rare plants!

My plant package came in today, I think it's the most exciting fish day I've had yet. I received two rare plants! Took notes on how the packaging was done because I found it impressive and they don't look to have sustained much harm from shipping- also it looked like something I might be able to do someday when my plants are big and healthy enough to share around. The plants were placed inside small plastic tubs lined with damp paper towel, lids were shut over the edge of paper towel. Inside plastic ziploc bags taped shut. Wrapped in newspaper, placed inside a box lined with styrofoam and foil insulation.

My disappointment was the condition they appear to have had before they got shipped to me. The bucepalandra 'dark godzilla' had many leaves with torn or half-circle bitten edges- literally chunks missing from the leaf margins. I had to discard a third of its foliage.

The buce 'emerald' I saw when rinsing it in a bucket, had dark algae on its leaf edges. I spent quite a bit of time cleaning that off.

Thankfully the p. helferi downoi looks fine, just some tips looked cold-damaged that's to be expected.

In spite of my disappointment, I really admire the dark, olive-green/blue hues on the 'godzilla' buce.

Fastened it to a rock. It looks like the rhizome is growing in two segments, so if this thrives and gets bigger I could probably divide it...

In the tank it is really striking, even though rather small compared to everything else!

I put the buce 'emerald' on the end of driftwood piece, in a front corner:

Supposedly the bucephalandra species are pretty easy to care for "if you can keep anubias alive, you can grow buces" I was told! They are expensive because just not common in the aquarium trade yet (I saw a lot more up for sale that cost waaaay more than what I paid for these two. Striking plants, but mostly not affordable for me).

Pogostemon helferi downoi, on the other hand, it looks great but I feel a bit dubious about it. It's commonly referred to as P. helferi downoi, or just called downoi. The last helferi kind of plant I tried to grow just died on me. And lots of people rate this as needing high light/C02. However others report growing it fine in lower lighting, no C02 (like here), so I'm trying it.

It has the most fascinating crinkly, wavy leaf margins:

I put one in the tenner, just to see where it does better, my guess is not enough light here (on the right, just behind the fake skull)

more pics coming!