Aquatic PlantsBeginner🌗 Medium light

Staurogyne repens

Staurogyne repens · also called Staurogyne, S. repens, Creeping staurogyne

🐾 Pet-safe

Generally non-toxic to cats and dogs.

A compact, bushy foreground-to-midground plant with bright green leaves on low, branching stems. Hardy and adaptable, it forms a dense low thicket rather than a flat lawn.

Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.

Quick facts

Category	Aquatic Plants
Family	Acanthaceae
Native origin	South America (Rio Cristalino, Brazil)
Care difficulty	Beginner
Light	Medium light
Pet toxicity	Pet-safe

Light

Medium-to-high light (around 30-60 PAR). Higher light keeps it compact and bushy with horizontal side-shoots; lower light still grows it but more loosely and taller. Tolerant of a broad range.

Water

Temperature 20-28 C, pH 6.0-8.0, soft to moderately hard water (very adaptable). Responds well to regular water-column fertilisation, especially iron and macros for vivid green, full growth.

Soil & potting

Plant the stems into a nutrient-rich substrate; aquasoil gives the best growth but it adapts to inert substrate with root tabs. It roots readily from the stem base and from nodes that touch the substrate. Plant individual stems spaced out and let them branch. It is a substrate-rooting stem plant, not an epiphyte.

Environment — humidity, temperature, placement

CO2 is not required and it grows reliably in low-tech setups, but CO2 makes it noticeably more compact and lush. Gentle-to-moderate flow. Foreground-to-midground placement (taller than true carpets). Grown emersed in nurseries; converts well to submersed.

Propagation

Spreads by lateral branching and creeping side-shoots. Propagate by cutting the tops or side-shoots and replanting them; cut stems branch out, increasing density. Trimming encourages a bushier, lower carpet-like mat.

Toxicity detail

Non-toxic and safe for fish and shrimp. Not invasive or restricted in the aquarium hobby. Standard practice: never release into waterways and dispose of trimmings in the trash.

Growth stages

How this plant changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.

Photo coming soon

Spore / recruit

Aquatic plants and macroalgae establish from spores, seeds, or drifting fragments that settle and attach to substrate or rock. Many freshwater aquarium plants and marine macroalgae also spread readily from a detached piece that takes root or holdfast.

Photo coming soon

Young growth

Young growth puts out its first blades, fronds, or leaves and anchors with roots or a holdfast. Submersed plants may look different from their emersed form, and growth speeds up as the plant adapts to the water's light and nutrients.

Photo coming soon

Mature

A mature aquatic plant or macroalga reaches its full size and characteristic shape, forming the dense growth, runners, or fronds typical of the species. Established plants spread to fill space and can be divided or trimmed to propagate.

Sources

Tropica - Staurogyne repens plant database (care guide)
Wikipedia - Staurogyne repens (encyclopedia)