Dwarf vallisneria (Vallisneria americana) care guide

Group
Plants
Other names
Wild celery, Tape grass, Eelgrass, Vallisneria americana 'Natans', Vallisneria 'Gigantea' (trade name)
Family
Hydrocharitaceae (frogbit family)
Origin
Eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to South Dakota and the Gulf of Mexico, plus Central America, Cuba, Hispaniola and Venezuela
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
100 cm
Temperature
15–28°C
pH
6.5–8.5
Hardness
5–20 dGH
Care level
beginner
Lighting
Low to medium light (brighter is better); CO2 not needed

Care

Vallisneria americana (wild celery or tape grass) is a fully submerged plant of North American lakes and rivers with long, limp, ribbon-like leaves, forming underwater meadows that shelter fish and feed wildfowl and manatees. It tolerates salt up to about 10–20 parts per thousand. The trade form called 'Natans' (Tropica) has narrow leaves about 1 cm wide and 50–100 cm long; many plants sold as "Vallisneria gigantea" are also V. americana. Tropica rates 'Natans' easy, with low light and CO2 needs and fast growth; its fine leaves cast little shade, so it suits the back or sides of the tank. When planting a bunch, remove the anchor, separate the plants, strip leaves from the lowest 5 cm and plant them a little apart; roots form quickly. Vallisneria generally prefers neutral to alkaline water, grows best in bright light but copes with moderate light, and does not need CO2. Plain gravel works if an iron-rich fertiliser is added now and then. Plant with the crown (where leaves meet roots) just above the substrate. Water figures are our estimate, not from the sources. Sources: Tropica (tropica.com/en/plants); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallisneriaamericana); Wikipedia, List of freshwater aquarium plant species. Checked October 2026.

Breeding

Spreads by runners from the base, each producing daughter plants along it. Once a daughter has its own roots, cut the runner and replant it elsewhere. Do not bury the crown when planting. It also sets seed in the wild.

Compatibility and tank mates

A tough plant that most fish ignore, though goldfish, large cichlids and some herbivores eat the leaves. Diggers uproot young plants. Ideal for livebearer and community tanks; it tolerates slightly brackish water.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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