis ( is that even a stem plant?)
Stems just dont do good for me w/o Co2. Thats why stick with java ferns, crypts, swords, anubias, etc...


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Grobbins48 said:


> This is exactly what I was going to say! When things are going good, even the 'slow' growers can only last a couple of weeks before hitting the top!


Yeah I just beat the heck out of mine two weeks ago and it's out of control again.

But there are some weeds I had to get rid of...Ambulia, Myrio red stem, Hygro Polysperma to name a few.....Pantanal is the worst but I can't quit it!


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## Quesenek (Sep 26, 2008)

Pretty much everything in different ways.
Rotala wallichii is really the only plant that grows as it should.
Rotala rotundifolia grows horizontally, too much light?
Ludwigia repens 'green' grows kind of slow, but it also grows slightly horizontally and branches at every node.
Ludwigia repens regular? (orange/red/brown leaves) grows faster then 'green' but it doesn't branch and it has 2x larger leaves then 'green'.
Staurogyne repens and hygrophila pinnatifida growth is more subtle without taking photos you really can't tell it's growing, but in a week it can easily grow 0.5 of it's total volume in all directions.


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## Quint (Mar 24, 2019)

Now take this with grain of salt ...... my low tech tank with fluval 3.0 light and using thrive ferts and thrive tabs I get pretty good growth but its slow. One thing I noticed with almost every stem plant so far is the original plant kind of hangs on and takes a while but will start to grow, however if I crop the top and plant that the top portion grows much better with extensive roots and off shoots. They may stay shorter but look much much better overall. Usually takes a couple weeks after planting the tops that they take off (well what I consider taking off for my setup). 

Wisteria grows probably the fastest. Sorry I dont know all the names of the others I have. Most of the java ferns grow like crazy, the mini buces or anubius (not sure which ones) grow very well also. The amazon sword species goes nuts as long as I remember to give root tabs and keep up on ferts as they are hogs from what I can tell.


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

Asteroid said:


> Won't agree with you there. ADA setups run a pretty wide range from Iwagumi to stem dominated scapes. The lights are usually lowered or raised depending on what the setup is.


I did not make it up. Tom Barr went to an ADA convention and brought with him a PAR meter and was surprised by the low light intensity he measured, all in the 30s to 50s PAR range at the bottom. His measurements were from one convention, so he can’t speak for all conventions.

https://barrreport.com/threads/ada-lighting-at-aqua-forest-and-nice-low-par-values-who-knew.4865/


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

My best, and fastest growing stem plant is Pogostemon Stellata. I planted two, 3 inch plants two weeks ago. I have to cut tops off every couple days and replant !


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Tiger15 said:


> I did not make it up. Tom Barr went to an ADA convention and brought with him a PAR meter and was surprised by the low light intensity he measured, all in the 30s to 50s PAR range at the bottom. His measurements were from one convention, so he can’t speak for all conventions.
> 
> https://barrreport.com/threads/ada-lighting-at-aqua-forest-and-nice-low-par-values-who-knew.4865/


Not necessarily disputing the PAR numbers, I'm saying that plenty of ADA tanks are stem heavy, plus they have carpets. They use/used MH 250s on the big tanks so I guess someone can do that math. 10" above the water line plus 20" tank depth or so. The lights are raised or lowered depending on what they are growing.


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

Deedledee said:


> My best, and fastest growing stem plant is Pogostemon Stellata. I planted two, 3 inch plants two weeks ago. I have to cut tops off every couple days and replant !


Plant profile says that Pogostemon stellata is moderate to difficult. Difficult or weedy depends on light intensity. So do you have high light?


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## Desert Pupfish (May 6, 2019)

+1 for the Hygrophila difformis & Sunset. Just got some H. pinnatifida & balasamica, so will be interested to see if they grow as quickly.

