{"product_id":"anacharis-elodea-najas-aquarium-plant","title":"Anacharis | Elodea najas","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c!-- obsidian --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Anacharis on the Surface:\"\u003eAnacharis on the Surface:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnacharis (\u003cem\u003eElodea najas\u003c\/em\u003e), also called narrowleaf anacharis, is a submerged stem plant native to freshwater ponds and slow-moving backwaters across Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Its narrow, recurved leaves grow in whorls of five along stems that branch readily at closely spaced nodes, filling open water with fine, upright growth rather than spreading across the substrate. In the Botanical Method Aquarium, it draws nutrients directly from the water column as it grows, giving cover to open-swimming fish and shrimp while competing with algae for excess nutrients.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Essential Details\"\u003eEssential Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Easy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fast, continuous upright stem growth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Low to High\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCO2:\u003c\/strong\u003e Not Necessary\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePropagation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Stem cuttings; fragments root readily at nodes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTint Tolerance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Low to High\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHabitat Location:\u003c\/strong\u003e Freshwater ponds and backwaters of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Uruguay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping Restrictions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Not legal to ship to California\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOptimal For:\u003c\/strong\u003e Betta fish, shrimp, and other species suited to open-water cover and nutrient export in blackwater and biotope aquariums\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUse with Caution:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rinse before introducing; may carry beneficial hitchhiking snails, snail eggs, or duckweed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e Leaves under half an inch, arranged in whorls of five along stems that can reach several feet if left untrimmed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuantities:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sold as a bunch of 4-5 stems\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Anacharis for Planted Aquariums \u0026amp; Blackwater Biotopes\"\u003eAnacharis for Planted Aquariums \u0026amp; Blackwater Biotopes\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnacharis branches at closely spaced double nodes along its stem, filling open water with a column of fine, upright growth rather than spreading across the substrate. Every leaf pulls dissolved nutrients directly from the water as the plant builds new tissue, making it one of the more efficient nutrient-export plants available for a freshwater aquarium. The same photosynthesis that drives that growth releases visible oxygen bubbles under bright light, a process classrooms have used for generations to demonstrate how a submerged plant respires.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause Anacharis draws what it needs from the water column rather than the substrate, tint level has little bearing on its growth; it holds up in an aquarium tinted dark by leaf litter and seed pods as readily as in clear water. Light is the stronger lever: Anacharis photosynthesizes well even in low light and turbid water in its native range, but dense, upright growth down the full length of the stem depends on moderate to bright light reaching every whorl. We recommend trimming top growth regularly rather than letting shaded lower leaves die back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePropagation follows the same fragmentation that spreads Anacharis in the wild: any cut section with a node roots on its own, whether planted in the substrate or left loose near the surface. We usually let fresh cuttings float for a week before rooting them, giving new growth time to establish before it competes for light lower in the water column.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Beneath the Leaves: *Elodea najas* in the Wild\"\u003eBeneath the Leaves: \u003cem\u003eElodea najas\u003c\/em\u003e in the Wild\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eElodea najas\u003c\/em\u003e grows in the lentic ponds and backwaters of the Paraná River system across Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, rooting at about a meter of depth in water clear enough for light to reach the sediment. It shares these habitats with \u003cem\u003eCabomba\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSalvinia\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003ePistia\u003c\/em\u003e, other genera familiar to the aquarium trade, forming submerged stands that structure the water column for the fish and invertebrates living among them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plant is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female, and rarely flowers in cultivation since a stem must reach the surface to open its three white petals. Male and female plants are seldom found growing together outside their native range, so Anacharis spreads almost entirely by fragmentation rather than seed, the same double-node branching that lets a single cutting establish a new stand on its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOutside its native range, dense Anacharis growth can block light and lower dissolved oxygen in the water below it, and a small population was found and eradicated from a Florida pond in 2018. California regulates the species for the same reason, and we're unable to ship it there as a result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere a botanical contributes as it breaks down, an aquatic plant is living and contributes as it grows. So let them grow. Mother Nature leads the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Sustainability Note:\"\u003eSustainability Note:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease select a heat\/cold pack if necessary. Check your local weather before ordering to avoid any shipment holds or cancellations. Anacharis (\u003cem\u003eElodea najas\u003c\/em\u003e) cannot legally be shipped to California; if included in an order to that state, it will be removed before shipment. All Plants may contain snails or snail eggs. We keep them in all of our aquariums for the benefits they provide. Our blackwater aquarium plants are provided in cooperation with PNW Bettas in adherence to their Shipping and DOA Policies. Your curated selection will arrive in their packaging separate from your botanical, wood \u0026amp; merch orders.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PNW Bettas","offers":[{"title":"Bunch","offer_id":45440815956144,"sku":"sku-44643812999347","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0598\/7948\/9712\/files\/anacharis-elodea-blackwater-aquarium-plant.jpg?v=1784846260","url":"https:\/\/bettabotanicals.com\/products\/anacharis-elodea-najas-aquarium-plant","provider":"Betta Botanicals | Natural Aquarium Products","version":"1.0","type":"link"}