Aquarium plant Hydrocotyla tripartita: description and care

Because of its lush, vibrant appearance, Hydrocotyla tripartita, also referred to as Pennywort, is a popular choice among aquarium enthusiasts. This plant is prized for its lovely, rounded leaves that add a lush, green backdrop to any aquarium arrangement.

Hydrocotyla tripartita is a versatile native of tropical regions that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. It’s a great choice for both novice and seasoned aquarists because of how simple it is to maintain. This plant can improve the appearance of your aquatic environment, whether you’re setting up a new tank or just want to add some greenery to an existing one.

We’ll go over the main characteristics of Hydrocotyla tripartita and offer maintenance advice in the sections that follow. This plant can grow and add beauty and health to an aquarium given the proper care.

Description Care
Hydrocotyla tripartita, also known as Pennywort, is a small, low-growing aquatic plant with rounded leaves. It has a lush green appearance and can create a dense carpet in the aquarium. It thrives in medium to high light and prefers a nutrient-rich substrate. Regular trimming helps maintain its shape and prevent overgrowth. It can be grown emersed or submerged, and it benefits from occasional fertilization.

Description of Hydrocotyla tripartita

The creeping herbaceous algae known as three-part shieldweed has tiny, closely spaced leaves. This perennial can be grown in the ground or fixed in place. Furthermore, aquaristics particularly value the latter attribute. Blooms rarely in an aquarium.

The genus Shieldweed contains roughly 90 species that are currently known. The Hydrocotyla tripartita algae does not exist in any selective forms. The vertical and white-headed hydrocotyles are its closest relatives.

Characteristics of appearance:

  • the plant consists of many stems with whorls;
  • 2-3 leaves grow from each whorl;
  • the distance between the whorls is up to 5 cm;
  • the diameter of the leaves is 1-1.5 cm;
  • each leaf is divided into 3 parts, so the plant looks like clover;
  • the leaves are located on long stalks, horizontally;
  • the height of the alga is up to 10 cm;
  • the color of the leaves in favorable conditions is bright green;
  • flowers are dense, small, yellow-white;
  • algae growth rate is average.

Soil is not necessary for hydrocotyle tripartita in theory. The shoots that are nearest to the ground typically take root. The plant is better suited for medium shots because it does not create thick carpets.

Hydrocotyle stems propagate along the water’s thickness rather than the surface. As a result, it is advised to gently press the algae to the bottom when planting it using a tiny stone or snag. A little bunch will soon grow into an opulent bush.

Origin and habitat in nature

Three-part shieldwort grows in areas that receive regular moisture and reservoirs. Southeast Asian tropical regions serve as the algae’s home. Fresh waters with consistent temperatures are ideal for pennywort growth.

Where Hydrocotyla tripartita is found in aquatic systems:

  • ponds;
  • lakes;
  • muddy and swampy water areas;
  • rivers with a slight current.

While some experts claim that aquaristics has been using this plant for almost a century, others contend that pennywort usage only started to gain traction at the start of the twenty-first century. Another theory holds that this plant was originally found thousands of years ago in reservoirs in Japan.

In any case, pennywort is a very common aquatic plant that is frequently used in aquarium design today, regardless of the time of use or discovery.

Life expectancy

Hydrocotyla tripartita is a member of the perennial algae family. Its longevity is primarily influenced by care and living circumstances. A well-maintained environment will allow the plant to safely survive for four to ten years.

Benefits for an aquarium

The pennywort in aquariums serves as a great hiding place for fish and other aquarium occupants. Small fish benefit greatly from the shelter provided by this algae. However, the Hydrocotyla tripartita’s primary purpose is decorative.

From the tripartita of pennywort, you can obtain:

  • lush, highly decorative thickets that allow you to create real "underwater gardens";
  • ground cover carpets that cover large areas of the bottom;
  • separate bushes and spherical figures.

The hydrocotyla tripartita is a low-maintenance aquarium plant. The primary goal of growing it is to create an environment that encourages the growth of lovely, balanced leaves. Lack of nourishment causes them to droop and lose their striking appearance, which is why the pennywort tripartita is prized.

Suitable water parameters

The hydrocotyla’s appearance and overall health are directly impacted by water parameters. You can keep the algae’s aesthetic appeal at a respectable level by adhering to the suggested guidelines.

Suggested water parameters:

  • optimal temperature range — +22…+26°C;
  • maximum allowable temperature — +30°C;
  • hardness — low, at the level of 1-7 dGH;
  • acidity — 6.6-7.4 pH (low).

