In the magical world of aquascaping, floating plants know how to stay on top! Floating plants in both the pond and aquarium will improve the water quality and keep the algae under control. These plants also oxygenate the water, making a healthy environment for our fish friends.

They are the perfect aquatic plant for beginners - seriously! These plants multiply quickly, giving you that much needed  boost of confidence. You will be saying you have a green thumb in no time! Here, I'll be sharing 8 easy to grow floating aquatic plants you can add to your freshwater ponds and aquariums. 

The Benefits of Floating Plants

The benefits of floating plants are endless. It’s important to have some variety when keeping a water garden. Each kind of plant you keep adds something different to your enclosed aquatic environment. The three types of plants you can grow are fully submerged, marginal and floating.

When it comes to keeping fish in a pond or in an aquarium, floating plants will help mimic a natural environment. They create shade and a sense of protection for fish. If you have any small fry, they will keep them safe and help them hide from any possible predators. I noticed that one of my cichlids enjoys sleeping underneath a patch of my floating plants. I can tell that it feels comfortable and happy resting in that spot. 

The biggest benefit, by far ,when it comes to floating plants is they remove any unhealthy buildup in your water. Things like nitrogen and ammonia in large amounts can weaken or kill fish. The roots of your floating plants will suck up nitrogen and excess nutrients, preventing an unhealthy buildup of algae and improving your water quality naturally. Anyone who has ever experienced an algae bloom knows what a mess that can be!

I have a large amount of nitrogen in my tap water, which can be a huge issue. It isn't easy for me to keep the levels down without using filter media and/or bottled chemicals. This can be costly and time consuming. As soon as I added aquarium plants, my spending on media and products was greatly reduced. They are the best looking problem solver in the aquatic hobby!

Floating aquatic plants will oxygenate your freshwater oasis, which is very beneficial during the summer months when oxygen levels begin to decrease as the water warms up. Your friends with fins will really appreciate it!

Here are 8 of my favorite easy floating plants to grow in your water garden. 

1. Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum)

Amazon Frogbit is one of the most popular floating plants. It is categorized as a perennial flowering plant that thrives in freshwater habitats. It is easy to care for and requires medium to high light to grow strong. It has a moderate to fast growth rate and the roots are around 12 inches in length.  

I really enjoy using frogbit for cover in my freshwater tank.  It's the perfect size, and I really like the look of the round, smooth leaves. My mystery snails enjoy nibbling leftover food off of the plants fuzzy roots. I'm partial to how they closely resemble lily pads.

Quick Tip: Avoid Submerging The Leaves Of Your Floating Plants
When the top area comes in contact with moisture, the leaves are more likely to turn brown and rot. Use clear airline tubing to section it off from any areas that have a stronger flow. 

2. Water Lettuce (Pistia stratioes)

There are two kinds of water lettuce, regular and dwarf. I personally like to mix the two together in my tank. When using them in a large water feature, you may want to opt for the regular size lettuce to make a big visual impact. Like other floating plants, it's very easy to care for. The only issue I've encountered is the tips of my rosettes becoming a bit crispy.

It requires medium to high light and has a fast growth rate. Water lettuce is categorized as a herbaceous perennial plant. Although it has lettuce in the name, it's not edible. (dang!) 

Dwarf vs. Regular Water Lettuce
Dwarf water lettuce will stay under 1 inch, while regular water lettuce can reach up to 10 inches. Apparently under perfect conditions, even dwarf water lettuce can grow bigger. Mine stays relatively small though (about 2 inches in the aquarium) 

3. Red Root Floaters (Phyllanthus fluitans)

If you are looking for a vibrant and beautiful floating plant, look no further. Red root floaters are eye-catching! This plant really thrives in stagnant waters. Like the name implies, the roots, indeed, turn red. It is a hardy plant and is happy with medium to high light and some extra iron. I absolutely love the delicate little blooms they produce under the right conditions.

This floating stunner can change color and turn blood red under very high lighting conditions. The leaves will stay more green like pictured when placed under medium light. I find it the most charming plant in my aquarium.

Important Tip: Don't Forget To Fertilize Often
Floating plants depend on nutrients from your water. If you have a decent amount of plants, they can deplete any nutrients quickly. (That's a good thing!) For optimal growth, dose regularly with an all-in-one liquid fertilizer. I dose my aquarium weekly.

4. Water Spangles (Salvinia minima)

I fell in love with water spangles the minute I put them in my aquarium. They are a glamorous floating plant, and I swear they almost sparkle under the bright lighting. Water Spangles, also known as common salvinia, grow in clusters.  It's an easy plant and enjoys moderate to high light. It spreads quickly and can grow to be around 2 to 3 inches thick. 

It is classified as a floating fern, and doesn’t have long roots like most other floating plants. It will thrive in moderate humidity and appreciates slow moving water. Adding this to my aquarium has greatly reduced the amount of algae I've had to deal with. The fronds of these ferns are light green in color and have a protective layer of hair follicles that keep the plant from rotting. 

Quick Tip: Keep Floating Plants In Check
Regular maintenance is important for any aquatic life in your pond or tank. There is an important oxygen exchange with the atmosphere that goes on at the surface of the water. You don't want to create a solid barrier. Keep your plants tidy with regular trimmings.

