TankBud

Creeping bacopa

Bacopa australis

Also known as Southern bacopa, Bacopa sp. 'Australis', Creeping water hyssop

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Creeping bacopa (Bacopa australis)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
64–82°F
18–28°C
Max height
15.7 in
40 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Midground
Type
Stem
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
2–15 dGH
Spread
3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Plantaginaceae
Origin
Native to marshes and pond edges in subtropical southern Brazil and Uruguay.

Overview

Creeping bacopa is an easy, undemanding stem plant for the midground, or for the foreground in a brightly lit tank.

Did you know

Creeping bacopa is one of the few Bacopa species that grows sideways instead of straight up, unlike most stem plants.

Caring for creeping bacopa

Strip the lower leaves and push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart. Creeping bacopa feeds through both its roots and the water, so root tabs and a liquid fertilizer cover it.

It grows in medium light without CO2, though added CO2 speeds it up. Under bright light it stays lowest and densest, and with strong light it can spread into a loose foreground carpet. It grows at 64 to 82°F (18 to 28°C).

It grows fast, so trim it regularly. A mat that gets too thick lets the lower stems die back. Replant the cut tops, or cut off side shoots once they have a few leaves and plant them on their own.

Good to know

Creeping bacopa belongs to the plantain family, Plantaginaceae. The species name australis means southern, a nod to its subtropical South American range. It carries small, rounded, light green leaves on thin stems.

In the wild

Creeping bacopa is native to marshes and pond edges in subtropical southern Brazil and Uruguay. It creeps across damp ground and shallow margins there, rooting as it spreads.

Common questions

Does creeping bacopa need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Strip the leaves from the lower part of each stem, then push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart.

Does creeping bacopa need CO2?

No, but it helps. Creeping bacopa can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does creeping bacopa need?

Creeping bacopa wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does creeping bacopa need root tabs?

They help. Creeping bacopa takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate creeping bacopa?

Creeping bacopa propagates by cuttings and side shoots. Cut off the top of a stem and replant it, and the stump left behind grows new shoots. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own.

How tall does creeping bacopa grow?

Creeping bacopa grows to about 15.7 in (40 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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