Encyclopedia - Plants for ponds
Giant vallisneria
Vallisneria gigantea
Giant vallisneria is a large plant with linear leaves of bright or dark green color, reaching lengths of more than 1 m. Giant vallisneria should be kept in a large-volume aquarium. The plant is comparatively undemanding, but because of its large size it is rarely kept by aquarists. It grows evenly throughout the year.
Tropical and moderately warm aquaria are suitable for vallisneria. The most appropriate water temperature is 20-26 °C. Lowering the temperature to 18 °C and below is not recommended. Giant vallisneria, like other representatives of this genus, is not very demanding regarding water composition and hardness, but it grows somewhat better in soft, slightly acidic water. General hardness should be less than 8°.
Regular water changes are not mandatory, as vallisneria grows well in both old and fresh water.
Lighting in an aquarium containing this plant should be fairly bright. It should be taken into account that the long leaves of giant vallisneria shade plants located below, so in addition to strong overhead lighting additional side lighting is needed. The photoperiod should be about 12 hours.
Substrate for vallisneria should be sufficiently nutritious. It is advisable to add clay to the new substrate under the roots. Later, the silt accumulated in the substrate is usually sufficient to feed the plant. The type of substrate does not matter; gravel of any size and sand can be used. To ensure proper development of the root system, the substrate layer should be at least 7 cm thick.
Additional mineral fertilization in a community aquarium is usually not carried out.
It should be borne in mind that vallisneria poorly tolerates the presence of many mineral substances in the water. For example, an excess of sodium ions significantly disrupts its growth. Therefore, baking soda and salt should be added to the water with great caution.
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