The 10 Best Floating Aquarium Plants to Buy in 2024

Quick Facts

• Type: Live
• Growth: High growth rate
• Temperature: 65°- 89 °F

Upkeep

Water Spangles are low to medium maintenance. They require moderate to high levels of light to thrive. They also prefer to survive in a tank with low water flow.

Review

Water Spangles (Salvinia Minima) are one of the easiest floating aquarium plants to take care of as they don’t require any substrate. Still, that doesn’t mean that you can let this plant fend for itself. After all, it does grow at an alarming pace, and can quickly take over the surface of your tank, preventing light from getting through.

To stop this from happening, you can make a floating plant separator out of tubing. These plants are versatile and, as long as their required temperatures are respected, they can survive in an outdoor pond, a small beta tank or a large aquarium.

The majority of fish, excluding most goldfish and tropical fish, enjoy nibbling on Water Spangles. These plants are safe for small aquatic creatures like snails or shrimp, too. We chose to give Water Spangles a rating of 5 stars because they’re such a joy to own and truly benefit tanks by adding shade and boosting oxygenation.

However, it’s important to note that since these plants grow quickly, it’s crucial that you control their growth to prevent them from taking over your fish tank. Additionally, they will require a special light if you choose to keep them indoors.

Quick Facts

• Type: Live
• Growth: High growth rate
• Temperature: 68°- 86°F

Upkeep

Amazon Frogbits are low maintenance and can thrive in many different environments. They require a good amount of light to propagate and do best in aquariums with a low to medium water flow. In a perfect world, Amazon Frogbits would receive up to 12 hours of sunlight a day. However, if the given light is too hot, it can cause this plant to burn up.

Review

Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium Laevigatum) is one of the most popular floating aquarium plants, and for good reason, too. These aquatic plants are loved by betta fish since they produce plenty of shade. They have long roots that can be snacked on by fish, too. However, if you have large fish in your tank, they may eat and pull at the roots, causing the plant’s health to falter.

Amazon Frogbits grow quickly and do not need any substrate to survive. Better yet, they cleanse water by removing unhealthy nutrients, making them a star in our books.

Despite their high growth rate, Amazon Frogbits are relatively low maintenance. But just like Water Spangles, they can quickly take over the surface of your tank, so it’s important to keep an eye on them.

A few things to keep in mind. First, since Amazon Frogbits have very long roots that can get stuck in your tank’s filter. To prevent this from happening, use angling wire to secure the roots away from the filter.

Secondly, Amazon Frogbits are loved by betta fish, clownfish and gourami alike, but when it comes to snails, some might say that they like this plant a little too much. They will nibble at its underbelly until the plant dies, which is something to consider.

Quick Facts

• Type: Artificial
• Growth: N/A
• Temperature: N/A

Upkeep

Artificial Water Lily Pads are very low maintenance. However, if they begin to attract microorganisms, it’s important to wash them. You can cleanse them by soaking them in a bucket of 80% water and 20% outdoor Clorox — just be sure to give them a proper rinse before placing them back into a body of water.

Review

When you order a pack of Water Lily Pads, you receive 4 artificial plants with brightly-colored flowers. If you wish to anchor them in place you can add a weight to the hook that is attached to the underbelly of each flower. These faux Water Lily Pads can be placed in pools, koi ponds and fish tanks. They’re loved by frogs, newts, betta fish and many other species, as they provide a lot of shade while doubling as the perfect hang-out spot.

Although many fish owners prefer to add live plants to their aquariums, plastic Water Lily Pads can work with live plants to create a pleasing aesthetic look. They retain their vibrancy for years on end. However, do note if they are subjected to harsh sunlight their colors will eventually fade. As you might expect, they add no ecological value to waterscapes either. On the bright side, if they were real, then your fish might try and eat them – which would be a bummer, considering how beautiful they are.

If you’re looking for an artificial floating plant that is a bit more demure in appearance, we recommend looking into the faux Lotus Leaf instead.

Quick Facts

• Type: Live
• Growth: Giant Hairgrass grows very tall very quickly, which is why you will often need to trim the excess growth.
• Temperature: 73°- 83°F

Upkeep

In order to thrive, Giant Hairgrass requires about 10 hours of light a day. They are a relatively low maintenance floating plant, that can be potted directly into your substrate.

