The plant is known as Hydrocotyle tripartita ‘Mini’ (6″ x 4″ MAT) in various plant forums. It is a South-East Asian variant of Hydrocotyle tripartita. It has fast, compact growth and small, bright green leaves on vertical stems. The plant forms a carpet (5-10 cm tall), and its compact growth can be aided by physically pressing the carpet with your hand while maintaining your aquarium (mechanical retardation). Carpet formation and compact growth thrive in bright light.
Hydrocotyle tripartita ‘Mini’ (6″ x 4″ MAT), also known as Hydrocotyle Japan in the aquarium trade, has been in the hobby for a number of years and is popular among aquascaping enthusiasts due to its attractive foliage and ease of care. It has green lobed leaves that resemble terrestrial clover plants. Hydrocotyle triparta spreads quickly via runners. Trimming the plant or allowing it to bunch up allows it to form dense mats. It is sometimes used as a carpeting plant, but it is more commonly used as a midground bush.
Hydrocotyle tripartita grows very well in CO2 injected tanks. In most cases, its rapid growth rates and the fact that its runners will spread wherever they can make it a difficult plant to keep in place. It can be grown in non-CO2 injected tanks, but the clumps will be thinner and less dense. The plant can be planted in the substrate, but it also grows well when attached to hardscape. It can be glued or tangled into cracks in rocks, and the roots will eventually entangle on the hardscape. The benefit of using it on hardscape is that it grows more slowly, making it easier to control. Hydrocotyle tripartita grows on the extreme left and right sides of bare rock. It is also used on the top of the middle tree trunk, where it is planted directly into the wood.
Important success factors include:
Light levels should be at least medium.
Regular all-around fertilisation is required because, as a fast grower, it can develop pale leaves if fertilisation is insufficient.
The addition of CO2 makes this plant much easier to grow; without it, the leaves are smaller and the clumps are less dense.
Water parameters are not important to me.
Pruning and propagation:
When growth conditions are favourable, Hydrocotyle tripartita spreads rapidly through runners. If the aquarist does not want the plant to spread to a specific area, runners should be cut as soon as they appear. Each leaf stalk with a root can be separated and planted separately. During propagation, the entire stem, leaf, and root portions must be preserved. Older leaves may deteriorate, yellowing or being attacked by algae as the clump grows; these should be removed during trimming. Because of the plant’s rapid propagation rate, deep pruning; removing old growth while replanting the top fresh shoots is simple.
Is CO2 required by Hydrocotyle Tripartita?
Hydrocotyle tripartita ‘Mini’ (6″ x 4″ MAT) grows very well in CO2 injected tanks. In most cases, its rapid growth rates and the fact that its runners will spread wherever they can make it a difficult plant to keep in place. It can be grown in non-CO2 injected tanks, but the clumps will be thinner and less dense.
Is soil required for Hydrocotyle Tripartita?
It grows very aggressively when rooted in nutritious substrate, so growing it on hardscape is preferable because it can be easily controlled with frequent pruning, forming a nice dense bush over repeated trimming cycles. Although it is a simple plant to grow, it thrives in CO2 injected tanks.
Does Hydrocotyle Tripartita require a lot of light?
Because Hydrocotyle tripartita is native to Australia and is found in shallow water near the water’s edge, this plant requires medium to high light to thrive in an aquarium.
