# Conflicting info RE: bucephalandra



## inka4040 (Nov 15, 2013)

Hello All, I've got a question regarding bucephalandra that hopefully you folks can clarify a bit. I've been growing buces with moderate success since last year, and recently transferred my collection to a new setup. Prior to this, they were growing in a CBS tank, so under low tech, low light conditions, in my unaltered tap water, which happens to be neutral in pH with next to no buffering capacity. They grew well, and have increased significantly in clump size over the past year.

Recently however, I transferred them to a new setup, for Indian White Banded shrimp, which, while still a low tech/low light tank, has a buffered cichlid substrate. As is so often the case, the more one reads about a topic, the more complicated it becomes. Vasteq, on this forum, has written that buces do well in a wide range of hardnesses, but elsewhere on the web, I've read that they require soft water of a low pH to do well. The plants have been in the new setup for about a week or so, and aren't showing any sign of deterioration, but this info has me worried. I recently added a few more specimens to the collection, and being entirely enamored with the look of them, intend to add a few more varieties as I find them, which brings me to my query.

What, if any, are the detriments of growing bucephalandra in hard water, and what are the warning signs I should look out for? I haven't gotten around to testing the pH, gH and kH levels of the new setup, but there appears to be a bit of aragonite sand interspersed with the substrate, which is the Eco Complete buffering cichlid media. Any guidance regarding this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Pics of the setup can be found here:


http://imgur.com/a


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

From personal experience I can only say that KH=7 is no problem for the three species I keep.

But, if Vasteq tells you they do in any hardness, I feel safe to say they do well in any hardness Second, there are only a few really soft water plants, like Tonina, which are almost impossible to keep in hard water. About 99% of all plants can be grown in KH>10. So a good change Buce's can. Third, I always think of Anubias as a close relative. Except for leaf shape/color, they share a lot of similarities and so I feel safe they do fine in hard water.

PS. Love the setup!!


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I embedded your photos into your post. You can link photos by typing [ img ] photo link [ / img ] just remove the spaces.

I agree with Yo-han, if Vasteq said they grow in all KH and GH conditions then they do. He has quite a lot of experience with them.


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## chrislewistx (Jun 8, 2012)

I can not claim to be a bucephalandra expert, however, I have not had any trouble keeping mine in hard water. 

Here in San Antonio our PH is 7.6-7.8 and very hard water @19ppm GH

Likewise several other members of our local club members are growing buce in hard water too. 

Also, I agree with everyone else, in that I would trust what Vasteq says about Buce.

I like your layout too, very nice.


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## inka4040 (Nov 15, 2013)

Thanks for the votes of confidence, as well as the complements! I feel a lot better about adding to my collection now!


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## looking4roselines (May 10, 2008)

Hi Ricky,
I have very hard city water and the buce does not seem to mind at all when I grew them in the last few years.


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## inka4040 (Nov 15, 2013)

Considering I got them all from you, that pretty definitively settles it!


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Not that I could contribute much from own experience, but it may be interesting in that context that Bucephalandra populations are also found in limestone habitats, according to botanical literature.
See also junglemike's blog: http://junglemikey.blogspot.de/2011/12/bucephalandra-from-limestone-stream-at.html


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## inka4040 (Nov 15, 2013)

Great link! I'm a huge fan of that blog!


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