16 Best Floating Aquarium Plants 2022 (with pictures)

Growing live plants in our aquariums has been popular for decades. Whether it’s a few bunches of Water Sprite or a full-blown aquascape, live plants give a natural feel to an aquarium and add another layer of interest for the fish keeper and the fish.

Many of us are aware there are lots of plants available, but very few hobbyists are aware of the number of floating plants we can grow in our fish tanks. There is a floating plant for pretty much every situation.

In this article, I give more information about what is in my opinion the 16 best floating plants for aquariums.

One point to note before proceeding, in the context of this article, floating just means ‘without a set root system anchoring the plant to the substrate’.

1. Duckweed (Lemna minor)

I started my list with what is probably the most controversial floating plant on the list, Duckweed. Duckweed is a controversial choice because some fish keepers love it, others hate it.

Duckweed is an incredibly hardy floating plant that can survive at almost any temperature. Duckweed has been known to survive in waters as low as 32°F (0°C) and I suspect it can survive even lower than that.

Duckweed is a small, floating plant that consists of 1 to 3 oval-shaped leaves joined in the middle and attached to a tiny root system.

Duckweed reproduces quickly and will grow even in very low light conditions. Duckweed is excellent at removing nitrates from the water and it makes great food for Common Goldfish, Fancy Goldfish, and chickens!

Because Duckweed grows so quickly, it absorbs huge amounts of unwanted nutrients from the water, which can help reduce and even prevent algae growth. Essentially, Duckweed can outgrow and then starve the algae of nutrients.

I grow lots of Duckweed for my chickens, but also as a food for my Fancy Goldfish. Duckweed is a natural laxative and feeding it to Fancy Goldfish helps keep them going to the bathroom regularly and also helps prevent swimbladder problems.

The major drawback with Duckweed, as anyone who has had it in their fish rooms but didn’t want it will tell you, is Duckweed spreads like wildfire. If a single piece of Duckweed finds its way into an aquarium where it isn’t wanted, it can take months to get rid of it.

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https://youtu.be/aiVcRDpBSW0

In my own fish room, I make sure I wash my hands after working in the tanks where I intentionally grow Duckweed so that I don’t spread it to the other tanks. I also have separate nets to try and reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

Duckweed is a fantastic plant that grows quickly and removes lots of unwanted nutrients from the water, but it should be added to a tank with caution. Once you have it, you might never get rid of it!

2. Red Root Floater (Phyllanthus Fluitans)

This easy to care for floating plant is famed for its roots, which as its common names suggest, are the most fantastic red color. The color of the leaves of this plant is highly variable and can be anywhere between bright green and deep red.

Floating plants are widely grown for their ability to absorb nutrients from the water and to create shade, both of which Red Root Floater does really well.

Red Root Floater will grow to cover the entire surface of the aquarium if allowed to, but unlike Duckweed, is easy to control and will not take over your entire fish room. It is a fast-growing plant and can form a thick blanket across the surface of your tank, sometimes blocking out too much light.

If your Red Root Floater gets a little out of control, just remove a few scoops and give them to a friend or drop them on the compost pile.

The leaves of Red Root Floater can grow up to 1″ (2.5cm) long, and unlike some other floating plants, the leaves don’t mind either high humidity or getting wet on top. The red roots hang down about 1″ (2.5cm) below the plant, creating hiding places for baby fish, especially those of livebearers like Guppies and Mollies.

Red Root Floater is particularly sought after by those running topless aquariums as the plant will frequently flower when conditions are right. Small white flowers will develop in the leaf axils.

Red Root Floater self-propagates by sending our runners which have tiny, daughter plants on them. When ready, these daughter plants will break away from the main plant, quickly growing before throwing out their own runners.

This plant grows best when kept in water that is between 70°F and 82°F (21°C and 27.5°C). Under moderate light, the leaves will be more green and under high light, the leaves will be much redder in color.

Red Root Floater does benefit from additional liquid fertilizer.

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3. Dwarf Water Lettuce (Pistia Stratiotes)

Dwarf Water Lettuce, which is sometimes just called Water Lettuce, is a light green floating plant that has waxy leaves that repel water. Dwarf Water Lettuce actually sits on the water surface rather than floating on it.

The use of the word Dwarf in the name of this plant is fairly misleading and it can actually grow surprisingly large. The roots of Dwarf Water Lettuce hang down a fairly long way into the water.

