Bacopa monnieri
Bacopa monnieri
Also known asBrahmi · Water hyssop · Moneywort (aquarium trade)
Water parameters
Light and nutrients
Substrate type: inert ok. Propagation: stem cuttings.
Substrate compatibility
| Substrate | pH effect | Nutrient load |
|---|---|---|
| Inert sand (Pool filter sand) | neutral / inert | none |
| Inert gravel (Aquarium gravel) | neutral / inert | none |
| Aquasoil (ADA Amazonia) | lowers pH | very high |
| Mineralized clay substrate (Seachem Fluorite) | neutral / inert | moderate |
| Dirted tank (mineralized topsoil) (DIY soil substrate) | slightly acidic | very high |
With fish
Origin and habitat
A creeping perennial herb of wetlands across the warm regions of the world, native through India, Sri Lanka, Indochina and Australia and present across Africa and the Americas, growing in shallow water, marshes and wet soil. It belongs to the family Plantaginaceae (older texts place it in Scrophulariaceae). Outside the aquarium it is far better known as Brahmi, a staple of Ayurvedic medicine used for memory and cognition, and it also goes by water hyssop and, in the aquarium trade, moneywort. Small, rounded, succulent leaves of about 0.5–1 cm sit in opposite pairs on creeping stems; the plant is more delicate than Bacopa caroliniana. Submersed it grows lighter green and a little larger-leaved, and above water it flowers with small white to pale-blue blooms.
Outdoor pond use
- USDA zones
- 8–13 (winter low around -12°C or warmer)
Care notes
An easy stem plant that grows in almost any conditions, from low to high light, soft to hard water, with or without CO2, and it even tolerates low-salinity brackish water. Light is the main lever: in dim tanks the lower stem tends to rot, so give it moderate light or brighter, and under strong light with CO2 it grows fast and bushy. Plant in groups of five to ten stems, trim the tops and replant the cuttings, and it also throws creeping runner-like shoots at the base, so stems often run horizontally before turning up, a cascading habit useful in aquascaping. Nutrient demand is modest, met by moderate liquid dosing and the odd root tab. It grows just as readily emersed in moist soil, which is how Brahmi is raised as a medicinal herb, so it suits aquaponics and hydroponic herb culture as well as the aquarium, though the submersed display form is not usually harvested. It is reasonably cold-hardy across about 15°C to 28°C and can spread vigorously, even mildly invasively, in warm, wet outdoor settings, while staying contained in a tank. It is widely sold by both aquarium and Ayurvedic-plant suppliers.