Vallisneria Nana (Jungle Val)

Vallisneria is also known as eelgrass, tape grass or simply val. Shops use trade names such as Jungle Val, Italian Val, Corkscrew Val and Tiger Val for different species and leaf forms. The plant on this page is Vallisneria nana, which we list as Jungle Val. Many other shops use Jungle Val for the much larger Vallisneria americana, so check the species name. Vallisneria nana leaves stay under 1 cm wide and usually grow 25–40 cm long in a tank, so it fits the back of most home tanks.

In Hindi, Vallisneria is known by regional names such as Sawala, Sewal and Jallil, recorded for Vallisneria spiralis, the tape grass that grows wild in India. There is no single standard name. Sewal is also a general word for water weed and algae, so Indian aquarium shops simply call it Vallisneria or val. Use that name when you order.

Yes, Vallisneria is a good plant for most freshwater aquariums. It grows well in hard water, so it suits the hard tap and borewell water found in much of India. Its 25–40 cm leaves form a quick background screen in tanks 30 cm or taller. It is safe with shrimp, bettas, guppies and most community fish, and it takes up nitrate. Avoid liquid carbon products and plant-eating fish such as silver dollars.

It is hand-packed and sent by courier anywhere in India for a flat ₹99, free on orders of ₹999 or more. If it arrives dead, send one continuous unboxing video within 4 hours of delivery on WhatsApp or email and we refund or replace it.

Separate the bunch into single plants and push each one into the substrate only up to the pale crown where the leaves start. Burying the crown makes it rot. Space them 3 to 5 cm apart along the back of the tank, and within a few weeks runners will fill the gaps to form a green wall.

Vallisneria spreads by itself through runners that grow new daughter plants a few centimetres away. Once a daughter plant has several leaves and its own roots, you can cut the runner and replant it elsewhere, or simply leave it to thicken the background. A healthy group can double in a few months.

Give it moderate light, a nutrient-rich substrate or root tabs, and stable water. It does not need CO₂. Avoid liquid carbon products such as glutaraldehyde, which are known to make Vallisneria melt. Trim leaves that reach the surface at the base rather than cutting the tips, so the plant stays neat.