Among many aquatic plants, one species impressed aquascapers particularly- it’s eriocaulon cinereum. This very decorative plant is quite easy to grow butwhen fertilized with micronutrients and carbon dioxide. Of course it will grow without them but not so fast and the coloration will certainly be weaker that’s why it’s found as difficult to grow among the community.
In nature, this species can be found all over the world. It’s a rosette plant which grows from 3 up to 10 cm. Due to its small size, the plant is a great choice for the front site of the tank. Moreover, the leaves of other plants in the aquarium will beautifully contrast with eriocaulon’s leaves resembling needles. Another advantage of using this plant for the foreground is that it blooms when all requirements are fulfilled. It’s growth rate is low so fertilising with CO2 will surely soar it. It likes very soft to soft water.
Planting
In the case of rosette plants, new cuttings are formed by dividing the shoot or by separating the side shoots from the mother plant. The prepared seedling should be placed directly in the substrate. Eriocaulon cinereum presents itself well as a single seedling, as an accent in an arrangement or in a larger group. A 4-5 cm gap between seedlings should be maintained to ensure that the plant receives a constant supply of light to the lower part of the leaves. This little plant requires a fertile substrate to develop well as it extracts most of its nutrients through its extensive root system. The root system of this species can survive three times longer than the leaves.
Trimming
Trimming is not complicated (if you have a long arm ;) ) because all you have to do is to remove old leaves. Once a month the plant can be uprooted for reproduction. After removing the plant from the ground, with a sharp tool, make an incision in the rhizome of the rosette, where the plants meet.
CO2 injection
As eriocaulon cinereum is considered as a difficult-to-grow plant, carbon dioxide fertilizing is almost necessary. Its level should be high- 20-30 mg/l.
Lighting
This plant requires strong lighting (over 0,5W/l).
Temperature
This species has quite a wide temperature range- 18-30 Celsius degrees.
Although eriocaulon cinereum is a demanding plant, its presence among the arrangement is a cherry on top. If you decide to plant it in the foreground it’s worth combining it with reddish species e.g. Ludwigia repens. To sum up, if you maintain three factors on required levels (CO2 injection, lighting and fertilized substrate), the plant should be a great decoration in your tank. When these conditions are met, the plant produces beautiful golden leaves.
