Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Talk about your fresh water plants here
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lunarca
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Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by lunarca »

My frogbit's really struggling in both tanks. I've got a pretty strong surface flow going on and those Aquaball filters create quite a splash. Salvinia's not doing great either.

Looking for a floating plant that can handle some swirl and splash - any suggestions?

Just picked up a single Gkento4t Vallis bulb for my taller tank, but it only had a few leaves. My nano Vallis didn't fare well either. We've got hard water, not sure if that's a factor.
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sSjey
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Re: Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by sSjey »

You might want to consider Water Sprite; it's pretty tolerant of getting its leaves wet, but I'm not sure how it'd handle a lot of current.
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angelica
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Re: Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by angelica »

Do you have liquid ferts in your tank? I've found my frogbit does poorly without sufficient nutrients, even in a tank with some splash and flow.
patronix
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Re: Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by patronix »

I've got a ton of current in my tank and my salvinia was really struggling with all the swirling around. I decided to try something a bit different - I stuck two suckercups to the front and back of the tank and then attached a piece of thread between them. Now my salvinia's doing pretty well, it's all held in place and doesn't get battered around by the current.
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lunarca
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Re: Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by lunarca »

angelica wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 8:16 am Do you have liquid ferts in your tank? I've found my frogbit does poorly without sufficient nutrients, even in a tank with some splash and flow.
Yeah, I'm using Seachem Flourish Comprehensive for ferts. My frogbit's just not doing great - I've tried it from different sources, but it always seems to break up or turn yellow. I've had it in the corner of my main tank, and I've worried that maybe it's not getting enough light, but even when I moved it to my smaller tank, which definitely gets plenty of light, it still didn't do well. Really frustrating, 'cause I love how it looks.
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lunarca
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Re: Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by lunarca »

angelica wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 8:16 am Do you have liquid ferts in your tank? I've found my frogbit does poorly without sufficient nutrients, even in a tank with some splash and flow.
Will keep an eye out for it and give it a shot.
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lunarca
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Re: Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by lunarca »

patronix wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 9:03 am I've got a ton of current in my tank and my salvinia was really struggling with all the swirling around. I decided to try something a bit different - I stuck two suckercups to the front and back of the tank and then attached a piece of thread between them. Now my salvinia's doing pretty well, it's all held in place and doesn't get battered around by the current.
Blimey, that's a massive improvement. I'm definitely gonna give this a shot. I was messing around with the air tubing, but it was driving me mad. This solution might just do the trick, and who knows, maybe my salvinia will start thriving again.
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lunarca
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Re: Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by lunarca »

patronix wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 9:03 am I've got a ton of current in my tank and my salvinia was really struggling with all the swirling around. I decided to try something a bit different - I stuck two suckercups to the front and back of the tank and then attached a piece of thread between them. Now my salvinia's doing pretty well, it's all held in place and doesn't get battered around by the current.
You've got some serious water movement going on, I'm a bit jealous.
patronix
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Re: Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by patronix »

lunarca wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 6:39 am My frogbit's really struggling in both tanks. I've got a pretty strong surface flow going on and those Aquaball filters create quite a splash. Salvinia's not doing great either.

Looking for a floating plant that can handle some swirl and splash - any suggestions?

Just picked up a single Gkento4t Vallis bulb for my taller tank, but it only had a few leaves. My nano Vallis didn't fare well either. We've got hard water, not sure if that's a factor.
My filter's actually overkill for my tank size, but it really gets the job done.
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squidman
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Re: Finding the right floating plant for fast currents and splashy conditions

Post by squidman »

I've got water sprite and it's been a lifesaver for me - I wanted something that could handle the current and surface agitation without making a mess everywhere. It's been growing like crazy in my tank for months and I've had to start throwing some out with every water change. The roots are really cool once the plant has settled in, they hang down deep into the water and I've had no issues trimming them. I've really grown to like the look of it. If you weren't so far away I'd send you some, but I'm not sure that would be practical.
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