Long root surface plants

[Zoeeannee]

Hi guys,

I am looking for suggestions on surface plants that grow very long roots. I have Salvinia in 2 of my tanks but their roots don’t get to be too long. I’ve attached 2 photos of what I’m aiming for although I appreciate it might not be do-able given I found them on google lol

 

[Byron]

The left photo seems to be Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), though it could be Frogbit. My WL developed roots all the way down to the substrate (ironically in a tank without fish), and my Frogbit had roots not as substantive. My favourite though is Water Sprite (Ceratopterus cornuta). The photo (not my plant) illustrates.

 

[Akeath]

Either Dwarf Water Lettuce or Amazon Frogbit should indeed work.

Of the two, I've found that Frogbit is a bit easier to grow, hardier, and slightly less prone to being eaten by snails as compared to Water Lettuce. Frogbit tends to have roots that are a bit sparser but also a touch longer. Whereas Dwarf Water Lettuce has feathery and dense roots that seem to be a special favorite for upper water fish like Betta and Gourami.

Both develop much nicer roots if you add a comprehensive liquid fertilizer, like Seachem's Flourish. They also appreciate medium to bright lighting and they spread a lot faster if there isn't much current. They may temporarily lose their roots when switched from a store tank to your own aquarium, but should regrow them quickly as long as there are still leaves.

 

[itiwhetu]

We call it Indian fern ( Ceratopteris cornuta ) is by far the best floating plant.