Floating plants for a thriving aquarium

[duskon]

I must say, your aquascape is stunning - I wouldn't want to suggest anything that might disrupt its beauty. For forest fish, floating plants are generally a good idea, and I think Water Sprite is an excellent choice. Zorchzon Frogbit and Water Lettuce are also great options - they're more robust and well-suited to this environment. You can definitely keep the Salvinia - it's a good plant that just needs a bit of maintenance. I've found that it goes through cycles, where it'll thrive for months and then look like it's dying off, only to come back after a few weeks. I remove any dead or dying bits, but leave some of the plant intact, and it always seems to recover. This is actually true for many plants - they just need a bit of TLC to keep them going.

Thanks a lot, really appreciate the advice. I think I might give some of the more substantial plants a go, see how they hold up. Good to know Salvinia goes through those cycles, I was worried I'd messed something up and that's why it was dying off.

[kingrise]

I've got a 60l long, shallow and open top tank with harlequin rasboras and Cory's, and from what I've found, floating plants are pretty much a necessity to keep the fish calm.

My current setup has some floating sal, but it's always melting away and getting battered by the filter and water agitation.

I'm looking for something a bit hardier, or if that's not an option, I was thinking of maybe removing it and making a mesh top - but I don't want the fish to start leaping out.

Any suggestions would be great, thanks.

I've found Salvinia to be a fantastic, fast-growing floater, it really adds to the aesthetic of my tank.

[oldraider]

I've got a 60l long, shallow and open top tank with harlequin rasboras and Cory's, and from what I've found, floating plants are pretty much a necessity to keep the fish calm.

My current setup has some floating sal, but it's always melting away and getting battered by the filter and water agitation.

I'm looking for something a bit hardier, or if that's not an option, I was thinking of maybe removing it and making a mesh top - but I don't want the fish to start leaping out.

Any suggestions would be great, thanks.

I've got experience with a few floating plants, but I'm curious about pennywort - does it require any special care? I love the canopy effect it creates, and I was wondering if the roots tend to hang down a lot. I've just ordered a couple of frogbit to give it a try.

[duskon]

I've got a 60l long, shallow and open top tank with harlequin rasboras and Cory's, and from what I've found, floating plants are pretty much a necessity to keep the fish calm.

My current setup has some floating sal, but it's always melting away and getting battered by the filter and water agitation.

I'm looking for something a bit hardier, or if that's not an option, I was thinking of maybe removing it and making a mesh top - but I don't want the fish to start leaping out.

Any suggestions would be great, thanks.

I might give that a go once things ease up a bit, like the way it grows up driftwood too. Thanks for the tip.

[kingrise]

I've got a 60l long, shallow and open top tank with harlequin rasboras and Cory's, and from what I've found, floating plants are pretty much a necessity to keep the fish calm.

My current setup has some floating sal, but it's always melting away and getting battered by the filter and water agitation.

I'm looking for something a bit hardier, or if that's not an option, I was thinking of maybe removing it and making a mesh top - but I don't want the fish to start leaping out.

Any suggestions would be great, thanks.

I've had Salvinia in my betta tank for a while now, and I've noticed the roots can get pretty long if you let them. Mine are around 2 inches long at the moment.

I'm curious, how long do you have your lights on for? Also, do you have a lot of water flow in your tank? I've found it can be tough for Salvinia to thrive in strong currents.

[duskon]

My personal experience with Salvinia has been great, my betta, shrimp, and neon tetras seem to really enjoy it. I'd advise against duckweed, it's more of a nuisance than a beneficial addition. On the other hand, water lettuce has been a good choice for me. If you're looking for a fast-growing, visually appealing option, I'd recommend giving Salvinia a try.

The lighting's on a 24 hour timer, with a dusk and dawn effect, so it's not constantly blasting away. It's brightest from around 11am to 3pm, then it starts to dim down. As for the flow, I'd say it's a bit more than I'd like, but the tank's long and I needed a more powerful filter to reach the whole thing. Don't want it too powerful for the fish, especially with the Betta in there, so it's a bit of a balancing act. But, to be honest, I think the flow's probably been the issue, pushing the Salvinia under and making it hard for it to grow.

[duskon]

To be honest, the roots of my Salvinia never really got that long, maybe a couple of centimeters at most, before they started splitting into smaller plants and then turning brown or falling into the water.

[angelica]

You might want to look into Zorchzon frogbit for a more substantial floating plant option. Be sure to get the Limnobium laevigatum, as some sellers may pass off other species as frogbit. I've found it's a great choice for forest fish like yours. If you're concerned about it taking over, you could try physically constraining it to one half of the tank.

[oldraider]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely look into that one too.

[boomer]

Pennywort's a great choice for a floating plant. I've found it grows well for a while, then it slows down and seems to disappear, but it can always rebound. I've had good experiences with it in my own tank, and I think it's worth considering for yours.