Growing Bucephalandra | Bucephalandra care & info

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Mari

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bucephalandra

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There are few plants that captivate aquarists like Bucephalandra seems to. This slow grower is available in many different types, each with its own leaf shape, size, and color. All species look great in an aquarium, require similar care, and can be grown by anyone with knowledge of their requirements (and a bit of patience).

Keep reading for everything you need to know about Bucephalandra care and growing Bucephalandra in your own aquarium!

Minimum tank sizeN/A
Care levelEasy
PlacementOn hardscape
Temperature71-82.5 °F/21.5-28 °C
pH6-7.5

Name

Because of their recent introduction into the aquatic hobby, species of the Bucephalandra genus do not tend to have common names. Since 1858, more than 30 species have been described.

Natural Habitat

Species of Bucephalandra are rheophytic aquatic plants, meaning they can survive in extreme conditions where most other plants and organisms cannot. Many species of this plant can naturally be found in the tropical rainforests of Borneo. Here, they grow in a way that’s similar to Anubias: on rocks and driftwood in streams and rivers. During the dry season, the water level drops and the plants grow emersed (above the waterline). When the rainy season rolls around, they are flooded and continue growing submersed.

This means that you can plant Bucephalandra in your aquariums and terrariums!

Identification

Bucephalandra comes in many variations, with varying leaf shapes, sizes, and thicknesses and can be spotted growing in and out of the water. The tops of the leaves tend to be glossy, with colors ranging between blue and green while the bottoms of these leaves feature identifiable white, red, or yellow spots. Another way to distinguish this plant is by looking at its creeping root system.

These aquatic plants can reach a full size of 10 inches (25 cm), though this is unlikely as they have been shown to display slow growth. Like flowering plants, they may also bloom white or pink flowers from time to time.

Bucephalandra

Planting Bucephalandra

To plant your new Bucephalandra in your tank, you’ll need rocks, driftwood, or a large-grained substrate type. Because they are rheophytes, they use a strong root system to anchor themselves in high water flow and aren’t very well adapted to growing in soil. Instead, their roots are very effective at anchoring onto any surface they encounter; the more porous the better: I prefer to plant my Bucephalandra on lava rock.

To attach your Buce, simply make sure it doesn’t fall off before the roots are able to take hold. A rubber band, some super glue, or fishing wire should work well to secure the plant. You’ll be amazed at how quickly it takes hold! After just a few weeks, you’ll have to give the plant quite a tug to remove it from its anchor point.

Bucephalandra requirements

If you prefer undemanding aquarium plants, you’re in luck here: Bucephalandra species don’t require much to survive.

  • Light. The amount of light recommended for this plant depends mostly on what you want to do with it. If it’s just for decorative purposes, low light will work just fine. It will grow very slowly and you won’t see very intense coloration, but it will still do well. If you want quicker growth and better coloration, you’ll need a medium to high light.
  • Nutrients. As with light, you won’t need to dose nutrients or CO2 if you’re not looking to grow massive clumps of Bucephalandra quickly. However, this plant does love CO2 and appreciates nutrient dosing, so if you have the opportunity to set up a system for this, you’ll definitely see better results.
  • Propagation. The more, the merrier. Especially with expensive plants like these! Propagating Bucephalandra is pretty easy, as new plants will form by themselves along the rhizome. Just cut and re-attach plantlets to rock or driftwood to create a whole new plant. Fresh growth should appear soon (depending on your light, CO2, and nutrients). Not seeing any plantlets yet? Try waiting a little bit longer and/or tweaking your care to encourage lusher growth.
How to grow Bucephalandra: the most beautiful aquarium plant!
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Problems with Bucephalandra

Although Bucephalandra is relatively easy to grow, there are a few common problems that you might run into:

  • Emersed vs submersed. The most common issue with Buces is that they might not always be cultivated in water. If you take an emersed plant and place it in your tank, you can expect some of the leaves to melt. Don’t panic: unless rot occurs, your Bucephalandra should bounce back soon enough with new leaves.
  • Changing conditions. Even if your Bucephalandra hasn’t been switched from emersed to submersed, it can still react badly to changing water conditions or light intensities. This plant doesn’t like sudden swings in temperature or water values and will drop some or even almost all of its leaves when this happens. It may also take some time for your plant to acclimate to your lighting; changes from low to high lighting or vice versa may make it lose its leaves for the first few weeks. Again, do not panic. As long as everything else is in order, new leaves should regrow eventually.
  • Stretching, disappointing coloration. If a Bucephalandra isn’t growing as you’d like it to, re-check the amount of light you’re providing. A stretchy (etiolated) plant can be an indication that things are just not bright enough to keep it happy. Low light conditions can also influence your Buce’s color, which can be quite disappointing as its coloration is one of the reasons aquarists love this plant so much.

