What's eating my bacopa caroliniana?

Bacopa caroliniana is a hardy aquarium and pond-margin plant with fleshy, aromatic leaves. Pest snails, algae and herbivorous fish are the main aquarium threats. In ponds or paludariums grown emersed, aphids and spider mites may attack. Its sturdy stems and moderate growth rate make it more resilient than most stem plants, but algae can still smother slow patches.

Rasping damage creates pinholes and ragged leaf margins; fleshy leaves are an easy target Add assassin snails or loaches, trap with blanched zucchini overnight, and reduce overfeeding

Hard green spots appear on older fleshy leaves; hair algae tangles around stems under poor CO2 Add nerite snails for spot algae, Amano shrimp for hair algae, and maintain CO2 at 15-25 ppm

Fleshy leaves eaten; aromatic oils deter some fish but do not reliably prevent grazing Stock only with plant-safe fish; B. caroliniana is unsuitable for goldfish or cichlid tanks

Colonies on stem tips above water cause wilting and sticky honeydew, especially in warm seasons Knock off with a water jet or apply neem oil to emersed sections; rinse before any submersion