Mayaca Fluviatilis Santarem Red Invitro (meget sjelden)

Santarem Red" is a particularly pretty Mayaca that has not yet been determined to species. The trade name probably refers to Santarém in the Brazilian state of Pará. This graceful, interestingly coloured stem plant probably first came onto the market in Japan. Until now it has been a rarity in the aquarium hobby and trade.
The shoots grow to more than 30 cm long, 2 cm wide and branch moderately. The limp but relatively tensile stem is whitish-green, about 0.5 - 0.8 mm thick and densely covered with alternate leaves. The gradually pointed leaves are very fine and delicate, about 1 cm long and less than half a millimetre wide. They have light olive-green to reddish tones and a red midrib. Typically, the leaves look somewhat "wrinkled". The shoot tips are pink. The plant can probably also develop a terrestrial form (emersed form) and should then flower, like other Mayaca species. Growth is moderate to fast.

Mayaca sp. "Santarem Red" is a moderately demanding aquarium plant. Its requirements are comparable to those of the long-known Mayaca fluviatilis: rather strong lighting, CO₂ addition, rather soft water and regular macro- and micronutrient supply. It is best to plant tufts of a few shoots with little distance between them to form a group. Occasional pruning leads to bushier growth. Like all stem plants, this Mayaca is propagated by head cuttings and side shoots. We do not know the exact optimum temperature, but we recommend tropical temperatures between about 22 and 28 °C.

With its fine texture and light green, reddish to pink tones, the Santarém Mayaca attracts attention as an approximately 15 - 30 cm high bush in the aquarium middle ground. It is likely to look particularly interesting in combination with unusual plants such as Eriocaulon species. With its smallness and delicacy, this Mayaca is also well suited for nano tanks.