Bacopa Caroline is a perennial plant with creeping stems, succulent foliage and a fleshy structure. She feels great not only in salty, but also in fresh water of natural and artificial reservoirs. That is why bacopa has the status of one of the most common plants in freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Let's get acquainted in more detail with this interesting representative of the flora.
Appearance
Often, Caroline bacopa grows outside the aquarium, and its shoots bloom at the very surface of the water. Inflorescences are distinguished by a delicate purple hue. Small flowers have five petals.
The stem of Bacopa Caroline is long, bright green. The foliage is located on the stem in the opposite order, that is, in pairs. Due to its unpretentiousness, the plant multiplies well in an aquarium. When used in artificial reservoirs and in the presence of suitable conditions, it is able to grow and multiply throughout the year.
Bacopa: care
The plant prefers soft water. Exceeding the
water hardness rate in an aquarium often leads to deformation of the stems and leaves of the plant. For the growth of the Caroline bacopa, it does not matter at all how old the water is in the aquarium. The main thing is the presence of good lighting, preferably sunlight.
Bacopa grows well in an aquarium while maintaining a water temperature of 20 to 26 degrees. But even with a decrease in temperature, the plant usually does not die, but only stops growth and reproduction. For normal development and fixing at the bottom of the aquarium, the daylight hours of the bacopa should last at least ten hours.
Bacopa Caroline has a rather weak root system. Therefore, when it is kept in an aquarium, a moderate filling of the bottom with a fertile substrate is required, preferably based on clay, sand and stones. As for plant nutrition, it needs enough substances that enter the soil and water mass as a result of the vital activity of fish and other aquarium inhabitants.
Breeding
Caroline bacopa propagates by cuttings of the stem. When colonized in an aquarium, plant shoots are planted in a substrate, without waiting for the emergence of root primordia. At first, it’s wise to grow bacop in small containers in bright light conditions, observing the necessary temperature and acid conditions of the aquatic environment.
Benefits of Growing Bacopa
Carrying out the design of the aquarium with your own hands, it is important to determine in advance the necessary plants. One of the easiest and most undemanding representatives of the flora can be precisely Caroline bacopa. Its relatively slow growth along with the ability to actively reproduce is a real find for aquarium art lovers around the world.
The plant can be grown on virtually any substrates whose density is sufficient to hold roots. To propagate the Caroline bacopa artificially, it is enough to cut off the tops and plant them in the ground. Trimming the upper shoots does not harm the plant at all, and even on the contrary leads to an even larger, active branching of the tops.
Varieties of water bacop
One of the most common varieties of plants is Caroline bacopa. As noted earlier, this representative of the flora is particularly unpretentious to the conditions of detention, reproduces well and is therefore popular among avid aquarists.
Another common species is the Australian bacopa, whose homeland, despite the name, is South America. Under natural conditions, the plant is more common in fresh water and is the smallest species of its kind. However, the Australian bacopa also feels great in conditions of artificial salt ponds and aquariums.
Madagascar Bacopa prefers the conditions of fresh streams, flood meadows, small clean ponds and lakes. In huge quantities, the plant can be seen growing along the shores of water bodies of the island of Madagascar.
Performing the design of the aquarium with your own hands, you can also give preference to such a plant as Bacopa Monnier, which is present on almost all continents. Most often it is found in marshy, shallow water bodies, rivers and lakes with a substrate rich in mineral substances .
Cirrus bacopa is somewhat different in its appearance from other plants of this genus, which already becomes clear from the name itself. There is an underwater cirrus plant, mainly in the water bodies of South America. Perhaps this is why this kind of bacopa has not yet received such wide distribution among lovers of aquariums and artificial ponds.