Mayaca Sellowiniana

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Sellowiana Mayaca; Needle-leaf Mayaca

Synonyms

Mayaca sellowiana Kunth

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

South America, Central America

Habitat

Nutrient-poor tropical swamps, stream margins and seasonally flooded ground with soft, acidic water; grows submersed in the wet season and emersed on damp banks as water levels fall

Sourcing

Aquacultured

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Difficult

Growth form

Stem

Max height

2 – 12 in (5.1 – 30 cm)

Spread

1.5 in (3.8 cm)

Growth rate

Fast

Placement

Midground, Background

Water

Temperature

72 – 82 °F (22 – 28 °C)

pH

4.5 – 7.0

GH

1 – 6 dGH

dKH

0 – 6 dKH

Flow

Low-Moderate

Light

High

CO₂

Required

Planting

Substrate

Nutrient-rich preferred

Feeds from

Both

Fertilizer needs

High

Colors

Green

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Cuttings

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Care guide

Overview

Needle-thin, bright green leaves crowd tightly along slender stems, giving the plant a feathery, moss-like texture in the midground or background. It demands soft, acidic water, pressurized CO2 and steady iron-rich dosing to stay dense rather than pale and stringy. Keepers should plant small bunches with spacing, trim regularly, and maintain gentle-to-moderate flow to keep detritus from settling in the fine foliage.

Care

This fine-leaved stem plant needs soft, acidic water and pressurized CO2 to grow well, making it a poor choice for beginners despite its unassuming appearance. Under medium to high light and stable soft-water conditions it forms dense, moss-like columns of needle-thin foliage, but it stalls and pales quickly if hardness or pH climb too high. The tightly packed leaves trap detritus and mulm, so good flow around the clump helps prevent algae from taking hold in the foliage.

Planting & trimming

Plant small bunches of two or three stems with a few centimeters of spacing so the clump can fill in densely over time. Trim the tops once shoots get leggy and replant the cuttings to keep the stand compact and encourage branching. It can also be grown emersed on damp substrate, where it forms a low, terrestrial mat rather than the upright submersed form.

Fertilizing

Regular liquid fertilization is important, with particular attention to iron since deficiency shows up as pale, brittle growing tips. A nutrient-rich substrate supports root uptake, though this plant also feeds from the water column and responds well to CO2-enriched, nutrient-dosed setups. Consistent dosing rather than heavy occasional feeding keeps the fine foliage a healthy green rather than washed out.

Propagation

Propagation is by simple stem cuttings: cut a healthy top section, trim off the lower leaves if needed, and replant it directly into the substrate where it will root within a couple of weeks under good conditions.

Problems

Growth stalls and leaves turn pale or brittle in hard or high-pH water, a common sign this plant is being kept outside its soft-water comfort zone. Iron shortage produces similarly washed-out new growth at the tips. Because the foliage is so fine, detritus and algae can settle into the clump if flow is poor, so periodic thinning and trimming of old growth helps keep it clean and dense.

Sources

1. Mayaca sellowiana care: light, CO2 and placement · TankBud
2. Mayaca sellowiana - Flowgrow Aquatic Plant Database
3. Ficha: Planta Mayaca Sellowiana - Escola de Aquário

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