Staurogyne repens is the low, bushy green plant people use along the front of a tank when a true carpet feels like too much work. Tropica rates it easy, with a low demand for light and CO2, and puts its height at 3 to 10 cm. Trim it and it creeps sideways.
A compact plant from the Amazon
Tropica describes Staurogyne repens as a fresh green, compact and hardy plant for the foreground, found in the River Rio Cristalino in the southern Amazonas. Its nearest relative in the hobby is Hygrophila, but it is far more compact, growing low and bushy at 5 to 10 cm with small green leaves.
Make it creep instead of climb
This is the part that decides how it looks. Tropica’s instruction is to cut off the longest upright shoots when you plant it. New horizontally creeping shoots then form from the base and gradually colonise the gravel.
Light decides the rest. Tropica says that at low light the growth will be more upright and much less side shoots will be formed. It survives in a dim tank, but it spreads in a bright one, so treat your lighting as the difference between a mat and a row of small upright stems.
What it needs
| Requirement | Staurogyne repens |
|---|---|
| Light demand | Low |
| CO2 demand | Low |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Growth rate | Medium |
| Placement | Stem, foreground |
It roots into the substrate, so it does better in a nutrient aquasoil or with root tabs than in bare gravel.
Where it fits
Think of it as the forgiving alternative to a true carpet. The plants on our carpet plants page mostly want strong light and added CO2, and dwarf hairgrass is the easiest of those. Staurogyne asks for less than any of them and gives you a low green edge rather than a lawn.
Staurogyne repens questions
Is Staurogyne repens a carpet plant?
Not really. Tropica calls it a compact, low and bushy foreground plant of 5 to 10 cm, and its creeping shoots colonise the gravel over time. It makes a low green mass at the front rather than the flat lawn a true carpet plant gives you.
Does Staurogyne repens need CO2?
No. Tropica rates its CO2 demand as low, along with its light demand, which is why it suits low-tech tanks.
Why is my Staurogyne repens growing upwards?
Most likely not enough light. Tropica says that in low light the growth is more upright and far fewer side shoots form. Cutting the tallest shoots also pushes it to throw out creeping ones.
Sources: Tropica, Staurogyne repens.