TankBud

Hygrophila Chai

Hygrophila lancea 'Chai'

Also known as Hygrophila sp. Chai, Hygrophila sp. Pink Chai, Hygrophila lancea 'Araguaia' 'Chai', Hygrophila Araguaia Chai, Hygrophila Pink Chai

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Hygrophila Chai (Hygrophila lancea 'Chai')
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
3.9 in
10 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Foreground
Type
Stem
pH
4.5–7.0
Hardness
0–8 dGH
Spread
3.9 in (10 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Acanthaceae
Origin
Cultivated (South Island Aquarium, Singapore)

Overview

Hygrophila Chai is a pink-edged showpiece stem plant for a high-energy tank. It grows slowly and is rated difficult.

Did you know

Hygrophila Chai is a mutant so low on chlorophyll that it would struggle to compete in the wild. Sterile tissue culture lets growers keep and multiply it, which is how it reaches the hobby. The same route sustains Cryptocoryne 'Flamingo' and most of the hobby's other pink plants.

Caring for Hygrophila Chai

Plant Hygrophila Chai as a small group in the foreground to midground, where the pink tips read against darker plants. Strip the lower leaves and push the stems a little apart into mature, clean aqua soil. In a tank with a heavy organic load it melts easily.

It needs strong, high light, injected CO2 and a steady supply of macro- and micronutrients. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both ways it feeds. If the pink washes out or the stems stall, look at CO2 and fertilizer before light. Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).

Growth is slow even when everything is right, so do not expect quick cover. Keep faster neighbors and algae off it. Pinch the shoot tips now and then to keep the group low and branched, and replant the healthiest cuttings.

Good to know

Hygrophila Chai is a cultivar of Hygrophila lancea in the family Acanthaceae, sold as Hygrophila sp. Chai and sometimes Pink Chai. The variegation strips most of the chlorophyll from the leaf margins. That leaves a green to olive-red center edged in white and pink, an effect much like Cryptocoryne 'Flamingo'. Because the pale tissue contributes little photosynthesis, the plant is inherently slower and less forgiving than plain Araguaia.

In the wild

Hygrophila Chai is a variegated selection of Hygrophila lancea 'Araguaia' that appeared in cultivation at South Island Aquarium in Singapore. It does not exist in the wild. The parent species is an East Asian marsh plant that grows along ditches and wet stream banks. It stays emersed for much of the year and goes submersed when water levels rise. As with Araguaia itself, the South American river name on the label says nothing about where the plant comes from.

Common questions

Does Hygrophila Chai 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 Hygrophila Chai need CO2?

Yes. Hygrophila Chai needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Hygrophila Chai need?

Hygrophila Chai needs high light from a strong planted-tank LED. In weaker light its stems stretch and drop their lower leaves.

Does Hygrophila Chai need root tabs?

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

How do you propagate Hygrophila Chai?

Hygrophila Chai 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 Hygrophila Chai grow?

Hygrophila Chai grows to about 3.9 in (10 cm) tall. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming.

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