# Hygrophila lancea growing conditions (AKA: Hygrophila sp. 'Sarawak')



## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

Hygrophila lancea and Hygrophila 'Araguaia' are two different species. Structurally they look a lot alike except they have different growth patterns. H. lancea grows a lot taller and is much wider than H. 'Araguaia'.

H. lancea grows VERY slowly under water, and does take a while to convert to submerged form if you purchased an emersed-grown specimen. Obviously good lighting, plenty of nutrients and CO2 will help speed up the transition period. Your tank specs look good. What issues are you having with growing it?

Currently i'm growing this plant emersed. It grows MUCH faster, at least an inch every couple of days... it also flowers profusely under good lighting (lower kelvin bulbs, in the 3000k range, seem to help as well). It also branches frequently, both above and below water.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

AzFishKid said:


> Hygrophila lancea and Hygrophila 'Araguaia' are two different species. Structurally they look a lot alike except they have different growth patterns. Obviously H. lancea grows a lot taller and is much wider than H. 'Araguaia'.
> 
> H. lancea grows VERY slowly under water, and does take a while to convert to submerged form if you purchased an emersed-grown specimen. Your tank specs look good. What issues are you having with growing it?


Ya I just noticed that when I was looking at Tom Barr's tank because I knew I remembered seeing it somewhere. 
No I am not having any issues growing it, seems to have nice color and grow slow, but I have only had it a week so I can't say much yet. Nope mine came from a submerged tank in my local area.

Nice pix, I am going to grow it emersed also once it starts to grow in my tank. but I just set up my emersed setup so all in good time.

Thanks for the info on that!


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Anyone else? All we have is 3 people on this whole site who grow this plant?? common I know there's got to be more out there.. 

BUMP


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## Rockhoe14er (Jan 19, 2011)

Haha. From my experience this plants seems to not be that difficult to grow. I'm not sure how well it grows in non co2 conditions. I have it growing in high light high co2 with EI dosing with 8 hours of light.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

I'll take couple of stems off your hands - then we might have 4 people.
-->> pick me <<--



sketch804 said:


> Anyone else? All we have is 3 people on this whole site who grow this plant?? common I know there's got to be more out there..
> 
> BUMP


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

OVT said:


> I'll take couple of stems off your hands - then we might have 4 people.
> -->> pick me <<--


Well, unfortunately a couple stems is all I have right now..but once i reproduce this one then sure! it's going into the emersed setup once I get some decent growth out of it.

BUT YES WE NEED MORE! seems to be an easy plant though.


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

OVT said:


> I'll take couple of stems off your hands - then we might have 4 people.
> -->> pick me <<--


I have plenty to spare if you're interested... just PM me and i can hook you up with a few stems. roud:


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

AzFishKid said:


> I have plenty to spare if you're interested... just PM me and i can hook you up with a few stems. roud:


TY, I was just yanking on sketch804's chain  Eventually I will sqeeze something valuable out of him :icon_evil


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

OVT said:


> TY, I was just yanking on sketch804's chain  Eventually I will sqeeze something valuable out of him :icon_evil


HAHA LMAO OVT! yer killing me here ha! Oh yes for the other deal you gave me, don't worry the favor will be returned  ! cracking me up! :hihi: Just let me know something you would like I have and it'll be all good, but seems I keep a lot of the same things you have.

COMMON PEOPLE everyone else is killing me here also, VERY little info given about this plant ha.. :angryfire


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

sketch804 said:


> ...don't worry the favor will be returned  ! ...


I'm not worried -> u should be


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

BUMP...Wow 3 whole people have grown this plant huh? haha!


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## JoraaÑ (Jun 29, 2009)

Another weed!!!


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

HAHA, ya I pretty much figured as much but I don't see much info around on it, that's why I started this thread. It's growing great in my tank, just seems like under water it is sort of a med. grower compared to some of the other fast species that I have in my tank.


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## catwat (Aug 24, 2008)

Did you try Hygrophila sp. 'Sarawak' ? That is the name it was introduced with, but has since been identified as Hygro lancea


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Ya it is one in the same...I don't know why they call it two different things, it's pretty annoying..thanks for the clarification on the name though!


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Still looking for info on this plant...I have been growing it for a month or so now and it seems to do well in my tank. It in my experience is a medium grower and stays upright even when I do a tank change and it is half out of the water. seems every time I cut it, the root stock will give me a good amount of side shoots, not just two but more! either way just trying to collect info for other people to use. one of my FAVORITE hygro's IMO..


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## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

A friend of mine in our local club first brought back the seeds of this plant from a trip he made to Europe in 2006. At that time we only knew it was a Hygrophila that had been collected in Sarawak, hence the name at the time, Hygrophila sp. 'Sarawak'. He gave the seeds to me to sow and I was able to grow quite a lot of it emersed. 

I spread it around the hobby a bit back then, but it's popularity never really took off considering its slow submersed growth rate. It's a shame too, because given patience and time it really is quite striking submersed and grows vertically. 

Your tank parameters seem just fine to me, especially given the nice photos of your growth you posted. If you are looking to propagate a lot of it quickly grow it outside in a container pond. You will have more than you know what to do with by the end of the summer season.


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## Fishies_in_Philly (Dec 8, 2011)

just saw this thread. i have a couple stems of lancea i have been growing from tank to tank since about January. very slow grower, but seems to like my current set up.








not the best pic. and they are small now since they have just finished battling bba. but they and my persicaria 'sao paulo' are doing just fine now


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

This thing grows like a weed for me now a days! thanks for the info from everyone I really appreciate it!
This is not the best picture, but I must have 6+ stems of this one, it actually grows quite quickly for me, it's no r. indica or anything, but med growth at best..


