Bacopa caroliniana
Thick copper-tipped stems that grow straight, forgive everything, and smell of lemon.
One of the most bulletproof stem plants in the hobby. Bacopa caroliniana grows vertically in tidy, thick-leaved columns, turning bronze-copper at the tips under stronger light and staying deep green in low-tech setups. Sold as a farm-raised bundle of healthy stems, ready to plant and trim into a background hedge.
What it needs to thrive
- Lighting
- Low to high — 30–80 PAR. More light draws out copper and pink tones in the tips.
- Flow
- Low to moderate; tolerates almost any circulation.
- Feeding
- Column and root feeder — dose a complete liquid fertilizer weekly; root tabs for heavy substrate rooters.
- Temperament
- Peaceful — shrimp-safe, fry-safe, and grown pesticide-free.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Ideal Tank Size
- 10 gallons and up
- Water Parameters
- 70–80°F · pH 6.0–7.5 · GH 3–10 · KH 1–8 · nitrate 10–25 ppm with a complete liquid fertilizer
Background or rear corners. Plant stems 1 inch apart; replant trimmed tops to thicken the stand.
Peaceful. Sturdy enough for goldfish and cichlid tanks that shred softer stems.
Quarantine, dip, and acclimation
Quarantine
Hold all new fish in a bare-bottom 10–20 gallon QT for a minimum of 4 weeks. Observe for flashing, clamped fins, white spots, or breathing changes. Treat preventatively with copper (1.75–2.5 ppm chelated) or tank-transfer method for ich, plus a praziquantel course for flukes. Invertebrates and corals skip QT but go through dip and observation instead.
Recommended coral dip
For every new coral: a 5–10 minute bath in your reef-safe dip of choice (Bayer Complete, CoralRx, or Reef Primer) following label dosage, followed by two clean saltwater rinses. Inspect plugs and bases for flatworms, pyramid snails, and eggs — remove or refrag onto clean plugs before placing in display.
Acclimation
Float sealed bags in your QT or display for 15 minutes to match temperature. Then drip acclimate at 2–4 drops per second for 45–60 minutes until volume has tripled. Net livestock into the tank — never pour shipping water in. Dim the lights for the first 24 hours to reduce stress.
