Eriocaulon sp. "Goiás"

According to the APC Plant Finder (www.aquaticplantcentral.com), the following conditions are beneficial: plenty of light (0.75+ watts per litre), a high CO2 concentration (30 mg/l), a nutrient-rich, acidic substrate rich in nitrate and phosphate, as well as a rather low pH value and soft water. But as already mentioned under "General", Eriocaulon sp. "Goiás" has proved not too difficult to keep compared with some other Eriocaulon species.

Eriocaulon sp. "Goiás" is a moderately slow-growing plant. Once it is well established and growing well, it can be taken out of the aquarium every one to two months to propagate it by division. With a sharp blade or scissors a cut is made at the point where two daughter rosettes sit together, and the plant is then divided into two separate plants. Old specimens that are left alone form, over time, a broad clump with many daughter rosettes.

This Eriocaulon regularly forms inflorescences even under water. If the flower heads remain submerged in deeper water, adventitious plantlets develop instead of flowers, often several per flower head. When these have become strong enough, they can be cut off together with the flower head and planted in the substrate.

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This Eriocaulon species is often used in aquariums together with plants of the genera Tonina or Syngonanthus, as it requires similar growing conditions. With its grass-like, overhanging leaves and its impressive size, it makes a great focal point in the aquarium and deserves more attention in aquascaping.

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