Pogostemon Stellatus
Pogostemon Stellatus (Water Star or Octopus) originates in Southeast Asia to northwestern Australia, growing in swampy wetlands and stream edges. A hardy aquarium plant that spreads rapidly and requires a lot of trimming to keep it from taking over a tank. It makes a good background plant, providing grazing and hiding places for tank inhabitants (fish, shrimp, snails), forming a beautiful backdrop that can grow to the height of most home aquariums. It's common name, Water Star, comes from the star-like crown at the end of the stem, and it's other name, Octopus, comes from its fine leaves that spread out like tentacles.
- Scientific name: Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus
- Plant type: Stem plant, rooting in substrate, frequent trimming to keep under control, can grow to height of most tanks unless trimmed
- Water parameters:
- pH range: 6.5 to 7.5, but can adapt to a wider range (6.0 to 8.0)
- Temperature range: 60F to 80F, though it can survive in cooler water down to 41F with significantly slowed growth
- Water hardness: 0 to 10 dGH (0-180 ppm), 0 to 8 dKH (0-143 ppm), adapts to both soft and harder water
- Stability, consistency more important than chasing any "perfect" numbers
- CO2 requirements: Recommended for bushier, healthier growth
- Substrate preference: Almost any substrate, sand, gravel, but nutrient rich aqua soil is best
- Nutrient requirements: Heavy nutrient user, helps control tank nitrate levels, while it can root in substrate, it is also an efficient water column feeder, so regular liquid fertilization is helpful, nutrition deficiency causes leggy growth and loss of lower leaves, root tabs can also help once any aqua soil nutrients become depleted
- Lighting
- High light encourages more variegated coloration, yellows, oranges, reds at the top nearest to the light source
- Medium to low light brings out greens all the way through, low light may cause leaves to drop off on lower stem levels due to insufficient light reaching them
- Water flow: Moderate, gentle but thorough with good CO2 and nutrient distribution, airstone for oxygen at night
- Propagation: Pogostemon propagates easily by planting stem cuttings in the substrate, where they quickly root and grow new shoots, while the parent plant also branches out where cut for trimming, cut above an internode (where leaves meet the stem) and replant the top section or a small bunch of stems into substrate to grow new plants
- Filtration: Clean water is essential, with proper balance of nutrients, oxygen, co2, moderate to high light, like most aquatic plants, weekly 25% water changes, monitor water conditions regularly
- Acclimation period and getting established
- In the first week expect to see leaves falling off (melting) which is normal as it adapts to the tank parameters and begins putting down roots
- In the first couple of weeks roots usually shoot out before any height gains
- Within 2 to 4 weeks stems begin growing faster, potentially reaching the water surface, depending on the ecosystem
- After 1 month the plants should be getting established, showing good growth, may need pruning to prevent over crowding
- Factors influencing growth rate
- Adding CO2 speeds up growth and enhances color
- Medium to high light encourages vibrant growth, but excessive light can cause fading
- Good aqua soil substrate, root tabs, and liquid fertilizer fuel faster growth
- Stable water parameters with cycled tank are crucial for fast, healthy growth
- Summary:
- During first couple of weeks plants focus on establishing roots, and some initial melting should be expected
- Within 3 to 4 weeks growth should start taking off
- Plants should be getting well established after a month, and can add as much as 1/2 inch of growth per day, requiring weekly trimming