Anubias Hygrophila polysperma

The less demanding stem plant Hygrophila polysperma, the Indian water friend, comes from Southeast Asia. The 40 to 60cm high plant is perfect for the background of the aquarium and tolerates soft to hard water.

The easy-care Indian water friend Hygrophila polysperma, which is very popular in aquaristics, is ideal for beginners. You can use the ultra-fast growing stem plant from Southeast Asia to combat algae. It is undemanding and takes the nutrients away from the algae.

The robust, beautiful-looking Indian water plant grows quite high but reacts very well to pruning. With regular trimming, the Hygrophila branches out superbly and becomes compact and bushy.

The narrow oval leaves of the Hygrophila polysperma are bright light green. Under a lot of light, the plant grows more compact and the shoot tips turn bronze to reddish. Hygrophila polysperma doesn't need CO2 fertilisation to grow, but with CO2 the plants look stronger and the colours are better.

To make offshoots of Hygrophila polysperma, pinch off 10cm long shoot tips. Put them in the aquarium gravel with a little space between them and create a new group.

Our expert Oliver Knott recommends:
Algae in the aquarium are super annoying, but with fast-growing stem plants that compete with the algae, you can contain them and keep them in check. This is very important, especially in newly set up aquariums. The extremely fast-growing Indian water plant is definitely recommended for this.