Staurogyne Repens

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Staurogyne

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

Brazil

Habitat

Riverbanks of the Rio Cristalino in the southern Amazon basin, growing emersed on damp banks in the dry season and submersed when seasonal floodwaters rise

Sourcing

Captive-bred

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Growth form

Stem

Max height

2 – 4 in (5.1 – 10 cm)

Spread

8 in (20 cm)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Foreground, Midground, Carpet

Water

Temperature

68 – 82 °F (20 – 28 °C)

pH

6.0 – 7.5

GH

0 – 12 dGH

Flow

Low-Moderate

Light

Medium

CO₂

Beneficial

Planting

Substrate

Nutrient-rich preferred

Feeds from

Both

Fertilizer needs

Medium

Colors

Green

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Cuttings, Rhizome division

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Care guide

Overview

Spreads low across the substrate via horizontal shoots, knitting into a dense bushy mat of small, spade-shaped light green leaves only a few inches tall. Expect a slow start while roots establish before growth picks up, then regular top trimming to hold the compact carpet form. Suits foreground or midground placement in nutrient-rich, low-tech to CO2-injected setups.

Care

Staurogyne repens adapts to both low-tech and high-tech planted tanks, though it grows noticeably faster and denser once roots establish under CO2 injection and moderate to strong lighting. It tends to sit dormant for the first few weeks after planting while it builds a root system, then picks up speed and begins sending out horizontal shoots. Regular top trimming encourages the compact, bushy carpet form that makes it popular for the foreground.

Planting & trimming

Separate tissue-cultured clumps or potted plants into small portions of a few stems each and plant them a couple of centimeters apart so they fill in as a mat. Trim the tallest emersed-grown leaves off at planting since these die back underwater anyway, and top the plant every 4 to 6 weeks just above a node to push lateral, carpet-forming shoots. It can also be grown emersed in paludariums and wabi-kusa without difficulty.

Fertilizing

A nutrient-rich substrate combined with root tabs supports steady growth, and liquid fertilizer dosed into the water column keeps the foliage a fresh green rather than pale or yellowish. Iron and nitrogen deficiencies show up as pale new growth or stretched, leggy stems reaching for light. Under high light and CO2 the plant becomes a fairly demanding feeder and benefits from consistent dosing rather than sporadic fertilizing.

Propagation

Propagate by cutting lateral shoots at least 2 inches long, stripping leaves from the lower nodes, and replanting the tip into the substrate. Trimmed tops root readily within a week or two when simply pushed back into the substrate, making it easy to expand a single pot into a full carpet over time.

Problems

Growth can stall for weeks after planting while the root system develops, during which older leaves are prone to collecting algae, including black beard algae on lower foliage. Keeping CO2 stable and photoperiods short during this establishment phase reduces the risk. Aside from this slow start the species is not particularly prone to melting or rot once settled.

Sources

1. Staurogyne repens - Tropica Aquarium Plants
2. Staurogyne repens
3. Staurogyne repens care: light, CO2 and placement · TankBud
4. Staurogyne Repens Care & Tank Mates, Fin & Stem

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