# question about blyxa japonica



## bababooey (Nov 9, 2011)

How do you keep this species so compact like the picture below? I've never grown it before, but I'm considering putting it as a background in my high light tank. Does it naturally grow this compact or do you have to do some ridiculous amount of trimming/replanting to get it to turn into a 'globe'.


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## fplata (May 20, 2012)

Light, and many plants planted in a confined space


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## bababooey (Nov 9, 2011)

fplata said:


> Light, and many plants planted in a confined space


so do you just keep clipping the runners and replanting back into the center?


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Blyxa japonica is a stem plant, no runners. Trick would be to keep it growing vigorously so the fragile stems don't break and stems go all over the place.


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## bababooey (Nov 9, 2011)

ahh, that makes sense then. how does it handle water flow? I'm probably going to plant in around a piece of driftwood that is near the intake/output of my tank.


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## Option (Oct 2, 2010)

bababooey said:


> ahh, that makes sense then. how does it handle water flow? I'm probably going to plant in around a piece of driftwood that is near the intake/output of my tank.


Before it takes root it is very suseptible to coming out of the gravel (esp if you have fine gravel like flourite) but after the roots take anchor it is perfectly fixed and can handle the current. It takes awhile but the roots from b.japonica are looooong and deeep!


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