Floating Plant For Tank?

[Le Sorcier]

Can anyone recommend a nice floating plant to provide some shade for my fish?

My tank is 100cm long x 40cm wide.

Thanks

 

[hensonc4098]

Amazon frogbit grows quickly and easily and requires no additional fertilisers etc. I have some in one of my tanks and it provides a nice amount of shade for the fish.

You'll no doubt be able to find a couple of people selling it on this website in the classified section - I got mine from a member on here too.

Hope that helps!

Claire

 

[Jenste]

duckweed also...grows very fast like...well...a weed! some aquariusts aren't fond of it because of how fast it grows...but i have found it and water wisteria that is just left floating instead of being planted excellent surface plants and work wonders hiding fry in the early weeks of life

 

[Le Sorcier]

Thanks, already got Amazon Frogbit but was looking for something else?

I will look at the duckweed and water wisteria.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

One thing with the duckweed is that you should be very careful about it depending on what your filter is like. It is very small and will blow all over the tank if you have a power filter or any strong current. If you want to use it it's best to place it in quite corner of the tank and kinda section it off with something so it doesn't go floating into the filter flow.

 

[ellena]

I have something I was given as water lettuce. It looks like frogbit but the leaves are hairy and the roots are more interesting looking too. It does better than frogbit in my tanks and spreads, but not too fast

 

[totally tropical]

I have something I was given as water lettuce. It looks like frogbit but the leaves are hairy and the roots are more interesting looking too. It does better than frogbit in my tanks and spreads, but not too fast

Answer: Hornwort.

It is so easy to keep it is not true and is perfect for fry - so much so that I used to use a breeding trap and net and realised that they were not necessary such was its effectiveness.

It is a floating plant, but you can also weigh it down with lead if you want, to make it a feature in the lower reaches of your tank (I do both). It grows fairly quickly which is a bonus when you want more cover or want to plant in various parts of your tank. It is also an attractive plant which also adds to its appeal.

Bought mine on ebay and it has been the best value plant that I have purchased.

Buy it, you will not be disappointed

 

[OldMan47]

Water lettuce is a nice large floating plant that won't plug a filter inlet as easily as frogbit, water spangles (Salvinia) or duckweed will. It gets to be several inches in diameter and can have roots reaching well down into the water below it. It makes a great hiding place for livebearer fry while shading light sensitive fish and pulling nitrates out of your water. Mine is growing like a weed in a tank that has only been set up for about 6 months now.

 

[Honeythorn]

I second the waterlettuce. Very nice plant ,and fry and shrimp adore hiding in the long dangly roots. Mine went mental and I got sick of it in the end though, so I gave it all away to a friend who had goldfish, that ate it with much gusto I'm told

Riccia is another good floater. I have a fair sized clump in my betta tank. I just leave it alone and it lurks away there quite happily.