Growing your own floating plants for a thriving aquarium

[SeaBidder]

I'm getting a bit fed up with shelling out cash for floating plants all the time. Is it possible to have a dedicated plant-only tank for growing my own floating plants? If so, what's the minimum tank size I'd need? I've got a 5-gallon tank just collecting dust right now - could I use that? What kind of nutrients would I need to give the plants? Would I have to clean the tank regularly and would an LED light lid be enough? Alternatively, could I use a large tote and grow plants on the patio? What's the best floating plant to start with? I'd love to be able to use this tank as a grow tank and just grab plants as needed for my other tank. Any suggestions would be great.

[coltin]

I'm assuming you're looking to grow floating plants for your goldfish to snack on. Setting up some large plastic tubs outside in a sunny or partially shaded area is a great idea. When it gets scorching hot, just make sure to provide some shade cloth during the peak hours. Fill these tubs with tap water - you only need about 6-12 inches deep - and add a dash of garden fertiliser, about one level tablespoon per 20 litres or 5 gallons of water. Mix it in, add your plants, and watch the water turn green and soupy as they grow.

Any floating plant variety will thrive outdoors, like Water Sprite, Duckweed, Azolla, Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinth, or Salvinia. If you want to grow Water Sprite or Duckweed in your small tank under LEDs, that's doable too - just add garden fertiliser at the same rate as before. Since there won't be any fish or shrimp in this tank, you can add fertiliser without worrying about harming them.

You can either change the water in the tank or containers every week or two, refilling with fresh water and more fertiliser, or just add a half dose of fertiliser every couple of weeks. If your plants are growing like crazy, you can even add a half dose every week.

If you don't rinse and refill the containers regularly, you might end up with insect larvae in the water - think mosquito and bloodworm larvae - which can be a great snack for your fish. Just keep an eye out for fluxeonflies; if you notice them hovering around the containers, they might lay eggs, and you could end up with fluxeonfly larvae, which can harm small fish or shrimp. Always inspect your plants before adding them to a tank with tiny fish or shrimp.

[kingrise]

I love the idea of growing my own floating plants. I'm curious about propagating Water Sprite, though - can you actually make more plants from one? Like, can you trim it and get new growth? How does that work?

[coltin]

Water Sprite is a great choice for propagation - it naturally produces baby plants that break off from the leaves on its own. Give it a month and you'll have a bunch of new plants, plus the original one. In ideal conditions, it can grow quite large, up to 2 feet in diameter, with roots reaching 18 inches long.

[sSjey]

I make it a habit to inspect the older Water Sprite plants when I'm removing them, and I always take the time to gently remove the baby plants that have developed, which I then return to the tank to continue growing.

[kingrise]

Thanks for the info, I'm actually thinking of getting a Water Sprite now - would they be okay in a betta tank, or are they more suited to something else?

[sSjey]

I've got Water Sprite in my tank and it does get pretty large as coltin mentioned, but by the time it starts taking over, you'll have plenty of baby plants to work with.

[SeaBidder]

I'm assuming you're looking to grow floating plants for your goldfish to snack on. Setting up some large plastic tubs outside in a sunny or partially shaded area is a great idea. When it gets scorching hot, just make sure to provide some shade cloth during the peak hours. Fill these tubs with tap water - you only need about 6-12 inches deep - and add a dash of garden fertiliser, about one level tablespoon per 20 litres or 5 gallons of water. Mix it in, add your plants, and watch the water turn green and soupy as they grow.

Any floating plant variety will thrive outdoors, like Water Sprite, Duckweed, Azolla, Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinth, or Salvinia. If you want to grow Water Sprite or Duckweed in your small tank under LEDs, that's doable too - just add garden fertiliser at the same rate as before. Since there won't be any fish or shrimp in this tank, you can add fertiliser without worrying about harming them.

You can either change the water in the tank or containers every week or two, refilling with fresh water and more fertiliser, or just add a half dose of fertiliser every couple of weeks. If your plants are growing like crazy, you can even add a half dose every week.

If you don't rinse and refill the containers regularly, you might end up with insect larvae in the water - think mosquito and bloodworm larvae - which can be a great snack for your fish. Just keep an eye out for fluxeonflies; if you notice them hovering around the containers, they might lay eggs, and you could end up with fluxeonfly larvae, which can harm small fish or shrimp. Always inspect your plants before adding them to a tank with tiny fish or shrimp.

Thanks for the helpful tips, I really appreciate it.

[coltin]

Water Sprite is perfect for a betta tank, providing a haven for them to hide and thrive. Its numerous roots create a haven for beneficial micro-organisms to grow, which in turn become a nutritious food source for baby fish. The plant's extensive branching system offers plenty of hiding spots for both adult and baby fish, making it an ideal choice for livebearers as well.

[kingrise]

I'm curious about Water Sprite's reproduction - does it work similarly to duckweed in terms of multiplying?