It is required to change 25–30% of the aquarium’s water each week.

Aquarium size

There are no specific aquarium size requirements for Hydrocotyla tripartita algae. This plant grows just as well in large containers as it does in tiny reservoirs. What matters most is that the water has the ideal growing conditions.

What kind of soil is needed?

Although shieldweed does not require soil, there are certain conditions that must be met because it is used in aquariums. The absence of sharp edges is the primary requirement. They can easily harm the algae’s fragile roots.

Ideal soil composition for hydrocotyla tripartita

  • coarse-grained sand;
  • fine gravel;
  • small round pebbles;
  • combined soil from the above components.

Silted soil is preferred. It is advised to place tiny lumps of charcoal, peat, or clay beneath the roots.

Lighting

The way the peltula looks depends on the quality of the lighting. The brighter the leaves and more attractive the algae, the closer the created conditions are to the ideal ones. Combining fluorescent lights with regular incandescent bulbs is advised as it produces the best results for lush growth.

What makes peltula lighting unique?

  • length of daylight – 12 hours;
  • brightness – 0.5-1.5 W / l.

Lack of light is far more detrimental to hydrocotyla than iron or potassium deficiency, which are microelements necessary for peltula growth.

The most expensive component of aquarium equipment is lighting. Installing a construction spotlight above the aquarium is the least expensive option. They are currently made thin and attractive, which makes them perfect for the task at hand in addition to looking lovely.

Professional lighting for an aquarium with 100 liters costs much more—between 10 and 50 thousand rubles or more. Suggestioned brands: Tetra, ISTA, and Laguna.

Aeration and filtering

Carbon dioxide dissolved in water is essential for a thyroid gland. A concentration of 8–10 mg/l is ideal. You don’t need aeration equipment if the aquarium contains water organisms in addition to algae because the carbon dioxide they release will be sufficient.

Tripartite hydrocolys is adversely affected by pollution and favors clean water. The plant is particularly damaging to the leaf raid because it degrades the internal condition of the leaves in addition to their external appearance.

A strong filtration system aids in preventing thyroid gland deterioration and aquarium water pollution. His consistent efforts will keep everything tidy and healthy.

Top dressing

Growing hydrocotyla tripartita extracts minerals from the water; to make up for this deficiency, liquid fertilizers and mineral supplements are added to the aquarium every three to four months.

For ornamental plants, you cannot use ordinary fertilizers; instead, you need specialized fertilizers, such as:

  • Tetra PlantaMin — there is a lot of iron, which promotes the accumulation of chlorophyll;
  • Zoomir Uniflor Aqua — the additive improves growth and destroys blue-green algae;
  • Zoomir Aquadar — humic organic fertilizer for the development of algae and the prevention of many diseases;
  • Tetra PlantaPro Macro — replenishes the deficiency of phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen;
  • PlantaPro Micro — a source of fast-acting vitamins and microelements;
  • Aquabalance Bio-carbon — used when full aeration is impossible.

How to plant a plant?

Three-part shieldweed will grow into the soil if it is spread out along the bottom or dug into the ground. The plant can be left in the water column if the design prevents it from taking root.

Shield-leaved plants are typically placed on the ground and crushed with stones rather than being dug in. Hydrocotyle can also be "planted" during trimming; if the cut stems are left in the water column, a tidy green "island" will soon form if they are not fixed.

Compatibility with other plants and inhabitants

For the shield-leaved plant, harmless herbivorous fish pose the biggest threat. It is they who cheerfully pick the tender green foliage of the submerged "clover." Verify that the plant is compatible with the surrounding population before adding it to the aquarium.

Shield-leaved plants will coexist peacefully with:

  • predatory fish;
  • small shrimp;
  • danio;
  • small barbs;
  • labyrinth fish;
  • viviparous pecilia;
  • guppies;
  • labeo;
  • angelfish;
  • loaches;
  • mollies.

However, Hydrocotyla tripartita is easier to deal with in terms of plants; it happily coexists with most algae in the same aquarium.

Peltulas shouldn’t be placed in aquariums that contain:

  • tilapias;
  • goldfish;
  • large catfish;
  • large characin fish;
  • tetragonopterus;
  • cichlids – Malawian and African;
  • large barbs.

Keeping ampullaria snails in an aquarium with a peltula is strictly discouraged.

Diseases

Although Hydrocotyla tripartita is not a sickly plant, it can become sick and even become impacted by pests in certain unfavorable conditions.