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi sketch804,

I have been growing H. lancea for a few months. I took my initial stems and grew them emersed and recently took an emersed stem and moved it to submerged with no problems. It took a couple of weeks to get established but is doing well now with good growth with a rusty red hue as it grows closer to the light.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi sketch804,
> 
> I have been growing H. lancea for a few months. I took my initial stems and grew them emersed and recently took an emersed stem and moved it to submerged with no problems. It took a couple of weeks to get established but is doing well now with good growth with a rusty red hue as it grows closer to the light.


Thanks Roy for the added info. That's about how long it took me to convert another Hygro sp. a couple months ago. I have just started my H. Lancea outside in my emersed setup so hopefully it will do the same as yours!

What sort of light are you keeping it under? (high, med, low..)


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## Fishies_in_Philly (Dec 8, 2011)

mine have finally taken off. went from the 2 stems i had 2 months ago to roughly 10. i love the plant, but man, do those leaves get big!!!


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Fishies_in_Philly said:


> mine have finally taken off. went from the 2 stems i had 2 months ago to roughly 10. i love the plant, but man, do those leaves get big!!!


Nice, is this growing them with artificial light or sunlight? I have just one little sprig that finally recovered from a meltdown after I took it out of the water.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

sketch804 said:


> What sort of light are you keeping it under? (high, med, low..)


Hi sketch804,

I have my submerged plant directly under my 2X36 watt PC AHS fixture in a 30 gallon long. Depth to substrate is about 16". Definitely bright!


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## Fishies_in_Philly (Dec 8, 2011)

sketch804 said:


> Nice, is this growing them with artificial light or sunlight? I have just one little sprig that finally recovered from a meltdown after I took it out of the water.


high light, pressurized co2. gonna start an outside emersed bin when i'm sure we won't get anymore 50-60 degree nights.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Fishies_in_Philly said:


> high light, pressurized co2. gonna start an outside emersed bin when i'm sure we won't get anymore 50-60 degree nights.


oops didn't notice you said submerged, but I appreciate the info one in the same. That is pretty much what my stems are underneath.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

So I started growing this one emersed a few weeks ago. it melted and grew mold on it, but finally it has come back and is taking off slowly. We will see how it goes but so far all looks well. this one is planted in gardening soil and a layer of iron rich clay + rocks at the bottom. I very rarely dose any ferts right now, but I am changing that. 

Anyways here's a picture:









This is defiantly my favorite stem at the moment! okay, so also one thing I have learned while keeping this (submersed) is it REALLY loves high light and when given low light or lots of shade it will drop its leaves and slowly melt but produces numerous side shoots when given light again.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Well I have found that H. Lancea is a little bit harder to grow under lower lights. No shade for this plant at all, even when I have decent light, if my plants are too tightly packed I will lose lower leaves. But in a lower light no CO2 tank the plant needs to be right under the light to do anything in my experience. Also does not show the right color it should, in lower lights it is more of a green/brown color on the leaves, for now at least. Also this stuff grows SO quick outside!!


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi sketch804,

At the end of July I took emersed stem cuttings (no roots) of several species, including H. lancea, and put them in a 10 gallon with no CO2, 2X 10 watt CFL's, Safe-T-Sorb substrate, HOB, Seachem Comprehensive and Seachem Excel twice a week.

After about six weeks for the H. lancea stems to become established they now double in height about every 4-6 weeks. It is interesting to note that none of the cuttings of any of the species that I moved from emersed to submerged lost any leaves.

H. lancea growing in 10 gallon: no CO2; 2X 10 watt CFL; Seachem ferts









10/26/12 same tank


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi sketch804,
> 
> At the end of July I took emersed stem cuttings (no roots) of several species, including H. lancea, and put them in a 10 gallon with no CO2, 2X 10 watt CFL's, Safe-T-Sorb substrate, HOB, Seachem Comprehensive and Seachem Excel twice a week.
> 
> ...


That one looks exactly like the one I have in a 10 gal with 2x 27w CF hanging 6 or so inches above the water. Your tank looks nice there, everything is obviously pretty happy! Ya that is kinda odd that no plants lost leaves, but I have seen personally that if they are grown in very high humidity environment they convert easier and faster (sometimes).

I have learned however that this sp. will NOT tolerate low light and shed leaves that get shaded. Along with leaf shedding when shaded, they also lose their kinda purple color and go green until they reach the top. In both tanks I have it in, one CO2, ferts, etc..and one that is just light and a few ferts this will happen, mostly (shedding) in my large tank once the plant becomes crowded by other stems, so I would STRONGLY recommend that everyone give this stem space, or use it as accent stems. Either way, still one of my favorite sp. by far, the fact that it grows slow is a plus as far as I am concerned.


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## Arjun Surya (Oct 23, 2019)

Hi.
I tried growing that plant around 3 years ago as I found it in a shallow damp water and I just plucked 2 stems and tried in my dirt tank, it had no co2 but lighting. To my surprise it grew like one inch long for every couple of days and it soon out grew the water level. I din even know its name.

Recently I went through the same place and found some 30 stems of it and they are very abundant here in South Indian states during rainy season.

My suggestion is be patient with it, it creates a dense camaflague of roots from the lower nodes of the stem which looks magical and beautiful. Check ur lighting, and it possibly requires some silty soil to pick up pace in growth.

I am hoping it grows well now as I'm now introducing them into my tank which runs on co2, high lighting and regular ferts.


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