Vallisneria

• Tall background plant
• Great cover for fish
• Easy to grow

Vallisneria (also known as "val" or "straight vallisneria") has been a popular choice in the hobby because of its ease of care and long, grass-like appearance. Its hardiness makes it great for goldfish, African cichlid, and community tanks. Vallisneria grows very tall in an aquarium and can drape over the top to make fish and fry feel secure. Once well-established, val spreads quickly by sending out baby plants via runners where you can get a new shoot as soon as every 3 days. 

• Scientific Name: Vallisneria spiralis
• Native To: Europe, Africa, Asia
• Skill Level: Easy
• Placement: Background
• Recommended Light: Medium Light 20-35 PAR (click to see our PAR chart)
• CO₂ Requirement: None
• Preferred Fertilizer: Easy Green liquid fertilizer and Easy Root Tabs
• Propagation: Spreads via runners across the ground

***Being a natural product, sizes can vary from what is shown.***

How to Plant Vallisneria in Aquarium

1. Remove the potted plant from plastic basket, and split the rock wool in half.
2. Carefully remove the plant roots from the rock wool, and make sure to remove all the small, yellow fertilizer balls. Wash off any remaining debris, and gently separate the plant into multiple small clumps if possible.
3. Use planting tweezers or your fingers to push the roots of the plant deeply into the substrate until they are completely buried. Pull out the plant slightly so that the base of the leaves are not covered with substrate.
4. If the plant keeps popping out of the ground, try inserting the plant at an angle or wrap a plant weight at the bottom of the plant to keep it anchored.

How to Grow Vallisneria Aquarium Plant

— Vallisneria care is very easy, so start by using medium lighting between 20-35 PAR. 
— Why is my vallisneria melting?  Plants are grown out of the water at the farm. Once the plants arrive to us, we begin the process of converting them to their underwater form. The plant you receive may be half-converted and still need time to adjust to life under water. The plant you receive may be half-converted and still need time to adjust to life under water. To help speed up the transition, provide plenty of light and nutrients to encourage new leaves to sprout as the old leaves melt away. 
— Why is my vallisneria turning yellow? If your plant is getting enough light, it may be a nutrient deficiency, so measure the nitrate level using a multi-test strip. Dose with Easy Green all-in-one fertilizer until the water has 20-50 ppm nitrate. Also, add more root tabs as needed.
— How to trim vallisneria: If the plant has dying or melting leaves, cut them off at the base of the leaf. 
— Note: Vallisneria species are sensitive to glutaraldehyde (the active ingredient in liquid carbon supplements), which could cause them to suffer. Follow dosing instructions carefully.

How to Propagate Vallisneria

Once it becomes well-established, vallisneria self-propagates by sending out runners all across the substrate, which can eventually provide ground cover for an entire aquarium. The new baby plants can be trimmed off and replanted or left to grow out naturally.