Floating plants

[Falconwithaboxon]

Can I do floating plants in an aquarium that has a bubbler and over the back filter? I like how they look but I'm worried that they won't be able to survive because of the movement of the water. Are they rather hardy? I have hornwort that is planted in the substrate but I'd rather it float. Any other suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Circus]

I have hornwort, duckweed and a couple of other floating plants that do fine with my HOB filters.

 

[SAChichlidLover]

Can I do floating plants in an aquarium that has a bubbler and over the back filter? I like how they look but I'm worried that they won't be able to survive because of the movement of the water. Are they rather hardy? I have hornwort that is planted in the substrate but I'd rather it float. Any other suggestions are appreciated.

Hiya! I'm sure they will be fine, duckweed will survive in some of the strangest circumstances but I would reccomend amazon frogbit as it is hardy and robust

 

[Abaddon]

Water movement shouldn't be a problem. Some floating plants (e.g. frogbit) don't like it when water droplets get on top of the leaves (because of condensation etc.), and they appreciate stronger light (plus plenty of nutrients as they're fast growers), but other than that they're easy to care for. I'd avoid duckweed though. Once it's in the tank it's very difficult to get rid of, and it tends to stick to everything - hands, gravel cleaners, tank walls, covers, clothes... it's probably the only aquatic plant that I genuinely hate lol ?

 

[Falconwithaboxon]

Okay I'll look into finding frogbit. I like how floating plants look and I would also like my fry to survive lol

 

[Abaddon]

I also recommend Salvinia natans (seems more tolerant of occasional sumbersion than e.g. frogbit), water lettuce (Pistia) and red root floater. You can also use stem plants like hornwort, guppy grass, anacharis and water sprite (Ceratopteris), and liverworts like round pelia or Riccia fluitans which form dense floating mats on the surface.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Can I do floating plants in an aquarium that has a bubbler and over the back filter? I like how they look but I'm worried that they won't be able to survive because of the movement of the water. Are they rather hardy? I have hornwort that is planted in the substrate but I'd rather it float. Any other suggestions are appreciated.

They may not grow. Tanks with high water movement and floating plants usually don’t mix.

You may be able to make a DIY floating plant separator, that should keep them away from the filter.

 

[Falconwithaboxon]

I also recommend Salvinia natans (seems more tolerant of occasional sumbersion than e.g. frogbit), water lettuce (Pistia) and red root floater. You can also use stem plants like hornwort, guppy grass, anacharis and water sprite (Ceratopteris), and liverworts like round pelia or Riccia fluitans which form dense floating mats on the surface.

Okay I'll see about those.

 

[Falconwithaboxon]

They may not grow. Tanks with high water movement and floating plants usually don’t mix.

You may be able to make a DIY floating plant separator, that should keep them away from the filter.

That's what I'm worried about yeah. I was thinking about similar to a feeding tube but. Plants on the inside lol

 

[Neleono]

I've had some good luck with water lettuce, I added it about a week ago and the mother plant has already made 3 other little plants! I don't even use ferts. I also don't have a nice light, and I have never used co2. I do have a small bubbler and they don't seem affected by it, and mine have been growing right in front of the filter.

 

[Colin_T]

You may be able to make a DIY floating plant separator, that should keep them away from the filter.

Get a length of clear plastic hose or airline and a joiner for it. Make a plastic loop out of the hose.
Use a piece of string to tie the loop to a suction cup. The string should be about 12 inches long.
Stick the suction cup on the inside of the tank at the opposite end of the HOB filter. Have the suction cup about half way down the glass. This will allow the plastic ring to move up and down when you do water changes.
Put the floating plants inside the ring and you can have floating plants with aeration and a HOB filter.

 

[StevenF]

I have Salvinia minima very similar but a little bit smaller. it can be totally submerged for days and will still grow. High water flow can push it under the surface and it might get tangled in other plats or decorations. Water spray from bubbler also has not effect. Any water drops on the top of the leaf will have no effect on on the leaves. A very durable plant.

If floating plants don't do well in your aquarium the likely cause is a deficiency of one more nutrients such as nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, potassium , phosphate, sulfur, chloride, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, or nickel. A good fertilizer should have all of these nutrients. floating plants get CO2 from the air and typically got on the surface of a pond in full sunlight with is a lot brighter than any aquarium light. So light and CO2 issues are highly unlikely.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Get a length of clear plastic hose or airline and a joiner for it. Make a plastic loop out of the hose.
Use a piece of string to tie the loop to a suction cup. The string should be about 12 inches long.
Stick the suction cup on the inside of the tank at the opposite end of the HOB filter. Have the suction cup about half way down the glass. This will allow the plastic ring to move up and down when you do water changes.
Put the floating plants inside the ring and you can have floating plants with aeration and a HOB filter.

Or you can using fishing line and tie it to the suctions cups. That’s what I did when I had mine.

 

[seangee]

Ceratopteris thalictroides (water sprite or indian fern). Anything that can be planted in the substrate or left to float doesn't mind getting its leaves wet.