Bucephalandra sp. Kedagang
Bucephalandra sp. Kedagang grows under natural conditions in the water bodies of Kalimantan Island, Southeast Asia. The plant is apparently named after a region of Indonesia called Kedagang. The plant grows along shores in running water, attached to large boulders and snags. This species of Bucephalandra is a relatively new plant in aquaristics, but has already become quite popular among aquarists. Until 2005, this plant was familiar only to Japanese aquarists, and in 2010 it appeared on the European market. The plant is demanding and therefore recommended for maintenance only experienced aquarists.
Bucephalandra sp. Kedagang is very similar to Cryptocoryne and Anubias, taking something in common from each of them: the leaves are similar to those of Cryptocoryne, and the rhizome is like that of Anubias. The surface of the leaf plate of Bucephalandra sp. Kedagang is dotted with small speckles shimmering all colors of the rainbow in the reflected light. It is no exaggeration to say that this Bucephalandra belongs to the pleiad of the most beautiful and spectacular plants, combining almost the entire palette of colors. The plant has a strong, creeping root system. The roots are reddish. It should be noted that the plant is not adapted to rooting in the open ground, it must be strengthened directly to the substrate. The leaf plate is green or reddish colored, slightly twisted, with a wavy edge. The leaf is 3-4 cm long and about 0.8 cm wide. The plant grows up to 15 cm in height.
Plant Bucephalandra sp. Kedagang should be planted in the foreground or middle ground, you can also plant the bush in the background, but its decorative value is significantly reduced. The growth rate is slow. In the aquarium blooms very rarely.
Water parameters: temperature 22-26° C, hardness dH 2-8°, acidity pH 5,0-8,0. Daily feeding with liquid mineral fertilizers and CO2 concentration of 25-30 g/l is necessary. Due to the fact that the plant naturally grows in the current, so in the aquarium it is necessary to create a water current, for example, by directing the diverting socket of the water filter to the bush.
Lighting with an intensity of about 0.5 W/l for about 10 hours a day, or with an intensity of 1 W/l or more, 6-8 hours a day.
Bucephalandra sp. Kedagang can also be grown in humid paludarium conditions.
Bucephalandra sp. Kedagang is a rare plant and this is primarily due to its slow growth and rather high cost.