Hornwort planted in the substrate can grow to the surface in 2-3 days, but quickly loses its lower leaves in medium light, so isn't a desirable stem plant long term. I use it as a nutrient sponge in new tanks to prevent algae blooms, and it's great for hiding fry.

Water sprite is another extremely fast grower. 

Not technically a stem plant, but jungle val can quickly cover the surface with leaves 3'-4' long, and put out runners that will take over the entire tank if you don't keep on top of it. 

Should we have a contest to what grows fastest?


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## HairyNoseWombat (Jan 14, 2020)

I know its some Rotala but no idea what type. 

From this









To this in about 4 to 6 weeks









That whole mess started as 2 tissue culture pots of Rotala, I just keep trimming it and replanting the trimmings.


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Ranunculus inundatus is the one for me.
Runners will jump across the tank very quickly during the week.
40-50 can end up in the trash over a weeks time.


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## Crazyjayb (Jan 9, 2020)

HairyNoseWombat said:


> I know its some Rotala but no idea what type.
> 
> From this
> 
> ...


I'd guess rotala indica but I can't see a close up so no quotes 😉


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## Crazyjayb (Jan 9, 2020)

Pretty much any sort of hygro grows like a weed for me. Pearl weed is also one of those that grows fast despite the terrible conditions I have out it through

I'm not sure if you would consider it a stem plant but whenever I give Monte Carlo what it wants it takes off like a bat out of hell


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

Tiger15 said:


> Plant profile says that Pogostemon stellata is moderate to difficult. Difficult or weedy depends on light intensity. So do you have high light?


I planted the P.Stellata just over 2 weeks ago. I have the Fluval 3.0 LED, so yes it is very high intensity, and am using the Pro setting. I was told by a guy at my lfs that yes, it could be difficult, however it is currently one of the easiest stems I have grown. I also have Tropica substrate /root tabs,and dose Thrive every other day. I should mention, this tank has been going for 3.5 years. A few weeks ago I changed my substrate,ripped out all my old plants, and replanted all new Tropica tissue cultures. It's going pretty well so far !


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## frog111 (Feb 13, 2006)

Guppy grass, Najas najas. Worst part it is brittle, so it is difficult to get rid of

Potamogeton crispus was one that I would have 3 to 4 foot stems in my 250gallon


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Maryland Guppy said:


> Ranunculus inundatus is the one for me.
> Runners will jump across the tank very quickly during the week.
> 40-50 can end up in the trash over a weeks time.


Forgot about that one.

Had it only for about a month and had to say goodbye. Left to it's own devices would spread and choke out the whole tank.


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## KayakJimW (Aug 12, 2016)

Cabomba caroliniana for me, but is banned in California, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington state because it's such a weed. Check your plants for legality before you buy, the fastest growers may be on the naughty list and "the man" has knocked on some forum members doors as seen in other threads. Just sayin...


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## Desert Pupfish (May 6, 2019)

Maryland Guppy said:


> Ranunculus inundatus is the one for me.
> Runners will jump across the tank very quickly during the week.
> 40-50 can end up in the trash over a weeks time.





Greggz said:


> Left to it's own devices would spread and choke out the whole tank.


Hence the name "inundatus"?


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## LinkedUp (Jan 27, 2012)

Pogostemon stellatus "octopus." I planted 20 stems, each about 4 inches long, on 12/15/19. It was slow at first, but then took off. By week four, the tops were floating across the tank and, though it looked kinda cool, I trimmed them back. The stems had become really thick in places, too... like between an eighth-inch and a quarter-inch. Because there was so much of the stuff already growing, I just tossed the trimmings instead of replanting. And of course I'm getting branching at the trim points, and will probably need to trim again next week. It's crazy.

My tank is a 30-long, with 3-year old Amazonia under gravel, PAR value of ~50 at the substrate, and I dose 3mL of NilocG Liquid Macros and Micros every other day. I re-scaped this aquarium last month, and wanted the whole back of the tank to be one wall of a single plant. I considered Italian Val, but chose this. The other stem plants I've tried in the past -- Mayaca fluviatilis and Proserpinaca palustris -- failed fairly quickly.


