Top Five Floating Live Aquarium Plants to Grow in a Fish Tank

Using a live aquarium plant in your fish tank or home aquarium provide optimal natural habitat for your freshwater fish. Most aquarium friendly plants should be rooted in the substrate. There are also free floating live aquarium plants to grow in your fish tank.

These floating fish tank plants fulfill some very important needs. First, they are usually very proficient at oxygenating the water. They also provide shelter for upper level swimming fish. If you intend to breed fish or have livebearers, floating plants hide fry and provide places to attach eggs.

Floating Live Aquarium Plant - Crystalwort

Crystalwort, Riccia fluitans, is a bright green floating plant that grows in thick mats of vegetation. It is similar to java moss in composition and plant style. The foliage provides shading for aquarium fish that do not like a lot of light and refuge for fry, or baby fish. The plant grows very quickly if provided with a lot of light.

Floating Live Aquarium Plant - Hornwort

Hornwort, Ceratophyllym demersum, is a popular oxygenating live aquarium plant. It has bushy stems of many narrow leaves that grow in a whorl pattern around the stem. This plant can also be planted in the substrate, but grows very well when left floating. It is very hardy and can grow up to two feet long.

Floating Live Aquarium Plant - Water Sprite

Water sprite, Ceratopteris, exists in several different varieties. This live aquarium plant grows readily in different light conditions and can reach lengths of twenty inches tall. It has finely lobed leaves on sturdy stems and can grow in a mat when floating.

Floating Live Aquarium Plant - Azolla

This live aquairum plant, also called floating fern and fairy moss, is a tiny plant that grows in mats of delicate green leaves. More often used in backyard ponds, it can flourish in an indoor aquarium with the proper lighting and water conditions.

Floating Live Aquarium Plant - Anachris

One of the staples of live aquarium plant keeping, anachris is a wonderful floating plant for the fish tank. It is a wonderful plant for beginner aquarium plant keepers as it is easy to grow, veyr hardy, and spreads quickly. The bright green leaves grow in whorls and provide oxygenating help to the aquarium. Gold fish love to eat it.

Growing live aquarium plants in the fish tank provides both aesthetics and health. After planting several plants in the substrate or attaching them to rocks and driftwood, try these top five floating aquarium plants. They increase oxygenation, provide shade and hiding spots for shy fish, and add beauty to your aquarium as well.