Bucephalandra Pandora Queen forms dense clusters that fill crevices in wood and the gaps between stones. APF puts mature plants at 7.5 to 12.5 cm, a midground height in most tanks. It is easy, if very slow.
Did you know
Cheaper Theia is sometimes sold as Pandora Queen, Aquarzon warns. Pandora Queen itself has round leaves that look dark even under ordinary room light.
Caring for Bucephalandra Pandora Queen
Hold the rhizome on stone or wood with a dab of gel glue until its roots grip. Keep it above the substrate, since a buried rhizome rots.
Bucephalandra Pandora Queen grows in low light without injected CO2, though CO2 speeds it up. RGB lighting shows its sheen best, as the color shifts from emerald to blue or violet with the viewing angle. Liquid fertilizer suits it, since it feeds from the water column as well as its roots. Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).
Its very slow growth means almost no trimming. Divide the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each to propagate. Expect a few leaves to melt after planting while it switches to submersed growth.
Good to know
Pandora Queen is a trade name only, and its species within Bucephalandra (Araceae) is unknown. Shop photos show short, broad leaves, oval to nearly round, packed into compact clusters. The leaves are glossy dark green with a blue to violet sheen, and new ones open bronze. Aquarzon also lists Pandora Queen Long Leaf and Round Wavy forms in the trade. Apple Leaf has smaller, bright green round leaves, and Kedagang Round runs darker, toward red-brown.
In the wild
Pandora Queen reached the trade without a published collection site. Aquarzon says the first plants were found in 2017 in Sintang, West Kalimantan, and named Queen for the woman who found them. BucephalandraEU files a plant called Pandora under its Kudangan locality, in Lamandau Regency, Central Kalimantan. That Pandora may be a different clone from Pandora Queen.
Common questions
Does Bucephalandra Pandora Queen need to be planted in the substrate?
No. Bucephalandra Pandora Queen grows attached to rock or wood, so tie or glue the rhizome in place. If you plant its roots, keep the rhizome above the substrate, since a buried rhizome rots.
Does Bucephalandra Pandora Queen need CO2?
No, but it helps. Bucephalandra Pandora Queen can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Bucephalandra Pandora Queen need?
Bucephalandra Pandora Queen is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.
Does Bucephalandra Pandora Queen need root tabs?
No. Bucephalandra Pandora Queen feeds from the water, so a liquid fertilizer suits it better. Root tabs only help if its roots reach into the substrate.
How do you propagate Bucephalandra Pandora Queen?
Bucephalandra Pandora Queen propagates by rhizome division. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.
How tall does Bucephalandra Pandora Queen grow?
Bucephalandra Pandora Queen grows to about 4.7 in (12 cm) tall. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming.
Low lightEpiphyte3.9 in (10 cm)
Low lightEpiphyte2.4 in (6 cm)
Low lightEpiphyte2.4 in (6 cm)