Review

Giant Hairgrass (Eleocharis Montevidensis) is a low maintenance background plant that brings aquariums to life with ease and style. Few floating plants can create a backdrop like the Giant Hairgrass can. This plant is popular because it has the ability to mask unattractive tank features — like wires and filters.

Despite the fact that Giant Hairgrass requires a decent amount of light and occasional trimmings, it is considered to be a low maintenance aquarium plant. If you have snails in your tank that are constantly eating your live plants, Giant Hairgrass is a good option, as it is harder for them to feast on.

It’s not perfect however. First of all, this plant is very thin and, although it grows quickly, it grows in length and not in thickness. So, if you plan on decorating your tank with Giant Hairgrass, you need to order a quite a lot to fill your tank’s backdrop. Secondly, Giant Hairgrass can easily be uprooted by larger fish who have a bone to pick with it.

Quick Facts

• Type: Live
• Growth: Water Lettuce is one of the fastest-growing floating aquarium plants. To prevent it from overtaking your tank, use an angling wire to bind it to one section or your aquarium.
• Temperature: 15°- 86° F

Upkeep

Due to how quickly this plant grows, a medium amount of upkeep is required. To keep this plant healthy and happy, be sure to remove any yellowing or dead leaves from its surface, leaving behind the healthy green growths.

Review

Water Lettuce is one of the most beautiful floating plants on the market. It produces small white flowers near the end of summer and early fall. Much like the Amazon Frogbit plant, Water Lettuce is known for its long roots, which provide adequate shelter for small fish. However, since they grow at an alarming pace, it’s best to keep them out of small aquariums, as they can quickly take over the surface, snuffing out all sunlight.

Although Water Lettuce does require a good amount of light to thrive, it also requires some shade, especially in scorching climates. It’s also very important to note that water lettuce contains a poisonous compound called calcium oxalate, which, if ingested by animals, children or adults, can lead to kidney damage as well as a burning sensation in the mouth. For this reason, it’s best to add Water Lettuce to large aquariums or ponds where animals and children are unlikely to happen by.

All things considered, Water Lettuce is a beautiful floating aquarium plant that offers lushness to all waterscapes. If its toxicity levels turn you away, we recommend looking into the Amazon Frogbit floating plant instead.

Quick Facts

• Type: Artificial
• Growth: N/A
• Temperature: N/A

Upkeep

Artificial Lotus Leaves require very little upkeep. However, it’s important to note that you should still soak them and thoroughly rinse them before adding them to a body of water. Repeat this after a while should they start looking grimy.

Review

When you order a pack of Lotus Leaves, you receive 10 vibrant lotus leaves that look so realistic your friends will have a hard time believing that they’re fake. These fake floating plants are gorgeous and add an aesthetic look to your pool, pond, aquarium or fish tank. Although they do not provide any organic substance, they do give off plenty of shade and will quickly become a chilling spot for smaller frogs and tadpoles. However, it’s important to note that larger frogs might be too heavy for these Lotus Leaves, causing them to sink.

We’d also like to point out that, unlike the artificial Lily Pads, these faux floating aquarium plants do not have a hook to attach weights to. This can be disappointing, especially since they’re so light they can be blown out of the water by a strong breeze. To prevent this from happening, you can tie them together with a fishline and anchor them down.

Quick Facts

• Type: Live
• Growth: Red Root Floaters grow at a steady pace.
• Temperature: 70°- 82°F

Upkeep

Red Root Floaters do best when showered with plenty of light, causing their leaves to turn bright red. They are relatively low maintenance but do require a gentle water flow to thrive. Should the Red Root Floater plant receive low amounts of lighting, it will turn green but will continue to live.

Review

The Red Root Floater (Phyllanthus Fluitans) is unlike any other floating aquarium plant, and this is because of its vibrant red color. Better yet, if in optimal living conditions, small white flowers will bloom at its center. These plants have long red roots that small fish can hide and play in, turning timid fish into explorers. They provide plenty of oxygen and shade and are very easy to care for.

