Ludwigia Crystal

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

null

Synonyms

Ludwigia Marilia

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

Brazil

Habitat

Marshy streams and still waters near Marília, São Paulo state, Brazil, where it grows amphibiously along the water's edge and floats on the surface.

Sourcing

Aquacultured

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Growth form

Stem

Max height

6 – 24 in (15 – 61 cm)

Spread

4 in (10 cm)

Growth rate

Fast

Placement

Midground, Background

Water

Temperature

68 – 82 °F (20 – 28 °C)

pH

5.5 – 7.5

GH

2 – 15 dGH

Flow

Low-Moderate

Light

Medium

CO₂

Beneficial

Planting

Substrate

Nutrient-rich preferred

Feeds from

Both

Fertilizer needs

Medium

Colors

Green, Orange, Red

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Cuttings

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Care guide

Overview

Grows as an upright background to midground stem capable of adding several inches of new growth weekly under favorable conditions, reaching well beyond a foot if left untrimmed. Leaf coloring leans orange and salmon toward the tips when light, CO2, and nutrients are all kept high. Regular pruning and replanting maintain a dense, fully submersed stand.

Care

Marilia is an undescribed Ludwigia collected near the Brazilian city of the same name and is grown mainly as a fast, upright background stem. It tolerates medium light and stays a clean green, but stronger light with a complete fertilizer routine pushes the shoot tips toward orange and red tones. CO2 is not essential but noticeably speeds growth and thickens the stand. Because it can add close to 8 inches of new growth per week, regular topping is the main maintenance task to keep it from reaching the surface and converting to floating growth.

Planting & trimming

Plant as a grouped bundle of individual stems spaced an inch or two apart directly into a nutrient-rich substrate to encourage a dense background wall. Trim the tops regularly, before they reach the surface, and replant the cut tips to keep the group bushy and fully submersed rather than letting it run along the surface as floating growth.

Fertilizing

Growth responds strongly to a nutrient-rich substrate combined with a full liquid fertilizer regimen, since this plant is a heavy root and water column feeder. Iron supplementation intensifies the red and orange coloring in new shoot tips, while pale or washed-out new growth usually signals a lack of iron or overall nutrient deficiency. Root tabs placed near the base help support the extensive root system this stem develops over time.

Propagation

Propagated by cutting the stem tops and side shoots and replanting them directly into the substrate, where they root within about a week. Pruning the main stems encourages a flush of new side shoots from the lower nodes, which can also be separated and replanted to multiply the stock.

Problems

Fresh cuttings can drop a few lower leaves or show minor melting during shipping and the first days after replanting, but new growth typically resumes quickly once roots establish. If light or nutrients are insufficient the stems stretch with long internodes and lose the red coloring, reverting to plain green. Left untrimmed, shoots that reach the surface switch to a floating emersed form with rounder, plainer leaves rather than staying compact underwater.

Sources

1. Ludwigia Marilia care: light, CO2 and placement · TankBud
2. Ludwigia sp. "Marilia" | Aquasabi - Aquascaping Shop
3. Ludwigia: Ludwigia Marilia
4. Ludwigia Sp. Marilia info needed. | Aquatic Plant Forum

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