Because the leaves of Dwarf Water Lettuce are sitting on the water rather than floating in it, they have access to unlimited CO2 from the air, meaning this plant does not need CO2 injected into the aquarium.

Dwarf Water Lettuce does however benefit from the addition of liquid fertilizer into the aquarium. In my own tanks with Dwarf Water Lettuce growing I tend to add liquid fertilizer about once every 2 weeks.

This plant is a very fast-growing plant that will spread quickly. Due to its fast-growing nature, Dwarf Water Lettuce sucks up vast quantities of nitrates from the aquarium water, making the water cleaner and safer for the fish that live in it.

In my experience, Dwarf Water Lettuce is a great plant to grow with the aim of selling it for a profit. I sell several bags of Dwarf Water Lettuce at every club meeting I go to, and I have sold dozens of portions on eBay.

The long, dangling roots of Dwarf Water Lettuce provide excellent cover for baby fish and baby shrimps, and the vast surface area of the roots creates a huge build-up of biofilm which is relished by species like Red Cherry Shrimp.

https://youtu.be/wi7ifZsDwO4

As Dwarf Water Lettuce is so good at removing nitrates from aquariums it is frequently grown in a sump filter, especially if the tank contains fish that would otherwise eat the plant. In my fish room, I have a 300-gallon (1360 liters) tank that contains a school of Tinfoil Barbs. Tinfoil Barbs would quickly eat the Dwarf Water Lettuce so I have it growing in the large sump filter which sits below the main tank.

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4. Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum)

Amazon Frogbit is a stunning floating plant that originates from slower-moving waterways in Central America and South America.

Amazon Frogbit is a fast-growing plant whose glossy green leaves grow to just under 1″ (2.5cm) across. This plant sometimes goes by the common name South American Sponge Plant thanks to the sponge-like appearance of the underside of its leaves. The leaves are thick and have a loose oval shape.

The long, trailing roots of Amazon Frogbit can extend to around 3″ (7.5cm) long. These roots provide ideal hiding places for both shrimp and baby fish. They also have a habit of catching small pieces of uneaten food which both the shrimp and baby fish will quickly take advantage of.

Much like other floating plants on the list, Amazon Frogbit is excellent at reducing the amount of light entering the tank and the number of excess nutrients available in the water, both of which help to fight off unwanted algae.

One downside of growing Amazon Frogbit is that it can form a fairly thick mat on the surface which can reduce surface movement to some parts of the tank. This in turn can lead to patches of oily surface film forming in areas where water movement is reduced.

If Amazon Frogbit begins to take over your aquarium, simply scoop some out and either sell it to another hobbyist or drop it onto the compost pile.

It is often said the Amazon Frogbit does not like to get its leaves wet. I haven’t found this to be a major problem, but I don’t keep it in any tanks with hang-on-back filters which may continually splash the Frogbit with water.

Snails seem to love eating Amazon Frogbit, so do be aware if you keep snails in your tank. In my experience, they tend to attach themselves to the underside and eat through the spongey areas.

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5. Java Moss

Java Moss is my first plant on this list that doesn’t physically float on the surface, however, I have still included it, and a number of other plants because they can be grown as free-floating plants that are not anchored to the substrate by roots.

Java Moss is one of the easiest plants in the hobby to grow. Stick it in water, give it some light and it can’t help but grow.

Java Moss is prized by both aquascapers and fish breeders alike. Whilst I am not much of an aquascaper, I breed thousands of fish every year, and I keep Java Moss in pretty much every one of my breeding tanks.

When used in breeding tanks, Java Moss provides an almost unlimited number of hiding places for baby fish, keeping them away from hungry, predatory adult fish.

Java Moss reproduces so readily that I actually started with a small cup full about 10 years ago, and I now have tanks of it. Java Moss is another one of those plants which are great to sell for a profit. If you grow Java Moss you will no doubt be able to take bags of it either to your local fish store or aquarium club meeting and you will sell out every time.

Java Moss has no root structure to speak of, but rather is made up of thousands of tiny pieces of moss, all woven together.

Java Moss grows best when it is kept in water that is between 64°F and 86°F (18°C and 30°C). It is not at all fussy about how much light it receives and in my experience does not grow any quicker when fertilizer is added to the tank.

This plant is perfect for those who are new to plant growing and want to try something that is close to bullet-proof.

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6. Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)

Hornwort is an extremely easy-to-grow stem plant that can either be grown as a floating plant or rooted into the gravel. Hornwort is most often grown as a floating plant in breeding tanks.

