Japanese Dwarf Pennywort (Hydrocotyle tripartita var. “Japan”) Tissue Culture

Japanese Dwarf Pennywort is an incredible bright green, hardy carpeting plant that is excellent for almost any planted aquarium!

Japanese Dwarf Pennywort (Hydrocotyle tripartita var. “Japan”) is a very popular foreground and middle ground plant for the serious freshwater planted aquarium. With proper care, this hardy, fast-growing plant can flourish and form a dense carpet in aquariums with high lighting, and it can grow into a bush-like formation in lower lighting.  Its lily pad-like leaves are very elegant and delicate in appearance.

This variety of Japanese Dwarf Pennywort can thrive in low to high lighting. It tends to grow densely and horizontally in high lighting, and it grows much more slowly, loosely, and horizontally in lower lighting. Its trimmings can be replanted to increase the size of the mat. If used for carpeting the aquarium, it should be trimmed weekly to promote horizontal growth. It does not require substrate, but does seem to absorb some of its nutrients through its roots when planted in substrate or attached to another surface. It will also sometimes even grow over rocks and mats. It will also benefit from CO₂ supplementation, but this is not required. In fact, it will require much more frequent trimming when CO₂ supplementation due to the dramatically increased, denser growth rate that such supplementation will promote.

This listing is for the tissue culture form of Japanese Dwarf Pennywort. Tissue cultures are superior to traditional forms of aquarium plants in many ways. They are produced in a completely sterile environment which eliminates the possibility of them carrying pest snails or algae spores. They have a shelf life of several months if properly maintained and they are housed in a nutrient gel until introduced to the aquarium. To introduce a tissue culture plant to the aquarium, simply rinse off as much nutrient gel as possible, then plant as usual. The nutrient gel will not harm your aquarium.  

Like most plants, Japanese Dwarf Pennywort will benefit from supplementation such as Seachem Flourish, Flourish Excel, Flourish Nitrogen, Flourish Iron, and other plant supplements.  

What We Like About This Plant:

• Very prolific growth in ideal conditions
• Easy care, including lighting
• Excellent foreground or middle ground plant
• Provides protective cover for fry and can attach to or cover many surfaces in the aquarium
• Tissue cultures contain no unwanted pest animals or algae

Care Guidelines:

• Temperature: 72° - 82° F (22° - 28° C)
• pH: 6.0 – 7.5
• Lighting: Low to High
• Potential Height: 2 - 4 inches (5 – 10 cm)
• Origin: Indigenous to Southeast Asia and Australia,“cloned” in tissue cultures
• Aquarium Placement: Foreground in high lighting, Foreground to Middle in lower lighting
• Care: Easy
• Growth Rate: Slow

All Aquatic Arts brand plants and animals come with a 100% live arrival guarantee, plus free email support!