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

LinkedUp said:


> Pogostemon stellatus "octopus." I planted 20 stems, each about 4 inches long, on 12/15/19. It was slow at first, but then took off. By week four, the tops were floating across the tank and, though it looked kinda cool, I trimmed them back. The stems had become really thick in places, too... like between an eighth-inch and a quarter-inch. Because there was so much of the stuff already growing, I just tossed the trimmings instead of replanting. And of course I'm getting branching at the trim points, and will probably need to trim again next week. It's crazy.
> 
> My tank is a 30-long, with 3-year old Amazonia under gravel, PAR value of ~50 at the substrate, and I dose 3mL of NilocG Liquid Macros and Micros every other day. I re-scaped this aquarium last month, and wanted the whole back of the tank to be one wall of a single plant. I considered Italian Val, but chose this. The other stem plants I've tried in the past -- Mayaca fluviatilis and Proserpinaca palustris -- failed fairly quickly.


If you go by plant profile, Pogostemon stellatu is rated moderate to difficult. It’s surprising that it grows like weed in your tank. On the other hand, Proserpinaca palustris, rated easy to moderate, failed in your tank, but does fine in mine, not weedy but slow and steady. 

It’s informative that you specified your growing conditions so I can compare experience on the same basis. 50PAR at the substrate is what I have and typical of Amano ADA setups. The behavior of stem plants IME under medium light is highly variable, some take off, some just hang on, and others fail. If I had high light, 100+PAR, I guess variability is not much a factor.


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## Surf (Jun 13, 2017)

> I tried rotala rotundifolia, Ludwigian repens, mermaid weed, limophilia aromatica, and a few other species of the said genus, and none grow fast, often developed weak root and bare lower stems.


I believe the reason you have had success with only one plant is because it is the only one that can deal with a nutrient deficiency you might have. It would be helpful to know what fertilizers you are using.

Bare lower stems could be a sign of nutrient deficiency issues with one of the mobile nutrients (N,P,K,Mg, Cl). Mg deficiency is the most common. And it is often associated with low GH soft water. I have read that chlorine deficiency can cause stunted roots but I have not seen it.


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

Surf said:


> I believe the reason you have had success with only one plant is because it is the only one that can deal with a nutrient deficiency you might have. It would be helpful to know what fertilizers you are using.
> 
> Bare lower stems could be a sign of nutrient deficiency issues with one of the mobile nutrients (N,P,K,Mg, Cl). Mg deficiency is the most common. And it is often associated with low GH soft water. I have read that chlorine deficiency can cause stunted roots but I have not seen it.


I dose macros and micros weekly, chelated iron every other day, and substrate is dolomite gravel so plenty of Ca and Mg. All non stem (annubias, Java fern, bolbitis, Buce, sword and crypt) are thriving, so there is no nutrient deficiency, just not enough light many stems prefer. So I chose only easy stems. Most are holding, but not vigorous.


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## CarolinaCatman (Feb 2, 2020)

Is Anacharis considered a stem plant? if so, they grow like wildfire! I love how fast they grow! I use to have a lot of them in my tanks when i was in CT however now that I am in SC i can no longer get them because they arent allowed to be shipped to the state. sucks


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## john borr (Oct 28, 2011)

I grew a lot of rotalas some green some red. The problem was I only have a 10 gallon so I couldn’t keep up with the growth. I kept pulling out stems cutting them then replanting the tops. Finally, after two years, I have removed my last stem and I am doing a grow-out with my dwarf hair grass, microsword in the background and trying to get a little bit of dwarf baby tears to grow. all the best, john


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## CRS Fan (Jan 14, 2010)

I think my fastest growing plant was Ludwigia inclinata red. It’s growth was so explosive, I got rid of it after a 2 week trial (mind you... this was in a high-tech tank).

