Red Foxtail (Myriophyllum sp.) - Bunch

Red Foxtail (Myriophyllum sp.) is a fast-growing stem plant with finely divided, feathery whorls that flush copper to burgundy under strong light. It is one of the quickest ways to fill a background, and because it grows fast it pulls nitrate hard, which makes it genuinely useful in a tank that is fighting algae. Care level is beginner to intermediate. Browse the rest of our live freshwater plants to build the scape around it.

Care Guide

• Placement: background and rear corners. Plant the stems two inches apart rather than leaving them banded together, or the inner stems shade out and rot.
• Light: moderate for green growth, high for red colour. This is the single variable that decides how it looks.
• Water column feeder: most of its uptake is through the leaves, so it responds to liquid fertiliser more than to root tabs. Iron supplements deepen the red.
• CO2: not required. It grows without, and faster with.
• Temperature: 72 to 82°F.
• pH: 6.5 to 7.5.
• Trimming: expect to trim often. Cut the top few inches and replant the cutting, and the stem you cut branches into two. That is how one bunch becomes a background.
• Remove the band before planting. The lead or rubber band that holds a bunch together crushes the stems underneath it and rots them.

Specifications

Compatibility

Excellent fry cover. The dense feathery whorls are one of the best hiding places you can give a tank of livebearers, and shrimp graze biofilm off the foliage all day. It pairs well with Hornwort if you want to load a tank with fast-growing nitrate sponges.

Not for goldfish or large cichlids. Soft feathery stem plants are food to both. Anything that grazes or digs will strip this to bare stalks.

Recommended Supplies

• Flourish Iron to bring out the red once the light is strong enough
• Liquid plant fertilisers for the water column, which is how this plant feeds
• Plant weights for replanting cuttings until they root

FAQ

Mine came in green. Was it mislabelled?
Almost certainly not. Red foxtail grows green under moderate light and only colours up under strong light. Raise the light and add iron, and the new growth comes in copper while the old growth stays green.

Why is the bottom of the stem bare?
Either shading or too little light. Stems drop their lower whorls when the upper growth blocks the light. Trim the top, replant it, and discard the bare stalk.

How often will I be trimming?
Weekly in a well-lit tank. That is the trade for how quickly it fills in and how much nitrate it takes up.

Do I plant it in the substrate?
Yes, stems root into the substrate. Remove the band first and push each stem in individually, an inch or two apart.