5. Asian Watermoss (Salvinia cucullata)

Asian Watermoss is a new one for me. It's not extremely common and is definitely on the harder side to find.  Like water spangles above, this floating fern can grow into thick mats. It's easy to grow and does well under moderate to high lighting.  With optimal conditions, this floater has hood-like, rolled up leaves. My plants are still very young, but they are definitely distinctive looking!

I noticed that it grows a bit slower than my common salvinia. The coloring is a bit different up close as well. It has more of a paler, greenish blue tone. It's the perfect addition to an outdoor water feature or indoor aquarium. 

Important Tip: Keep Your Water Clean
Although floating plants are known to help lower nitrate levels, you want to remember that regular water changes are still needed. Unbalanced water conditions can lead to unhealthy plants and fish. I stick to a schedule and prefer to do weekly water changes on my freshwater tank. When doing your water changes, get in the habit of testing your water to make sure you have stable parameters. This will prevent future headaches, trust me!

6.Floating Fern (Salvinia natans)

Salvinia natans is truly unique. It also goes by the names Floating Moss and Water Butterfly Wings. It's a moderate grower and requires medium to high light to really thrive. It's different from the other salvinia species because of its hairy look. 

This tiny floating plant gets to be up to 1/4 inch in diameter. It is great for small water gardens and helps add protection for fish. It is classified as an annual floating aquatic fern, unlike the other two salvinia listed here. I can't wait to observe them making that butterfly shape they are known for!

Did You Know?
Floating plants are frequently nibbled up by waterfowl like ducks and geese. Sometimes wild floating plants can be considered a water weed because of their quick growth and tendency to take over. They do have benefits though! They can keep the mosquito population under control by closing the surface of the water preventing the larvae from breathing. 

7. Giant Duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza)

I am a huge fan of duckweed. Can't grow anything? You can grow duckweed! Some people say duckweed is one of the worst and one of the best floating plants in the hobby. While regular duckweed tends to get everywhere (and I mean everywhere), giant duckweed isn't as difficult to deal with.

If you keep aquatic snails, the larger leaves are harder for them to eat vs. regular duckweed. Another name for this perennial floater is duckmeat. My ducks certainly do treat it like meat when they are allowed to nibble on it!

⚠ Floating Plant Problems ⚠
If you start to notice floaters starting to turn yellow, you may have a deficiency. Test your water, then dose with a specific fertilizer (like potassium in my case) to fix the problem.

8.Duckweed (Lemnoideae)

As I stated earlier, I am crazy about duckweed. It's been extremely beneficial in my aquarium. It's size is very tiny, and it's growth rate is very fast. It prefers high lighting and can flower in ideal conditions. 

If grown as a pond plant, duckweed can submerge during cold weather and return to the surface during the spring. It has been a huge help in my battle against algae and also assisted at preventing evaporation. Duckweed is the world's smallest flowering plant. It's only 0.3mm long! A colony can double in size in less than 48 hours. 

Keep An Easy Food Source
Duckweed can be used as a main food source due to it's high protein content for fish including goldfish, tilapia and koi.

On My Wishlist 

My plant wishlist is always growing. My love of floating plants is always pushing me to try something new. My local fish store has a decent selection, but it can be hard to get my hands on pond plants during the cold, long winter months here in the Northeast. 

Here are the top 3 floating plants on my wishlist.

Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

This free-floating aquatic plant has the most gorgeous looking, violet colored blooms. They are easy to maintain, and prefer high lighting. It's bright green, thick leaves have a succulent-like look to them and definitely make a terrific spawning area for pond fish. 

Fringed Heartwort (Ricciocarpus Natans) 

Fringed Heartwort is definitely harder to come by in the hobby. The fan-shaped leaves have a truly different look. They also boast long sword-shaped purple scales that hang from the under surface of floating plants.

I was lucky enough to get one tiny little hitchhiker with some of my other floating plants I ordered a few weeks ago. They grow slower than duckweed, and seem to appreciate strong lighting. I've been dosing it regularly with macronutrients, and it has doubled in size.

Azolla (Azolla Filiculoides)

Azolla, also known as Red Water Fern, Mosquito Fern or Fairy Moss is a tiny plant with reddish edges. It grows in moss-like mats on slow moving waters and can actually change color depending on lighting. It will grow bright green in shady conditions and turn a purplish color in full sun. It is an easy grower that enjoys a high amount of phosphorous.

I purchase most of my floating plants from Aquarium Plant Center on Etsy, Buce Plant and Modern Aquarium. I've had very good luck with these shops, and received healthy, well packed plants even during the colder months. Make sure when you place an order to add in a heat pack if temperatures in your area are below 50 degrees.

Before adding any floating plants to my backyard water feature or aquarium, I like to quarantine them in glass bowls under a grow light for a few weeks. This allows them to grow healthy roots after dealing with the stress of travel. This also allows me to monitor for any pests that may hitch-hike along with them. All I do is take some water out of my aquarium, place it in a bowl and add a little bit of fertilizer. As long as they have light and nutrients, they will grow healthy and strong.

I hope you picked up some new ideas and tips from this post! Do you have a favorite floating plant? Let me know, and feel free to ask questions in the comment section below. Thank you for reading and happy growing!

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