Helanthium 'Quadricostatus'
Helanthium bolivianum
Also sold as 'Quadricostatus' · Dwarf chain sword · Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus'
Synonyms Echinodorus quadricostatus · Echinodorus bolivianus · Helanthium quadricostatus
Helanthium 'Quadricostatus' (Helanthium bolivianum) is a carpeting plant for the foreground, growing to about 15 cm (5.9 in) at a moderate pace. It wants 68–82°F (20–28°C), low light and no CO₂, and counts as an easy plant to keep alive.
At a glance
| Type | Carpeting plant |
|---|---|
| Light | LowThe least light it survives in, not the light it looks best in. |
| CO₂ | Not neededWhether it survives without added CO₂ — not whether CO₂ would help it grow faster. |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Temperature | 68–82°F (20–28°C) |
| Max height | 15 cm (5.9 in)Grown submersed, left to mature, never trimmed. |
| Growth rate | Moderate |
| Placement | planted in the foreground |
| pH | 6–7.5 |
Before it goes in
- Helanthium 'Quadricostatus' lives under a plain low-light LED — it does not need a planted-tank lamp to survive.
- It grows without CO₂.
- It feeds through its roots, so in plain sand or gravel it needs root tabs; in an aquasoil it does not.
- Its leaves are soft: Goldfish, Common Pleco and Molly will eat it.
- It needs about 3 weeks to root. Fish that dig — Goldfish and Common Pleco — will lift it before then.
Can it grow without CO₂?
Yes. Helanthium 'Quadricostatus' does not need CO₂ at all.
How much light does it need?
Low light is enough — and that is the survival line, not the “it looks better” line.
How big does it get?
About 15 cm (5.9 in) tall when it is mature and untrimmed, growing at a moderate pace, after roughly 3 weeks to root in.
Will my fish eat it?
Its leaves are soft, so some will: Goldfish, Common Pleco and Molly.
What it goes with
- Plants that run on the same light and CO₂, so they can share a tank without one of them being the odd one out: Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis', Water Sprite, Anubias nana 'Petite' and Cryptocoryne wendtii.
- Animals that share its temperature range and will not eat or uproot it: Betta, Cherry Shrimp, Angelfish and Bristlenose Pleco.
Often compared with
| Helanthium 'Quadricostatus' | Pygmy Chain Sword | Staurogyne repens | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | Low | Low | Low |
| CO₂ | Not needed | Recommended | Recommended |
| Max height | 15 cm | 10 cm | 10 cm |
| Difficulty | Easy | Easy | Medium |