TankBud

Blyxa aubertii

Also known as Aubert's blyxa, Roundfruit blyxa

FreshwaterRosetteDivisionSeeds

Blyxa aubertii (Blyxa aubertii)
(c) Jesse de Vries, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
Max height
15.7 in
40 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Midground
Type
Rosette
pH
5.5–7.0
Hardness
0–6 dGH
Spread
7.9 in (20 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Hydrocharitaceae
Origin
Tropical Asia, Africa and northern Australia

Overview

Blyxa aubertii is a demanding softwater collector plant, not a beginner species. Grown well, it makes a grassy midground or, in taller tanks, a background bush in place of Vallisneria.

Did you know

Blyxa aubertii is naturally an annual that flowers and sets seed underwater by pollinating itself. Some aquarists snip off the flower stalks to coax it into living longer as a perennial.

Caring for Blyxa aubertii

Bury the roots and leave the crown just above the substrate. The roots are weak for its size, so Blyxa aubertii feeds heavily from the water column.

It needs bright light and pressurized CO2. Steady macro and iron dosing keeps it dense and colored, and under intense light the leaves take on bronze to reddish-purple tones. Keep it at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C).

It grows at a moderate pace. Split a large clump to propagate it, or grow it from seed.

Keep the GH low, under about 6 if you can. In hard water it sulks or rots, and it can float free of the substrate. The leaves are brittle and snap easily during maintenance, so handle it gently.

Good to know

Blyxa aubertii is a rosette-forming member of the frogbit family, Hydrocharitaceae, related to Vallisneria and Elodea. It is amphicarpic, with self-pollinating flowers both above and below the water surface. It also goes by Aubert's blyxa.

In the wild

Blyxa aubertii is widespread across tropical and subtropical Asia, parts of Africa and northern Australia. It grows in marshes, ditches, rice paddies, floodplains and the margins of slow rivers. There it forms a large grassy rosette of narrow, arching leaves, often rooted in soft clay or mud in still or gently moving water.

Common questions

Does Blyxa aubertii need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Bury the roots and leave the crown, where the leaves join, just above the substrate.

Does Blyxa aubertii need CO2?

Yes. Blyxa aubertii needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Blyxa aubertii need?

Blyxa aubertii needs high light from a strong planted-tank LED.

Does Blyxa aubertii need root tabs?

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

How do you propagate Blyxa aubertii?

Blyxa aubertii propagates by division. Split a large clump into smaller ones and plant them separately.

How tall does Blyxa aubertii grow?

Blyxa aubertii grows to about 15.7 in (40 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.

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