This plant is found growing in lakes, ponds, and very slow-moving streams around the world. One of Hornworts’ other popular common names is Coontail Plant. This name is said to be thanks to the plant’s resemblance to the tail of a raccoon.

Hornwort is used by both fish and shrimp breeders. A floating mass of Hornwort provides excellent cover for the fish of livebearers like Guppies, Mollies, and Platies and it also provides the perfect location for fish like Rainbow Fish and Corydoras to deposit their eggs.

When used in shrimp breeding tanks it tends to be more thanks to the vast quantity of biofilm that naturally grows across the mass of stems and leaves. In my own fish room, I have Hornwort in many of my Red Cherry Shrimp breeding tanks. You can often pull the bundle of Hornwort apart to find hundred of shrimp hiding inside, eating from the leaves and stems of the plant.

Hornwort is an extremely fast-growing plant that absorbs huge quantities of excess nutrients from the water column. A large clump of Hornwater is often added to sump filters to remove nitrates from the water. This technique is especially useful when the likes of African Cichlids are kept in the tank and there is no chance of plants growing in the main aquarium.

Individual strands of Hornwort will usually grow to around 6″ to 12″ (15cm to 30cm) long. This plant is not too fussy about water temperature and it does not require CO2 injection.

To propagate Hornwort, simply cut anywhere along a stem and you will have two plants instead of just one.

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7. Water Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)

Water Wisteria is another tremendously easy to grow plant that can either be grown rooted into the substrate or as a free-floating mass.

The bright green, feather-like leaves of Water Wisteria grow from numerous points along the stems. When grown as a floating plant the stems tend to bend and twist all over the place, adding to the character of the plant.

One unusual characteristic of Water Wisteria when grown as a floating plant is roots will grow out of almost every point along the stem where a leaf is growing. To my mind, this just adds to the cover the plant provides baby fish and shrimp.

Water Wisteria does not require very much light to grow, especially when grown as a floating plant. It also does not need the addition of CO2 injection. When grown under high light and with CO2 injection, Water Wisteria grows so fast it is pretty much out of control!

https://youtu.be/MKazI7-QU6o

To propagate Water Wisteria you just take a sharp pair of scissors and cut the stem at any point. In fact, you could cut the stem into 1″ (2.5cm) sections and the chances are each section will quickly grow into a new plant.

Water Wisteria is frequently confused with Water Sprite, which at first glance look identical, although there are distinctive differences.

In my experience, Water Wisteria does benefit from the addition of liquid fertilizer. When grown with liquid fertilizer the leaves look brighter and the plant looks generally healthier.

Be aware, Water Wisteria can and will grow out of the water, which looks amazing in the right setting.

Water Wisteria is best grown in larger tanks due to its rapid growth. Personally, I wouldn’t keep it in anything smaller than a 20-gallon (78 liters) otherwise really frequent trimming will be required.

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8. Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana)

I think Cabomba might have been the first aquarium plant I ever grew. I remember finishing my first day working in my local fish store as a kid and at the end of the day I took home a bunch of Cabomba. It grew like a weed!

Cabomba is an incredibly easy stem plant to grow. Traditionally Cabomba is planted directly into the substrate, but it also grows really well as a floating plant. This plant is ideal to use in a breeding tank and works really well to keep the babies of livebearers like Mollies, Platies, and Swordtails away from their predatory parents.

The stems of Cabomba are long and thin with the feather-like foliage coming off at regular intervals from root to tip.

Cabomba does not require CO2 injection to grow well, and although it doesn’t absolutely need additional fertilizer, it grows faster and denser when grown with additional liquid fertilizer.

This plant does like moderate light which it usually gets plenty of when grown as a floating plant, however, the mass of stems and foliage should be rotated occasionally otherwise the stems at the bottom of the pile may become shaded out by those stems above them, leading to the bottom stems dying off.

Each stem of Cabomba will grow to around 12″ (30cm) long. It will grow in a wide range of temperatures and pH, however, it does not like a drastic change in its conditions, so moving it from one tank to another can cause it to die back.

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9. Brazilian Pennywort (Centella asiatica)

Brazilian Pennywort is a really popular and interesting aquarium plant that is often grown as a floating specimen. The almost circular dark green, glossy leaves of Brazilian Pennywort are roughly divided into 20 segments, each one radiating from a central stem.

When Brazilian Pennywork leaves reach the surface of the aquarium, they resemble miniature lily pads, however, they soon grow out of the water on strong stems.

