Blyxa Japonica Overview

Introduction

Blyxa japonica is a very popular aquatic plant among the aquarium fish keepers due to its attractive, grass like, bushy habit. It is also known as bamboo plant, Japanese Bamboo Plant and Dwarf Asian Grass. It is native to slow moving, iron-rich forest streams in tropical eastern Asia. In the wild it occurs in stagnant shallow pools, ponds, ditches, rice paddies and marshes.  This plant is commonly used in aquariums and in outdoor water gardens. It is used as a mid-ground plant for a larger tank due to its hedge like appearance. It is often paired with other foreground plants for looking more attractive such as Glossostigma elatinoides and Hemianthus callitrichoides.

Overview of Blyxa japonica (Japanese Bamboo Plant)

Blyxa japonica is an attractive grass-like plant with around 20 cm tall. It is ideal for foreground or even mid-ground in a smaller aquarium. It is also used as a background plant in nano tanks.  It has a short stem with long slender leaves that arise from an internal structure of short stem which giving the plant a rosette like appearance. This plant is an Aquascaper’s dream, providing a good transition between taller stem plants and shorter foreground species. It is simple, but provide graceful appearance which enhances almost any style of Aquascape. Blyxa japonica is a welcome contrast to small-leaved foreground plants like Glossostigma elatinoides. For optimum growth, it needs some basic requirements such as intense lighting, CO2 injection and fertilization including nitrate, phosphate, potassium, and micronutrient supplementation. It can easily propagate by cutting in the aquarium condition with proper care.

Characteristics of Blyxa japonica (Dwarf Asian Grass)

Scientific name: Blyxa japonica

Common name: Bamboo plant, Japanese Bamboo Plant and Dwarf Asian Grass

Origin: Eastern Asia

Placement: Mid-ground

Propagation: By cutting

Height:   7-15 cm (3-6 inch)

Water pH: 5.0-7.0

Water Hardness: 2-12 dGH

Temperature: 73.4 – 80.60F (23 – 27 0C)

Lighting: Moderate

Growth: Medium

Care level: Moderate

History

Blyxa japonica was originally described in 1889. It was first introduced to the hobby in the early 1900 century. Today it is a beautiful aquatic plant that has gained widespread popularity in the hobby of aquascaping planted tanks over the last five to ten years.  It belongs to the family Hydrocharitaceae under order Alismatales of class Liliopsida. Synonyms of this species are Blyxa laevissima Hayata and Hydrilla japonica Miq.

Use Cases

Blyxa japonica is a great plant for Aquascaping. It does well in the mid-ground and foreground of a larger aquarium or a background in a smaller tank. It grows easily in aquarium condition with proper care. The tank should have good water chemistry with a pH of 5.0-7.0, hardness of 2-12 dGH and a temperature of 73.4 – 80.60F (23 – 27 0C). The tank should also have intense lighting in the range of 2-4 watts per gallon with CO2 injection and a fertilization regimen including nitrate, phosphate, potassium, and micronutrient supplementation with fine substrate. Under sufficient light condition the plant shows golden and reddish hues and a more compact growth habit. It produces small white flowers at the end of the short stalks under high phosphate levels. In low light environment, this plant grows taller and greener while in high light and high CO2 environment, Blyxa Japonica produces golden leaves. This plant develops a very large root system if nutritious bottom substrates are available.

Blyxa Japonica is a very beautiful plant in the planted aquarium hobby due to its attractive grassy, hedge-like appearance. It shows more beauty and can be used in the foreground or mid-ground area of the planted aquarium. It is available in local pet shops or online vendor. You can easily obtain from many online retailers and traders from home. If you want to purchase this gorgeous plant with the reasonable prices from home, look below online vendor and ask them the details about the plant to supply. I highly recommend to buy this plant due to its aesthetic beauty and easy care for.

Blyxa japonica is a short stem plant with extremely dense leaves. Propagation is done by cutting side shoots or stem in the aquarium condition with proper care. It produces basal side shoots which can easily be divided from the main plant using sharp pair of scissors. During planting simply cut or separate the side shoots and push into the substrate away from the mother plant. New cuttings are very buoyant that tend to float up. In this case a little lead weighting may assist in keeping them secure appropriately. After a few days each cutting develops root system and produces new plants. For optimum growth, it needs some basic requirements such as intense lighting, CO2injection and fertilization including nitrate, phosphate, potassium, and micronutrient supplementation.