Who Gives A Fish Forums

My Salvinia is turning brown and melting, even though the water parameters seem fine. I've got a 20 gallon tank with moderate lighting, dosing Easy Green once a week. Tankmates are just a few guppies and shrimp. Any ideas what's going on?

What's your water temperature? Salvinia doesn't like it too hot.

I had the same issue last month. Turns out my surface agitation was too high. Salvinia hates moving water, so I turned down the filter flow and it bounced back. Maybe check that?

Yep, surface flow's a killer for floaters. Also, if your light's too weak, they'll just give up. What kinda light you running, OP?

Could be nutrient imbalance too. Even if you're dosing, other plants might be hogging it. How dense is your planting?

Mine did the same thing until I started using a floating ring to keep them away from the filter output. Now they're taking over the tank, lol. Floaters are drama queens.

Salvinia is sensitive to water hardness. If your GH is above 8, it might struggle. Have you tested that?

bulldogstar wrote: ↑Mon Jul 07, 2025 1:54 pm Yep, surface flow's a killer for floaters. Also, if your light's too weak, they'll just give up. What kinda light you running, OP?

Seconding this. I've got a Nicrew Classic on my 20 gallon and my Salvinia's thriving. Weak light equals sad floaters.

Mine melted when I overdosed Excel. If you're using liquid carbon, that could be the culprit.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll check the flow and hardness tonight. Light's a Fluval 3.0 at 50%, so should be enough. Appreciate the help!