This plant grows incredibly quickly and requires constant trimming to keep it under control. Left untrimmed, Brazilian Pennywort will take over your tank, then your fish room before eventually consuming your entire house. The Pennywort in the image below started as a single stem in one of the tanks.

Brazilian Pennywort is an undemanding plant that grows well regardless of light. It does not require CO2 injection or even the addition of liquid fertilizers.

This plant is especially useful either in breeding tasks or in a sump filter where it will quickly extract excess nutrients like ammonia or nitrates from the water.

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10. Rotala Indica (Rotala indica)

Rotala Indica is another popular stem plant that is frequently grown as a floating specimen. The small, rounded leaves of Rotala Indica grow on pink-colored stems. As these leaves get closer to the light they turn green to pinkish-red. When grown as a floating plant there are clearly a lot more leaves close to the light, potentially giving the whole plant that pink tinge.

Rotala Indica does grow best when it has access to added fertilizer and CO2 injection, but neither is essential for the plant to grow.

This plant will grow into a thick bush, providing an endless number of hiding places for shy fish or babies that are trying to avoid being eaten. I have also found my Red Cherry Shrimp love this plant. You can end up with hundreds of them living inside the floating mass of leaves.

Each stem of Rotala Indica can grow to around 12″ (330cm) long, although they only tend to grow this long when planted into the gravel. In my experience, when grown as a floating specimen the stems do not get as long.

Like so many stem plants, Rotala Indica is easily propagated by cutting anywhere along a stem using sharp scissors, ideally just about a leaf. The new cutting can either be gently pushed into the substrate where it will root or left floating where it will quickly grow away.

It is not unheard of for Rotala Indica to flower if it grows out of the water, although this isn’t something I have ever managed to achieve.

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11. Ludwigia Repens (Ludwigia repens)

Ludwigia Repens is another incredibly fast-growing plant that can grow either fully submerged or partially submerged. It is equally happy planted into the substrate or grown as a floating plant.

The stems of Ludwigia Repens will grow to around 20″ (50cm) long, however, in my experience, when grown as a floating plant they don’t tend to get as long, probably maxing out at nearer 12″ (30cm).

Ludwigia Repens grows best in softer, slightly acidic water and it does require moderate to high lighting. It may struggle if grown in a low light setup. It prefers the water to be between 75°F and 80°F (24°C and 26.5°C) although I have had it growing in tanks that were slightly warmer than this.

This is probably the fastest growing plant on my list of floating plants. If not kept under control Lugwigia Repens can quickly take over an entire tank. I have it growing as a floating mass in a couple of breeding tanks because the fish I am breeding are known baby eaters and growing Ludwigia Repens in the tank with them has massively increased my baby fish survival rate.

When grown with good light, a regular source of fertilizer and the addition of CO2 injection, the leaves of Ludwigia Repens can turn from a dark green to deep red. This is something of a badge of honor for aquascapers who love to compare how red their Ludwigia leaves are.

Ludwigia Repens can be propagated in the home aquarium. The most successful method I have found is to cut the top 3″ or 4″ (7.5cm or 10cm) from the tip of a stem, strip the lower leaves, then carefully place that stem into the substrate where it will root quite quickly.

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12. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides)

Water Sprite is another stem plant that makes a fantastic mass of stems, foliage, and roots when grown as a floating specimen. Often confused with Water Wisteria, Water Sprite has bright green, feathery, fern-like foliage which is prized by fish breeders.

When grown as a floating plant the leaves create an almost endless number of places where baby fish can hide. Egg-laying fish like Rainbowfish, Rice Fish, and Corydoras will often use a floating bunch of Water Sprite as somewhere to lay their eggs.

Water Sprite is a very hardy plant that happily grows in a wide range of water parameters. Providing the water temperature is in the region of 68°F to 82°F (20°C to 27.5°C) Water Sprite will grow happily. With that said, I have grown it in a tank filled with baby Fancy Goldfish, and the water temperature was around 64°F.

Water Sprite is not fussy about what light it is grown under. Low light, moderate light, or high light, is all the same to Water Sprite.

Although this plant does benefit from the addition of a little liquid fertilizer it will grow just fine without it. Water Sprite also does not need CO2 injection to grow well.

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13. Mosquito Fern (Azolla filiculoides)

Mosquito Fern is often likened to Duckweed, although personally, I don’t see the resemblance. This plant is found growing all over the world, but most often in tropical regions of the world.

