The Most Common Floating Aquarium Plants

Add plants to your aquarium not only to create a natural-looking and attractive habitat, but also to control algae growth and keep the water free from fish waste. Using a mixture of small, short plants in the front, taller background plants and floaters can hide all of the accessories necessary to keep your tank running. Floating plants generally reproduce and grow very quickly, so take steps to ensure they don't cover too much of the surface and starve bottom plants for light.

  1. Anacharis

    • Anacharis is one of the most common aquarium plants because it is both inexpensive and easy to grow. While you have almost certainly seen this plant with its long, dark stalk well rooted in the bottom of tanks, its thin, translucent leaves and hollow stalk can allow it to easily float. Anarcharis requires medium to high light, but can be grown in a wide range of temperatures and pH ranges. It is also known as an especially good oxygenator. It is also known as Elodea.

    Hornwort

    • Hornwort is a fast-growing, floating plant that is often used because it is inexpensive and abundant. While the plant does grow wild in many U.S. lakes, you should not simply add some from a lake to your aquarium because the small, bushy leaves can be home to multitudes of tiny creatures. Hornwort has no roots at all, so adding it to your tank really is as simple as dropping a couple of bunches into the water. Many tank decorators consider it a temporary plant, because it grows so quickly that it takes over and disrupts other plants' growth. If you add hornwort, be prepared to constantly prune it back.

    Crystalwort

    • Crystalwort can grow into what looks like a thick, shag carpet at the top of your tank. An excellent protector of newborn fry, crystalwort is also useful if your tank has become overpopulated with snails. The plant has high light demands which are easily met since it barely hangs down from the surface at all. Crystalwort grows quickly and feeds on the waste that fish create, so it makes an good water cleaner.

    Java Moss

    • An extremely hardy plant that can even tolerate somewhat brackish water, java moss is often one of the first choices for a beginner. You can allow the moss to float around the tank unanchored, but most aquarium owners consider it more attractive when it is at least partially anchored to rocks or wood. Keep an eye on your filter if you choose to grow java moss. It grows best in fast-moving water and therefore can clog filter inlets.