Red Phantom comes from the Lamandau region of Borneo. Grown above water it shows green leaves on red stems — the stem color is the point of the variety. This is the tissue-culture format: sterile, snail-free, four plantlets per bag. What You'll Receive One sealed 4-inch Vitro Culture® tissue culture bag Approximately 4 small plantlets grown in sterile nutrient gel 100% free from snails, algae, pesticides and pathogens Rinse the gel away and separate the plantlets before planting Plant Profile Common name — Red Phantom Buce Scientific name — Bucephalandra sp. 'Red Phantom' Also known as — Bucep Red Phantom, Buce Red Phantom Origin — Lamandau, Borneo Placement — Foreground to midground, attached to hardscape Mature height — 2-4 inches Growth rate — Slow Care Difficulty — Beginner Light — Low to medium. Too much light brings algae the plant is too slow to outgrow. CO₂ — Not required. Improves color and pace if you already run it. Water — 72-82°F, pH 6.0-7.5 Substrate — None needed. Epiphyte; attaches to rock or driftwood. Growth habit — Amphibious rhizome creeper; grows submersed or emersed Propagation — Rhizome division Grower's Notes The color is in the stem, not the leaf. Most Buce is bought for leaf tone; Red Phantom's appeal is the red petiole under a green leaf. That contrast only shows at close range, so place it at the front of the scape. Rinse the gel off and separate the four plantlets before attaching. Leftover nutrient agar clouds water and feeds algae in the first weeks. Never bury the rhizome. Tie or glue it to wood or rock and leave it exposed; buried rhizomes rot. Farm-raised, not wild-collected. All the Bucephalandra we carry is farm-grown, and much of it is raised from tissue culture rather than collected from Borneo. Tissue-culture stock is emersed-grown and sheds some leaves as it converts to submersed growth. Give it several weeks before judging the color. Prefer rooted plants? See standard Bucephalandra Red Phantom. Want to go deeper? Read our complete Bucephalandra Care Guide. Notes Disclaimer: Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be free of pests, and pesticides, grow emerged or submerge. Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
