01
Overview
Gracilis brings scale to the red palette: thick stems, long wavy-margined leaves, and a glow that runs pink-copper under strong light. Hailing from West African waterways, it grows large and fast enough to anchor the back of a sizable high-tech tank by itself.
02
Aquascaping use
Use it as the towering warm mass behind green midgrounds in tanks sixty centimeters and taller. Two or three stems make a statement; a full row makes a wall of ember.
03
Planting
Plant deep and firm; the heavy stems lever loose in flow until rooted. Give each stem generous clearance for its leaf span.
Nutrient-bearing substrate
04
Light & CO₂
High light and steady CO₂ keep the color molten and the internodes close. Under moderate energy it turns olive and rangy.
05
Substrate & fertilization
A voracious column feeder; keep nitrogen, phosphate, and iron all comfortably present. Deficiencies twist the big leaf tips first.
Feeding behavior: Water-column feeder. Nutrient demand: high.
06
Growth, trimming & propagation
Top above strong nodes and replant hefty crowns; spindly cuttings struggle. Its size means each trim meaningfully reshapes the layout.
Stem cuttings
07
Common problems
- !Demands real vertical and horizontal space
- !Fades to olive without high energy
- !Tip stunting under nutrient shortfalls
