There are so many diverse species of aquatic plants available that choosing any one type can be as tricky as picking the fish for your aquarium.
Temple Compacta is a traditional-looking plant used as a background for your fish tank. It grows tall and brightly colored, making it perfect for adding some color to the design of an aquarium.
It’s a robust species too, suggesting that even non-up-to-date aquarists will be ready to care for it efficiently.
Today, we will tell you everything that you need to know about Temple Compacta care in this post. We will cover all viewpoints of their perfect environmental conditions and propagate them, plus many more advantages of adding it into your aquarium.
Overview
Temple Compacta, also known as Temple Plant or Starhorn, is a freshwater aquatic plant from Southeast Asia that can reach up to 11 feet tall. This little-known and hardy perennial has been found in countries like Malaysia and Thailand for centuries before it was introduced into the United States.
This plant is part of the Acanthus family, and its official name is Hygrophila corymbosa. This family includes over 3,000 species that are scattered throughout the world in all kinds of environments or territories.
Temple Compacta is a hardy species that can endure different environmental conditions, enabling it to develop in an extensive range of habitats.
Temple Compacta is a great starter plant for beginners. This fast-growing species thrive in small spaces but will require more frequent trimming to keep it at an appropriate size if you don’t want the responsibility of caring for your plants full time.
If patience isn’t on your side, though, start with smaller amounts and try propagating them yourself! You can find Temple Compacta new or used anywhere from $5-$10.
This plant is an excellent choice for your aquatic environment. These plants have an array of colors, including vibrant ones that will create the perfect atmosphere in any tank or paludarium. They also provide oxygen and shelter to fish while they’re living there too!
Appearance
Temple Compacta is the perfect choice for those who want a simple yet beautifully elegant species. It doesn’t show off with its colors or fancy designs but instead grows tall to display how strong and majestic it really is.
The leaves of the plant are thick, and their bright green color is intensified. The stems are thick with a dark brown or bronze color, which contrasts this beautiful leafy plant.
Colors will start to fade if the compacta plant isn’t getting all the things that it requires for photosynthesis.
Temple Compacta plants can grow up to 6 feet tall, but you may trim them down for a smaller size. They take up more space when leaves are accounted for, and so they’re best used as background plants where their height won’t block your view of other species in the foreground or midground areas.
It is a beautiful flower that, when it grows on the water’s surface, will produce purple flowers.
Habitat & Required Conditions For Aquarium
Temple Compacta is a plant that grows near the shallows of rivers and streams where there’s a slight current. They’re usually found in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, or Thailand, but they can also be grown elsewhere as well such as in the USA.
The water would be warm and slightly acidic. They could grow both above and under the surface of it, making it a versatile option for a paludarium. We recommend replicating their natural environment at home to keep them as healthy as possible with these conditions:
In order to keep the temperature between 72°F and 84°F, use a heater. To maintain good pH levels (6.0-7.5), you will need lighting that is medium in intensity with no plants casting shadows on your Temple Compacta plant.
Use aquarium lighting or supplementary fertilizer like iron potassium CO2 additions, so your little plants don’t get stressed out by changes in the environment.
What Size Aquarium Does Temple Compacta Need?
Though it grows quite large, Temple Compacta can be kept in smaller aquariums if you trim it down to the required size.
A tank smaller than 10-20 gallons could be unmanageable.
Trimming is necessary every so often because this species of plant has a fast growth rate and will quickly outgrow its small home!
Care Guide for Temple Compacta
Temple Compacta is a hardy species that does not have any difficult preferences. This means they are tolerant to a range of conditions, and it’s easy to design an environment for them.
All you need to do to care for this plant, though, is keep the tank clean by performing regular partial water changes and wiping away excess algae in order to avoid problems with aquatic plants.
Use a water testing kit every week to make sure the parameters of your water are correct. If you see changes in conditions, such as temperature or PH levels, this can start a wilting process, and it is best if you respond before that happens so your plant doesn’t experience any damage.
Your Temple Compacta needs to be trimmed every once in a while; otherwise, it will become too large and take up all the valuable space. Trim any dead or dying plants as well, both for aesthetic purposes and because they are less adaptive than new growths.
When you’re disposing of cuttings, be careful not to release invasive species into your environment. Instead, either bury the plant in a pot with compost or dissolve it in bleach for disposal.
If you have an unhealthy growing environment and need some help improving its health, there are two options—fertilizers that will provide nutrients that may lack from naturally occurring soil; and CO2 injections, which can be used as a nutrient supplement for healthy growth.
Tank Mates
Temple Compacta is the perfect choice for community aquariums. It can be paired with various tank mates, but all were carefully researched beforehand to ensure there would not be any compatibility problems.
The most likely tank mate options are fish. Most species of fish are delicate, but there are a couple of types that you should avoid.
There are some species that just can’t be trusted. For example, while Oscars may seem harmless at first glance with their calm demeanor and beautiful colors, they’re also notorious for uprooting plants in captivity because of the broad leaves on it which makes them appear tempting as a snack to these fish.
Small invertebrates like Ghost Shrimp and Mystery Snails can also make great tank mates. However, freshwater crabs and crayfish are too destructive towards live plants to be a good fit in the aquarium.
You can establish Temple Compacta beside other plant species too. They are a popular preference for aquariums.
Propagation
Propagation is the way that plants reproduce to multiply and develop new stems. This can be done sexually or asexually, but usually, only one occurs via side shoots in an aquarium.
One way that plants reproduce is by sending out shoots from the main stem. These side shoots develop into new stems with roots and leaves, eventually detaching to form a new plant!
The process might be slow, but you can speed it up by cutting off the side shoots slightly early and replanting them. Then, you have to wait until they have developed leaves for photosynthesis.
You can take cuttings from the top of a plant for new plants. Just make sure they’re long enough and have leaves still attached.
The Temple Compacta is a plant that propagates easily. Once they’re in the ground, it’ll only take about three months for them to grow, and you can collect up to 20-30 leaves at once!
Propagating Temple compacta is an excellent way of getting lots of plants without paying more money; all you have to execute is just wait for them to grow.
Fortunately, this is a fast-growing type of plant, but if you want to speed up the growth even more, then you can use CO2 shots or nutrient supplements.
Do Your Aquarium Need Temple Compacta?
Possibly the foremost reason for getting Temple Compacta is how easy it is to take care of it. It is one of the highly robust species of plants that anybody will be able to look after without any problem.
Its immense toleration level to dynamic environmental conditions means it can be placed in many different settings.
It goes nicely into a community aquarium, as it is easy to propagate as well as it is also an attractive plant with broad, bright green leaves.
Temple Compacta is an exceptional option for anyone who desires to add plant life to their aquarium without having to bother much about it.
