Boivinianus Aponogeton

Aponogeton boivinianus is often regarded as one of the easier Madagascan aponogetons to keep, which helps explain why it appears in the trade more than its relatives. Its leaves are the giveaway: long, translucent, and covered in characteristic corrugations that run lengthwise, so the plant looks less like a sword plant and more like a piece of rippled glass. A single large specimen fills a background on its own.

It grows from a tuber and, unlike many aponogetons, often stays in leaf rather than cycling through a clear dormant period, though individual specimens can still rest between growth flushes. It does best with a nutrient-rich substrate and does not need CO₂, though it grows faster and shows more leaves with it. It accepts a pH of 6 to 8 and moderately hard to hard water, which is unusual for the genus.

Temperatures of 22 to 26 °C suit it, with a wider tolerance in either direction. It can produce flower spikes and set seed in the aquarium, and the tuber can also be divided once large. Because it grows fast and the leaves are large, give it room and keep the surface open so the long leaves are not constantly bent by the filter outflow.