# Smallest Stem plants for Nano tanks?



## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

Name off some stem plants that have small leaves and stay short/compact?

For example, Rotala pearl mini Type 1 and Type 2, Rotala wayanad, Ludwigia mini super red, Ludwigia 

Just looking at what options there are to have a nano tank look larger than it really is.


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

To be honest you can just trim stems to make them short hahaha. In terms of small leaves one I really dig is Rotala sp. 'Vietnam'.


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

Hygrophila corymbosa 'kompakt'..

Saw some yesterday, seems small enough as a centerpiece in a 2.5 to 5 gallon tank.










Mayaca Fluviatilis.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Blyxa Japonica is a stem plant. Stays pretty short


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## Oso Polar (Apr 22, 2015)

GrampsGrunge said:


> Hygrophila corymbosa 'kompakt'..
> Saw some yesterday, seems small enough as a centerpiece in a 2.5 to 5 gallon tank.


It is way, way too big for 2.5 gallon tank! Stems have shorter internodes but even so it'll require very frequent trimming as it'll reach surface of such a small tank in no time. Leaves are of the same size as on regular Hygrophila corymbosa - wide and long (5-6 inches each or more) - and the width of a typical 2.5 g tank is just 6 inches.


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## Aquarium_Alex (Jul 28, 2014)

Hemianthus Micranthemoides (HM) is a good one. Some ludwigia varieties as well. Bacopa species and lindernia rotundifolia are fairly small also.


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Ammania sp bonsai could work (aka True rotala indica)


Another intersting plant is Lindernia india. It's like a micro bacopa caroliniana, grows fairly slow, across both leaves is maybe 3/8" - 1/2." Stays green low tech, gets some color under high light


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

Oso Polar said:


> It is way, way too big for 2.5 gallon tank! Stems have shorter internodes but even so it'll require very frequent trimming as it'll reach surface of such a small tank in no time. Leaves are of the same size as on regular Hygrophila corymbosa - wide and long (5-6 inches each or more) - and the width of a typical 2.5 g tank is just 6 inches.


OK, thanks The one I saw was potted and probably in emergent growth, but it looked like a nice, small growth in diameter, but also shortish stem length plant.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Actually Rotala sp 'green' could work as well. It's got nice smaller leaves and has a tendency to cascade over. This is a 3.5g setup.


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## DennisSingh (Nov 8, 2004)

This one:
tallest is about 3.5" above substrate i've grown it, but i have been trimming it too to propagate more


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## malANDmatt (Apr 6, 2016)

I don't have any suggestions. Just following for my 10 gallon.


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

StrungOut said:


> This one:
> tallest is about 3.5" above substrate i've grown it, but i have been trimming it too to propagate more


Well what plant is that??? 
Looks like Syngonanthus ('belem'?), but not sure what species stays that short. Unless you are just blasting out a ton of light.


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## DennisSingh (Nov 8, 2004)

WaterLife said:


> Well what plant is that???
> Looks like Syngonanthus ('belem'?), but not sure what species stays that short. Unless you are just blasting out a ton of light.


U right on the Syngonanthus part>


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## sevendust111 (Jul 15, 2014)

I have this as a bush and don't laugh at me, but have you thought about HM? If separated into individual stems it could have a stem plant affect. Space the stems maybe a half an inch to an inch apart and let them grow in. If you have high light it will creep along the substrate though.


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