Mosquito Fern gets its common name due to the fact it often spreads out and completely covers a body of water, preventing mosquitos and other insects from laying their eggs in the water. When grown as a floating plant in the aquarium, Mosquito Fern will quickly cover the entire tank surface.

The fern-like leaves of the Mosquito Fern are very small, often measuring under 1″ (2.5cm).

Mosquito Fern is an extremely fast-growing plant. According to a study carried out in 2009, Mosquito Fern can double its biomass in just 1.9 days. It is also well known that Mosquito Fern absorbs large quantities of nutrients from the water.

Combining Mosquito Fern’s ability to cover the surface, reducing light penetration, and its desire to literally suck nutrients out of the water makes growing it a great way to combat algae build-up in an aquarium.

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14. Water Spangles (Salvinia minima)

Salvinia Minima is a stunning floating plant. The highly textured, almost hearted-shaped leaves make this plant the most attractive floating plant in my fish room.

Like so many other floating plants, Salvinia Minima grows really fast. It can quickly take over an aquarium, creating a thick blanket across the surface of the tank. This plant grows so quickly that about once a month I remove around 75% of it from my aquarium and give it to my local fish store. They sell no end of it.

In the wild Salvinia Minima prefers slow-moving to still water, and in the aquarium, it seems to like the same conditions. I have tried growing it in one of my river-style tanks that has a hi-flow, and it just didn’t take off.

Because Salvinia Minima grows so quickly it draws in vast quantities of excess nutrients from the aquarium water, especially nitrates. This makes Salvinia Minima a great choice for those with tanks where regular plants can not be grown. I have some Salvinia Minima floating in a number of my Oscar tanks and in with my African Cichlids.

This plant is now considered an invasive species in several states, so do be careful not to allow any of it to escape your tank and end up in a local waterway.

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15. Anacharis

Anacharis, which is also often called Elodea, is another fast-growing plant that can be grown either rooted in the substrate or as a floating plant.

In my experience, Anacharis does grow faster and thicker when grown as a rooted specimen, but that should not deter you from trying it as a floating plant.

The bright green stems of this plant are relatively thick with tiny leaves growing up all sides for its entire length.

Anacharis is an incredibly adaptable plant, which was traditionally only ever grown in unheated goldfish tanks. In recent times it has become appreciated by tropical fish keepers too. This plant will happily live in water anywhere from 55°F and 82°F (12.5°C and 27.5°C). I also have it growing in my outdoor ponds where it survives all year round, even when the surface of the pond has ice across it.

Anacharis grows well regardless of light, temperature, fertilizer, or CO2. It is the ultimate low-tech plant that will survive in almost any condition.

This plant is ideal for fish tanks where the fish may try to eat the plants, such as Fancy Goldfish.

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16. Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Water Hyacinth is a floating plant that is native to the Amazon Basin. This stunning floating plant is large and is probably best saved for growing in ponds.

Water Hyacinth holds its dark green, oval, glossy leaves up and out of the water. The leaves can grow as large as 8″ (20cm) across and can stand up to 3′ (91cm) out of the water. Under the water, Water Hyacinth has long trailing roots that go down for many inches. These roots create an ideal habitat for baby fish to hide.

I use a lot of Water Hyacinths in my outdoor summer-tubbing ponds where I breed lots of livebearers and some egg layers.

Water Hyacinth is a highly adaptable, but also highly invasive species, so great care must be taken to ensure this plant can not escape into your local waterways.

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In Conclusion

There are many different types of floating plants available for us hobbyists to choose from. Some are incredibly easy to grow, others are highly adaptable and almost all create a haven for baby fish, shrimps, and even breeding snails.

Over the years I have tried just about every floating plant there is. This list of 16 represents what is in my opinion the best ones.

Whilst floating plants are rarely used in high-end aquascapes, that doesn’t mean they lack beauty. Personally, I think a tank full of trailing roots from hundreds of Dwarf Water Lettuce plants looks stunning.

Whichever plants you try, take time to make sure you give them the optimal conditions they require. And remember that if you grow them well, you may be able to harvest some to trade back with your local fish store for a little store credit.

Article Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eichhornia_crassipes

https://tropica.com/en/plants/portions/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limnobium_laevigatum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabomba

https://www.thesprucepets.com/ludwigia-repens-1378709

https://www.britannica.com/plant/mosquito-fern

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvinia_minima