Ammannia pedicellata

Nesaea pedicellata is a true African. There you can find this rather pale-coloured plant in temporary puddles and bogs. It becomes only gradually available for aquarium hobbyists even though it has been known since 1980.

A healthy N. pedicellata sprouts long light green leaves from an orange to light red stem. As its leaves look very much like those of Ammania one of its vernacular names is "yellow Ammania". N. pedicellata does well under medium light, and does not necessarily require a nutrient-rich substrate. However, if it suffers from a deficiency (especially nitrate) it takes a long time to bounce back. Thus a regular fertilisation with micro and macronutrients is highly recommendable. N. pedicellata as well as other Nesaea spp. are suspected to react susceptible to elevated doses of potassium. Even though CO2 injection is not necessarily required, it is recommendable as the plant tends to grow shorter internodes and develop an overall bushier, more attractive look then. N. pedicellata may also be grown emersed, e.g. in a moist terrarium, and is easy to handle there. When grown emersed, this plant sports a dark green foliage and thin light red stems.

Propagating N. pedicellata is easily done by cuttings of top or lateral shoots. The newly planted shoots may be slow to grow but can be sped up with regular nutrient doses.

Its inconspicuous colouring makes N. pedicellata an ideal aquascaping plant for subtle layouts. Due to its large size, this species is generally suitable for the middle- and background of larger tanks from 190 l on.