TankBud

Form of Bucephalandra sp.

Bucephalandra Red

Bucephalandra sp. 'Red'

One of 17 forms of Bucephalandra sp. · See all forms →

Also known as Buce Red, Tropica Bucephalandra Red, Bucephalandra sp. 'Red' 139A

FreshwaterRhizomeRhizome divisionSide shoots

Forms · Bucephalandra sp.

See all 17 →

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
Max height
3.9 in
10 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Rhizome
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness
4–15 dGH
Spread
3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Araceae
Origin
Borneo (Kalimantan), Indonesia

Overview

Grow it attached to wood or rock like Anubias, keeping the rhizome uncovered so it does not rot. It stays small, with leaves roughly 2 to 4 cm wide, and works well tucked into midground stone or driftwood crevices. It does best at lower light in low-tech tanks, but a touch more light plus CO2 pulls out the red tones and white speckling that the form is prized for. Growth is slow, so watch for algae on older leaves.

In the wild

Another Borneo endemic from the fast-flowing rivers and streams of Kalimantan, growing on rock faces both submersed and emersed as water levels change. 'Red' is a widely sold trade form (Tropica lists it as 139A) selected for its reddish leaf tone rather than a documented single population.

Good to know

An undescribed Bucephalandra trade form in the Araceae, carrying the 'sp.' label because it has never been formally classified. Submerged leaves show dark green to red colour with fine white dots and metallic blue hues on the surface. The red pigmentation intensifies under stronger light, a common response across coloured Buce forms.

Did you know

Did you know the red in this Buce is not stable low-tech colouring, and the same plant will drift back toward dark green under low light, then flush red again when given brighter light.

Related plants