How and what causes the three-part peltula to become ill:

  • Stops growing and developing — due to a lack of carbon dioxide in the water or a violation of the acid-base balance.
  • Holes appear on the leaves, then they turn yellow and fall off — this happens due to a lack of phosphorus and potassium.
  • The appearance deteriorates — the stems stretch out, the leaves become smaller and turn pale. The reason is a lack of light.
  • The plant withers, withers — most likely, the water parameters do not meet the requirements.
  • The leaves are covered with a white coating — lime probably settles on them due to a lack of carbon dioxide in the water.
  • Leaves turn red or yellow — the plant lacks nitrogen.
  • Leaves turn yellow at the edges — due to calcium deficiency.

Reproduction

The shield-leaved plant reproduces on its own without the aquarist’s assistance. It actively multiplies, taking up the entire available volume. Lateral shoot trimming is done to prevent algae from spreading too far throughout the aquarium.

The shield-leaved plant can be reproduced by cutting off portions of it. Although it is preferable to have multiple nodes, the cut stem should have at least one. It is advised to gently bury them in the ground rather than pressing down on them with stones.

Design ideas with hydrocotyle

Considered a versatile aquarium plant that can be used to create a multitude of designs is the three-part shield-leaved plant.

Aquarists undervalue the hydrocotyle tripartita as a decorative piece. It is one of the few aquatic plants that can grow well without taking up roots in the ground, and this characteristic is very useful for aquarium decoration.

Using the peltula in aquarium design options include:

  • decorating stones and driftwood;
  • creating an island on the surface of the water;
  • a green carpet spreading along the bottom;
  • using instead of moss.

Because hydrocotyla responds well to pruning, you can shape it into a multitude of shapes. The plant doesn’t grow very quickly, but in the right circumstances, it can be readily restored and soon takes on a lovely, orderly appearance.

How much does the plant cost and where to buy it?

Peltula tripartita is available for purchase in a number of online retailers with a related focus in addition to stores that sell aquarium accessories. The cost of the plant varies and is determined by the vendor.

Hydrocotyla tripartita cost:

  • cuttings – 90-100 rubles.;
  • small bush – 150-220 rubles.;
  • adult, lushly overgrown plant – 250-500 rubles.

The plant is carefully packaged and mailed to the recipient in online stores.

The three-lobed pennywort, or Hydrocotyla tripartita, is a well-liked aquarium plant that is noted for its lovely, rounded leaves and deep green hue. This plant is a fantastic option for both novice and seasoned aquarists because it is low maintenance and can adapt to different tank conditions. It also does well in a variety of lighting and water settings. Its distinct characteristics, growth patterns, and useful advice for maintaining its health and vibrancy in your aquarium will all be covered in this article.

Interesting facts

Hydrocotyla tripartita is the smallest member of the Pennywort family and possesses several distinctive characteristics.

Fascinating details about pennywort

  • It is often classified as a groundcover alga, but this is incorrect. Hydrocotyla has a completely different principle of vegetation. It can be said about it – "hovers in the thickness of the water".
  • The plant grows not only in an aquarium environment, it can be cultivated in humid greenhouses and paludariums. Pennywort can even be grown in pots filled with substrate.
  • Hydrocotyla blooms in water and air. In summer, the plant produces a long arrow from a whorl, topped with a basket with 6-9 buds.
  • Aquarium Hydrocotyla can be cultivated in greenhouses and paludariums without special preparation. But the reverse process requires a special approach. Bushes grown outside the water, when transplanted into an aquarium, they are not immediately immersed in water. The plant is first left on the surface of the water – so that it adapts. Here it is kept until a couple of new leaves appear.

The adaptable and lovely plant Hydrocotyla tripartita can significantly improve the aesthetics of any aquarium. It looks good in both small and large tanks because of its compact growth habit and delicate, rounded leaves. Depending on where it is placed and trimmed, this plant can be a charming foreground or midground feature, adding a lush, green touch to aquascapes.

Hydrocotyla tripartita needs a stable environment, nutrient-rich substrate, and adequate lighting to thrive. It needs regular fertilizer and grows best in environments with moderate to high light levels. Maintaining steady water conditions with a pH between slightly acidic and neutral

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Elena Grishina

Ecologist and aquarist with a special interest in creating balanced ecosystems in aquariums. Main focus — ecosystems that require minimal human intervention. I support a natural approach to aquarium care, where each element plays its role, helping to maintain harmony in a closed ecosystem. I promote sustainable aquarium keeping and respect for nature.

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