TankBud

Tonina fluviatilis

Also known as Tonina, Paepalanthus fluviatilis

FreshwaterStemSide shootsCuttings

Tonina fluviatilis (Tonina fluviatilis)
Vitro Culture · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
68–86°F
20–30°C
Max height
13.8 in
35 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Background
Type
Stem
pH
5.0–7.0
Hardness
0–8 dGH
Spread
2 in (5 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Eriocaulaceae
Origin
Southern Mexico and Central America through northern South America (Amazon basin), plus Cuba and Trinidad

Overview

Tonina fluviatilis is a softwater background plant rated difficult, and it can grow submersed or emersed.

Did you know

Tonina fluviatilis looks like a stem plant but is really a pipewort. That makes it a relative of Eriocaulon and Syngonanthus rather than of true stem plants like Rotala.

Caring for Tonina fluviatilis

Strip the lower leaves from each stem of Tonina fluviatilis and push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart. It needs high light and injected CO2. In weaker light its stems stretch and drop their lower leaves.

Keep the water soft, with a KH of 4 or less and a low to moderate GH, or its growth points stunt. It feeds through both roots and leaves, so use root tabs as well as steady liquid dosing of iron and micros. Never let nitrate or phosphate bottom out to zero. It grows at 68 to 86°F (20 to 30°C) and a pH of 5 to 7.

It grows at a medium pace to about 14 in (35 cm). Propagate it from healthy side shoots a few centimeters long. You can also cut off the top of a stem and replant it, and the stump grows new shoots.

Good to know

Tonina fluviatilis belongs to the family Eriocaulaceae. Its genus is monotypic, so T. fluviatilis is the only species in Tonina. It grows whorls of narrow leaves around an upright stem. Several regional variants circulate with different leaf sizes and occasional variegation. It has also been called Paepalanthus fluviatilis.

In the wild

Tonina fluviatilis ranges from southern Mexico and Central America through the northern Amazon basin, and it also grows in Cuba and Trinidad. It lives in shallow, slow-moving blackwater streams and pools, often as floating or emergent mats. The water there is very soft, acidic and stained with tannins.

Common questions

Does Tonina fluviatilis 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 Tonina fluviatilis need CO2?

Yes. Tonina fluviatilis needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Tonina fluviatilis need?

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

Does Tonina fluviatilis need root tabs?

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

How do you propagate Tonina fluviatilis?

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

How tall does Tonina fluviatilis grow?

Tonina fluviatilis grows to about 13.8 in (35 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.

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