Floating plants for a thriving aquarium

[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.

[radface]

I think floating plants are really useful, but they shouldn't be relied on as a substitute for a proper lid. They do provide a bit of a barrier, but fish can still jump out if they want to.

What kind of filter are you using? You might need to create a barrier with airline hoses to keep the plants in one area of the tank. This could help prevent them getting battered about by the filter and water agitation.

I've found anacharis to be pretty hardy - it can be planted or floated and grows really quickly. Water sprite and water wisteria are also good options. They're all relatively robust, so might be more suitable for your tank.

It's still worth considering a lid for your tank, though.

[kingrise]

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.

[luminx]

Another good option for you would be Frogbit or Red Root Floaters.

[duskon]

My tank's design is quite fluxx, I opted against a lid to show off the exposed wood. I'll look into adding some tubing to reduce the damage to the Salvinia, although I did try this before and it didn't make a huge difference. If there's no other solution to prevent it from getting destroyed, I'll have to consider removing it and trying without any floating plants, possibly adding a mesh top instead.

[luminx]

Your tank looks stunning, love the open top design and the exposed wood is a nice touch.

[radface]

That's a stunning tank, I'm seriously impressed with your aquascaping skills - they're definitely a step up from mine.

[kingrise]

I think duskon won the TOTM with that tank because it's visually stunning, the exposed wood is a great touch and the aquascaping is on point.

[boomer]

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.

[duskon]

Cheers guys, really appreciate the kind words about my tank. Means a lot to me, glad you all like the setup.