Buying Bucephalandra

Bucephalandra is a relatively new addition to the aquarium hobby but it has become pretty widely available in the last few years. Keep in mind that there are many different types out there and taxonomy isn’t as orderly as it could be; names might not always be accurate. Some of the more popular varieties, like Bucephalandra sp. “Green Wavy,” are relatively cheap while others can go for crazy prices!

If you’re looking to buy Bucephalandra, you can try your local fish store, but they might carry a very limited range or none at all. The Internet is usually a better option and there are tons of sellers out there. For example, you can easily order your new Bucephalandra through Amazon here!

Conclusion

Bucephalandra is a great up and coming plant that can be added to either your fish tank or your terrarium! The variation in leaves between species gives lots of options while their low care requirements make them perfect for any already existing tank or future stocking list.

Here is a tank covered in all varieties of Bucephalandra, with leaves of red and green; also look at the root system!


If you have any more questions about growing Bucephalandra or want to share your own experiences with this fascinating aquarium plant, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

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10 thoughts on “Growing Bucephalandra | Bucephalandra care & info”

  1. Hi!
    Im setting up a tank that is deadicated to buce, should i use aqua soil Under the substrste/lava Stones? Or no aqua soil and only add fertilizers lika adas green stuff?

    Thanks magnus

    Reply
    • Hey Mange!

      Bucephalandra actually do better when anchored to a surface rather than planted in the substrate. Fertilizer is good if you have other plants in the tank, but Buces have a slow growth rate overall and might not be able to take up those fertilizers quickly which can lead to algae.

      Reply
  2. Hi ,

    I have started growing Buce immersed, but its not doing great . Giving them grow lights for 10 hours , spraying water with nutrients twice a day . soil is ECA . can you pls tell me what fertilizer can i use while spraying ? i am really upset with the rotting of my lovely buce .
    pls help

    Reply
    • Hi Timple!
      Sorry to hear about your Buce :-(. I’m a little confused, though. Do you mean to say that your plant is emersed? Emersed would mean that the plant has grown above the waterline; immersed would mean that the plant is completely covered by water at all times.
      Since you’re spraying nutrients, I am assuming that you meant emersed. In which case, you will just need to keep the tank humidified and at higher temperatures. Emersed buce’s have been known to have lighter colored leaves than submersed ones. They are also very temperamental and if you’ve just recently made the change from submersed to emersed, the plant may be melting temporarily. Prune as needed.
      In terms of fertilizers, if the other plants in your tank are doing well, then you probably don’t need additional nutrients. 10 hours is also a little on the long side for a photoperiod, maybe try cutting back to 8.

      Reply
    • Hi Bruce!
      Bucephalandra tends to grow in very low-tech systems just fine. However, discus need to be kept at higher temperatures that are slightly out of Bucephalandra’s comfortable range. From reading hobbyist’s experiences though, it seems like some have had luck regardless of the differing temperature range! I would try maybe one plant and see how it does.
      Let us know how it goes if you decide to get one!

      Reply
  3. Que interesante este tema siempre me han gustado mucho las BUCEPHALANDRA tengo una pequeña, acá en mi país es muy difícil conseguirlas y sobre todo importar, no hay buena cobertura para traerlas y los que tienen esta bella planta las venden a unos precios de diamantes rojos.

    Reply
    • Que pena! Cuál país es? Supongo que la mejor opción sería importar algunas y cultivarlas tu mismo para luego poder venderlas a un precio más justo.

      Reply
    • Hi aquriadise,

      Really thankful for the information about bucephalandra emersed to submersed.

      I just bought many types of bucephalandra, my tank no co2 but have fertilizer liquid (Seachem Flourish) and good lighting, about two weeks some of the bucephalandra leaves starting decaying and the shrimp love to eat it, this problem come out make me feel panic and money fly away~so i do google search and seen your blog about bucephalandra care.

      Now i feel better~just give some time for they grow new leaves.

      Thank for the information.

      Reply
      • Hi Thimm,
        I’m happy to hear that your plants are starting to grow back. This hobby is all about patience (and sometimes leaving things alone to correct themselves, even though it’s very hard to do!).
        I hope your plants continue to be happy :-).

        Reply

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