Hemigraphis colorata
Hemigraphis colorata is a very beautiful plant that grows on the island of Java, located in South-East Asia. This plant cannot be considered completely aquarium plant, as it mainly grows in the air and feels great in humid conditions of paludariums, but still it can be kept underwater for 2-3 months, thus diversifying the underwater landscape of the aquarium with an exquisite bush. It should be noted that underwater the plant eventually loses its attractive coloring and you can correct the situation by placing the bush for some time in the paludarium. The complexity of the content is average.
The ovate-shaped leaves are 5-6 cm long and 2-3 cm wide, purple in color. The bush reaches a height of 20-35 cm and a width of about 10 cm. The growth rate is medium. The plant is not eaten by herbivorous fish. Plant the plant bushes preferably at a shallow depth, the deeper the bushes are planted, the less comfortable they feel.
Water parameters are as follows: temperature 18-28° C, hardness dH 3-12°, acidity pH 6,0-8,0. The plant prefers cooler water, the temperature of which does not exceed 22° C.
Lighting should be bright, with an intensity of 0.6 W/l. The duration of the daylight hours is about 10 hours a day. Beneficial effect on the plant has sunlight, so it is desirable to periodically give them the opportunity to fall on its leaves. Again, it is necessary to do this periodically, as the constant presence of the bush in the sun can lead to its death.
Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks of keeping Hemigraphis colorata in the aquarium is to maintain its beautiful coloring, because after 2-3 months of being under water, the leaves of the plant begin to turn green and lose their purple coloring.
Propagation
To breed Hemigraphis colorata, it is enough to cut off its leaf and plant it in a small pot with soil. After some time, the cuttings will root and give life to a new bush. In this regard, we can give advice - as soon as the leaves begin to turn dark green, you need to remove the bush from the aquarium and place it in a greenhouse or paludarium, where it will eventually restore its original appearance, although it may take quite a long time. It should be noted that when growing in an airy environment, it is necessary to maintain soil moisture, not allowing it to dry out. In the paludarium, the plant can bloom, releasing small white flowers.