Best regards,

Stuart


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I kept a nearly no tech (had a heater) high light soil based tank, no co2 or liquid co2. Myriophyllum Mattogrossense grew like a weed in that environment. Finally took the tank down because I was so lazy about trimming it and it was smothering out my other stems.


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

I'm surprised no one mentioned pearlweed.


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## aquapadawan (Dec 5, 2019)

Hands down fastest aquarium plant for anyone IMO will be floaters namely water lettuce

Ambulia and another that looks like abulia but is orange/red grow very fast upwards, but their speed of rooting and shooting outwards is very slow and the stems seem to melt at the soil. I have a layer of mineralized organic soil below, then a mix of fluorite black and fluval stratum above. So it's not anaerobic, but they don't seem to root with a whole lot of vigor.

ironically the one that grows the fastest I haven't identified. Too lazy to post a thread. Looks a lot like a hydrophilia though and was actually a bonus mystery plant on an eBay order. Also ironically the one I actually wanted out of the order promptly melted died. But I'm happy with these ones too.

strangely enough my flame moss is growing super fast. Not what I expected out of it. It's outpacing my java moss by far


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## Desert Pupfish (May 6, 2019)

aquapadawan said:


> ironically the one I haven't identified. Looks a lot like a hydrophilia though and was actually a bonus mystery plant on an eBay order. Also ironically the one I actually wanted out of the order promptly melted died. But I'm happy with these ones too.


Can you share a photo of it? Perhaps some our plant gurus on here can help ID it for you


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## Tiger15 (Jan 7, 2018)

Here are pics of my weedy Hygrophila polysperma sunset on the right in just two week post pruning, versus skinny Luwidgea and shorty Mermaid weed and Limno aromatica on the left you can barely see. They are under the same light, but one stem grows weedy, others weakly. The Annubias surround them are doing fantastic with flowers blooming constantly, so the environmental conditions are fine for the right plants.

I am tossed up between choosing stems that grow too weedy that I need to prune frequently versus struggling stems that remain skinny and weak. I’m looking for Goldilock stems that don’t grow too fast or too slow, just reach maximum height and stop, and stay fully up and bottom.


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## Fishly (Jan 8, 2010)

Duckweed! :biggrin:

...Oh, you said _stem_ plants. Anacharis, rotala sp. 'green', and watersprite have all gone nuts for me. Like, I'm on the verge of getting rid of the watersprite and rotala because they keep taking over my tanks and I have no room for them. I had the anacharis years ago when I first started, but I killed it when I added salt to the tank. I remember it growing very fast, even with little light or fertilization.



Tiger15 said:


> I am tossed up between choosing stems that grow too weedy that I need to prune frequently versus struggling stems that remain skinny and weak. I’m looking for Goldilock stems that don’t grow too fast or too slow, just reach maximum height and stop, and stay fully up and bottom.


If you find such mythical stems, please send me a PM.


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Tiger15 said:


> Here are pics of my weedy Hygrophila polysperma sunset on the right in just two week post pruning...


...and thus the reason it's on the federal noxious weed list.


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## greenthings (Aug 29, 2019)

*stem plants*

Hygrophila polysperma
Ludwigia repens arcuata
Brazilian pennywort
Bacopa caroliniana
Lysimachia Nummularia Aurea - gold moneywort from my flower garden
Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus


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## trahana (Jan 29, 2019)

My pennywort is taking over, it was slow growing when in a low tech, now it’s in high tech wildfire mode. Spreads like a jumanji vine. 
My pearl weed came to me in the disguise of Monte Carlo, and detests the idea of being a carpet plant. I could trim it three times a week, but I’ve decided I prefer dwarf hair grass for my carpet. 
My rotala grows well.


For non-stem plants, my Nymphaea grows big leaves faster then my stem plants up. I cut half the leaves off last week and I expect to do the same this week. For cover the water surface, my Nymphaea outpaces the Giant Duckweed I have!


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