Care guides and plant notes
Deep care articles for plants we sell and plants we trust, with practical notes on setup, recovery after shipping, long-term care, and common problems.
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Complete guides
Start with detailed care notes for currently available Bishop Aquatics plants.
Aquatic Plants
Alternanthera Reineckii is a red-purple stem plant for bold color contrast in planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for pink, red, or purple-toned leaves on upright stems; care is built around moderate to high light, CO2: helpful for compact growth, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Amazon Sword is a large rooted rosette plant for classic planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for broad green sword-shaped leaves from a central crown; care is built around moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Ambulia is a fine-textured background stem plant with soft feathery growth. In the aquarium, it is grown for delicate whorled leaves that look airy and bright green; care is built around moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Anubias Barteri Round Leaf is a tough, slow-growing rhizome plant for low-tech aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for thick rounded leaves with a sturdy creeping rhizome; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Christmas Moss is a branching aquarium moss for textured hardscape and shrimp cover. In the aquarium, it is grown for layered fronds that can resemble tiny fir branches when grown well; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Duckweed is a tiny floating plant for shade, nutrient uptake, and live food culture systems. In the aquarium, it is grown for small green floating fronds that multiply into a surface mat; care is built around low to high light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Guppy grass is a fast-growing freshwater aquarium plant that can float, grow as a loose mass, or be lightly anchored. It is especially useful for fry cover, shrimp grazing, beginner planted tanks, and low-tech aquariums.
Aquatic Plants
Hornwort is a rootless floating or loose stem plant for cover and nutrient uptake. In the aquarium, it is grown for branching green stems with fine bristly leaves; care is built around low to high light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Java Fern is a durable rhizome fern for low-tech aquariums and hardscape planting. In the aquarium, it is grown for tough green leaves growing from a creeping rhizome; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Java Moss is a forgiving aquarium moss for fry cover, shrimp grazing, and natural hardscape texture. In the aquarium, it is grown for fine green branching moss that forms mats or loose tufts; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Jungle Val is a tall ribbon-leaf background plant for easy planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for long grassy leaves that wave in the current; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Ludwigia Repens is a classic red-green stem plant for color contrast in planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for oval leaves that can show green, bronze, orange, or red tones; care is built around moderate to high for red color light, CO2: optional, helpful, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Pearl Weed is a bright green aquarium stem plant that can be grown as a trimmed carpet, soft midground bush, or loose background mass. It grows best with moderate to high light, steady nutrients, regular trimming, and optional CO2 for denser growth.
Aquatic Plants
Red Cabomba is a delicate red fan-leaf stem plant for brighter planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for finely divided red to copper fan-shaped submerged leaves; care is built around high light, CO2: strongly helpful, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Red Root Floaters is a red-tinted floating plant that adds shade, nutrient uptake, and surface texture. In the aquarium, it is grown for small floating leaves with reddish roots and stronger red color under bright light; care is built around moderate to high light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Rotala Rotundifolia Red is a colorful stem plant used for red-orange contrast and fast background growth. In the aquarium, it is grown for fine stems with rounder emersed leaves and narrower submerged leaves; care is built around moderate to high for red color light, CO2: optional, helpful for dense growth, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Vesuvius Sword is a curly narrow-leaf sword plant used for movement and sculptural texture. In the aquarium, it is grown for twisted narrow leaves rising from a rosette; care is built around moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Water Sprite is a versatile fern-like aquarium plant that can float or root in the substrate. In the aquarium, it is grown for soft ferny leaves that create open green cover; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Aquatic Plants
Water Wisteria is a fast, forgiving stem plant for nutrient uptake and soft green texture. In the aquarium, it is grown for lace-like divided submerged leaves that differ from emersed nursery leaves; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.
Succulents
Agave Boutin Blue Nova is a blue-gray form of Agave attenuata, grown for its soft-edged rosette, sculptural shape, and easier handling compared with sharper agaves. It wants bright light, fast drainage, careful watering, and protection from frost.
Succulents
Agave pedunculifera is a blue-green, rosette-forming agave with a softer flowing shape than many rigid agaves and visible marginal teeth along the leaves. It is a strong container or dry-garden succulent when grown bright, gritty, and allowed to dry between waterings.
Succulents
Aloe Vera Chinensis is the spotted Chinensis form of Aloe vera, grown as an easy bright-window succulent with compact rosettes, marked leaves, and simple soak-and-dry care.
Cacti
Beavertail cactus, Opuntia basilaris, is a low-growing prickly pear with broad blue-green pads and vivid pink to magenta flowers. It is an easy dryland cactus cutting when the pad is allowed to callus, planted in fast-draining soil, and watered only after the mix dries.
Cacti
Boxing Glove cactus is a cultivated, irregular form of jumping cholla, usually sold under Opuntia fulgida or Cylindropuntia fulgida names. It is grown for swollen, unpredictable stem growth and needs bright light, dry handling, fast-draining soil, and careful spine protection.
Cacti
Echinopsis oxygona, commonly called Easter Lily cactus, is a clumping, ribbed cactus known for large fragrant night-blooming flowers. It is a strong container cactus when grown in bright light, fast-draining soil, and a dry winter rhythm.
Cacti
Eve's Needle is a fast-growing, upright opuntioid cactus with cylindrical green stems, sharp spines, and awl-shaped leaves. It is an easy bright-light cactus cutting when kept dry, warm, and planted in fast-draining soil.
Cacti
Moroccan Mound is a cactus-like Euphorbia with ribbed green stems, short paired spines, and a dense clumping habit. It is grown like a dryland succulent cutting, but its milky sap makes careful handling especially important.
Cacti
Opuntia 'Snow White' is a white-padded prickly pear cactus grown for frosted pale pads, sculptural growth, and pastel pink or violet stress tones in strong light or cool weather. It should be treated like a dryland Opuntia pad cutting: bright light, fast drainage, careful callusing, and dry-down watering.
Cacti
Pinecone cactus is Tephrocactus articulatus, a segmented Argentine cactus known for stacked cone-like joints, dryland toughness, and easy cutting propagation when kept bright, gritty, and dry between waterings.