What plant will do the job?

[AaronPenfound]

I need a plant that will float on the surface of the water, bit like a lilys in a pond or that sorta thing that will go in my tank! anyone got any ideas?

*sorry about the crap description*

 

[Bol]

Do you mean a plant that's actually planted on the bottom, but sends runners to the surface, where there are floating leaves?

If so, banana plants will sometimes do that. Also, some different kinds of water lilies are included in the "Grow Your Own" plant bulb packages.

There's also a plant called duckweed, which just grows as tiny floating leaves. (that is, very little of the plant is underwater, maybe 1/2" worth. But, it can at times take over the surface of your tank, and can be a pain to completely get rid of.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Both my Banana Plant and Dwarf Lily bulb have sent leaves to the surface...and i have a 24" tall tank too!

The thing is they take a while to do it.

 

[Lateral Line]

As the others have said already, it depends what you are after.

If you are looking for a large specimen floating plant for an open topped aquarium/indoor pond, then the Water Hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, is a very impressive plant. Various other and smaller floating plants are available, ordinary Hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum, does very well as a floating plant, Crystalwort, Riccia fluitans, is very nice.

For plants growing form the bottom but producing floating leaves/flowers, the many Nymphaea species are superb tropical water lillies small enough to be grown in a large tank.

More info!