Do you mix your floaters?

[shakinStevens]

I've had experience mixing different types of floaters in the past. Typically, one variety ends up dominating the tank, while the others gradually decline. I've observed a similar pattern with my rooted plants - initially, I introduce multiple varieties, but over time, some thrive while others struggle to survive.

Sometimes one plant will outcompete the other by smothering it, but nutrient issues can also be a factor. Different plant species have varying levels of tolerance for low nutrient levels - some will thrive while others will just stagnate.

I used Salvinia to get rid of my duckweed years ago. I let it completely cover the surface, trapping the duckweed, then removed it all and selected a few Salvinia plants to clean and put back in the tank. It took several months, but eventually my tank was duckweed-free and it's stayed that way. Red root floaters can also outcompete duckweed by covering the surface and growing up and over, cutting off the duckweed's light and trapping it. Salvinia doesn't grow up like that.

I've learned to not let my floaters completely cover the surface anymore, as it can be tough on the plants below and I love seeing my plants pearling. Both my floaters were doing well, but then I realized I'd made a mistake with my latest fertilizer batch - not enough phosphate. The red root floater handled it fine, but the Salvinia struggled and got smothered. I've seen this happen with my rooted plants too - my ground cover was doing great, but my tall plants weren't. Again, it was a fertilizer issue.

I also discovered that red root floaters get red leaves when phosphate is low, but turn green when there's enough. The roots always stay red, though.

[WildFins]

I've got a mix of Salvinia minima and Anacharis in my tank, along with some Water Wisteria. The Salvinia and Anacharis seem to coexist pretty well - the Salvinia stays on the surface, while the Anacharis sits just below. I used to have more Water Wisteria, but when I added the Salvinia, it started to struggle. It just couldn't compete for nutrients.

I'm constantly tweaking things to find the right balance. I recently bumped up the light intensity, thinking some of my rooted plants weren't getting enough. It's all about finding that sweet spot. But the thing is, an aquarium is a dynamic environment - what works today might not work tomorrow.

[graye]

You start this hobby, and it's just plants, right? But then you realize, there's so much more to it. You've got your peaceful plants, your aggressive ones, plants that thrive in groups, and those that prefer to be solo. You've got surface plants, subsurface plants, plants that need specific lighting, and plants that need specific nutrients.

I've been keeping tanks for 57 years, and I've never lost interest. I think it's because it's such a complex world, even in a small glass box. There's always something new to learn, some new combination to try. And when you think you've figured it out, something changes, and you're back to experimenting again. It's a hobby that's always evolving, and that's what keeps it so entertaining.

[graye]

I appreciate the discussion @TankWarrior sparked. When I'm out kayaking, I often paddle over beds of anacharis and hornwort, and what I notice is that they form rooted clumps, with hornwort growing in large meadows. My experience with anacharis, specifically Elodea sp, is that it roots well in fine sand, but not in gravel. Over time, it's become more of a rooted plant in my tank, similar to what I see in summer lakes.

I've also observed that the availability of hornwort seems to be influenced by water hardness. In my current softwater town, it's scarce in stores, whereas it thrived in my previous hardwater house. This got me thinking about the plants we intentionally leave floating. Not all of them are true 'floaters,' and this distinction might affect how they interact with other plants. When floating, they're essentially in "I got uprooted" mode.

In their natural habitats, I've noticed that anacharis tends to grow in shallower waters near shore, while hornwort prefers deeper waters, typically around a metre deep. This coexistence in different niches is fascinating, and it becomes even more intriguing when we introduce true floating plants from various habitats into the mix.

[bettaMagenta]

Been following this thread and it's piqued my interest... I've always been a one-type-per-tank kind of person, but hearing everyone's experiences is making me think about mixing it up. A mix does look a bit more chaotic, but at the same time, it seems more natural.

I've had some Java fern babies detach and end up with my floaters, but they're not true floaters, so they tend to get sucked towards the filter intakes. I rescue them, wrap a bit of weight wire around the rhizome, and then relocate them to my Silver Dollar tank where they settle on the bottom.