The Red Root Floater is a great addition to any tank, but you’ll notice that it’s a bit more expensive than other low-maintenance options. It is also important to note that this plant thrives in open tanks opposed to closed ones. Red Root Floaters have long roots that can get caught in filters but using an angling wire to tame its roots can prevent this from happening.

If you’re looking for a pop of color but don’t want to commit to taking care of a live plant, you may want to check out the artificial Water Lily Pads, as maintaining them is virtually non-existent and they never fail to decorate a waterscape.

Quick Facts

• Type: Live
• Growth: Java Mass grows at a slow to medium pace.
• Temperature: 59°- 82° F

Upkeep

Java Moss is so versatile, it can be left to its own devices and still manage to thrive. To say it is low maintenance would be an understatement. To keep your Java Moss as healthy as can be, periodically feed it some liquid fertilizer. Also, it prefers to be subjected to low levels of light.

Review

Java Moss (Taxiphyllum Barbieri) is adaptable beyond belief and its appearance can sometimes deceive you. When you first receive your Java Moss, you might notice that it is brown and unhealthy-looking. Don’t worry, once rinsed and placed into an aquarium, it will quickly ditch its brown color and become a vibrant green.

Java Moss will happily float on the surface of your aquarium or hunker down near the substrate. It goes with the flow, so to speak. When placed at the bottom, Java Moss becomes the perfect place for fish to lay their eggs, and it also doubles as a hiding spot for younger and smaller fish.

Java Moss will happily survive in any aquarium, no matter its size. However, it’s important to note that if you have shrimp, your Java Moss might disappear before your eyes — it’s just that tasty. Despite being low maintenance, it does best in indoor aquariums where you can control the level of light it receives. If you’re looking for a floating aquarium plant that your shrimp won’t eat, we recommended looking into Water Spangles instead.

Quick Facts

• Type: Live
• Growth: Duckweed is one of the fastest-growing floating plants. When in optimal conditions, it can double every two weeks or so.
• Temperature: 42°- 92°F

Upkeep

Although Duckweed is considered to be a low maintenance plant, it grows so quickly that it can take over a pond, aquarium or tank in just a few weeks. For this reason, it’s important to use a floating plant separator to limit its spread. Duckweed requires a medium to high level of light, although it can survive in low lighting, too.

Review

Duckweed (Lemnaceae) is one of the most popular floating aquarium plants due to how easy it is to keep it happy. This plant has a very high protein content and is one of the most nutritious plants, especially for goldfish, koi fish, ducks and turtles. They all love to chow down on this floating plant. It offers plenty of benefits to your aquarium, too, like the fact that it naturally controls the growth of algae.

All good things aside, there are a few things about Duckweed that isn’t ideal, like the fact that it grows so fast means it can be hard to keep up with. As a result, it has a tendency of clogging filters. If you have aquatic animals who regularly eat this plant, neither of these things will be an issue. But, if you don’t, you might find it hard to manage.

Additionally, these plants have very small leaves, which is why frogs don’t love them. If you choose to side with Duckweed but have a pond with frogs in it, you might want to add a few artificial Lotus Leaves to keep them afloat.

Quick Facts

• Type: Live
• Growth: Brazilian Pennyworts are very fast growers that can quickly take over the surface of a body of water, which is why limiting its outreach can be beneficial.
• Temperature: 68°- 82°F

Upkeep

We would consider Brazilian Pennyworts to be a medium maintenance plant. Although they nearly raise themselves, they can take over an aquarium in the blink of an eye if left to their own devices. This plant is very versatile and can survive without much light. However, it will do best when subjected to medium light.

Review

Just like Java Moss, the Brazilian Pennywort (Hydrocotyle Leucocephala) can be planted into the substrate of an aquarium or be left floating at the top. This versatile floating plant has a unique look that can add richness to any body of water, without breaking the bank. It provides plenty of shade and shelter for smaller fish who like to keep a low profile.

Despite its easy growth, we wouldn’t call the Brazilian Pennywort a low maintenance plant, and this is because it must be regularly trimmed to prevent it from taking over the surface area of your aquarium. This floating plant grows just as quickly as Duckweed, which is why it can be a good idea to keep these two plants away from each other. To prevent it from clogging your filter, you can limit its growth by using a floating plant separator.