{"id":145871,"date":"2016-09-12T21:05:25","date_gmt":"2016-09-12T19:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/drijfplanten-aquarium\/"},"modified":"2025-03-31T19:29:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T17:29:24","slug":"floating-plants-for-aquarium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/blog\/aquarium-plants\/floating-plants-for-aquarium\/","title":{"rendered":"Floating plants for aquariums? My top 5!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cAre floating fish tank plants a good idea?\u201d you might wonder. I don\u2019t see why not. In fact, there are even <strong>several advantages<\/strong>. In this article, I\u2019ll list them all for you and, as a bonus, share my top 5 floating plants for aquariums. That way, you can start your floating aquatic plant journey from \u201cpole position.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>What are the benefits of floating plants for aquariums?<\/h2>\n<p>In my opinion, floating fish tank plants are a <strong>must-have<\/strong>, especially when you see what they can do for your setup:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They look absolutely amazing and give your aquarium a beautiful, natural \u201clook and feel\u201d;<\/li>\n<li>The roots of floating aquatic plants are not only great hiding spots or &#8220;nurseries&#8221; for fish, but they also create <strong>a stunning visual effect in your aquarium<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>They are generally very <a href=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/blog\/aquarium-plants\/easy-aquarium-plants-beginners\/\"><span style=\"color: #0066cc;\">easy aquarium plants<\/span><\/a> that require little <a href=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/product\/all-in-one\/\">aquarium fertilization<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--more Read on--><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4794\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4794\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4794\" src=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/drijfplant-aquarium.jpg\" alt=\"Floating plant aquarium\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/drijfplant-aquarium.jpg 600w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/drijfplant-aquarium-470x235.jpg 470w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/drijfplant-aquarium-50x25.jpg 50w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/drijfplant-aquarium-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/drijfplant-aquarium-125x63.jpg 125w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/drijfplant-aquarium-75x38.jpg 75w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/drijfplant-aquarium-150x75.jpg 150w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/drijfplant-aquarium-110x55.jpg 110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4794\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This little shrimp is happily hiding under a floating plant. Source: TheAquariumGuide<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Floating aquatic plants also contribute to the overall health of your fish and tank:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They are <strong>excellent oxygen producers<\/strong>. Why does that matter? Read my article about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aquascaping-blog.com\/1736\/zuurstof-aquarium-vis-plant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>oxygen in the aquarium<\/u><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Floating plants are <strong>natural filters for your aquarium<\/strong>. They absorb waste products like organic phosphates and nitrates, thanks to their rapid growth.<\/li>\n<li>Floating aquatic plants <strong>create shade in your aquarium<\/strong>. They act like natural dimmers for your aquarium lighting. That also means they are <strong>a great ally in your fight against algae<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Convinced of the benefits of floating fish tank plants? Great! So, <strong>what are the best floating plants for aquariums<\/strong>? That\u2019s where my top 5 comes in handy!<\/p>\n<h2>My top 5 floating plants for aquariums<\/h2>\n<p>Is this the ultimate list of the best floating plants for aquariums? Well, let\u2019s just say these are <strong>my personal favorites after some trial &amp; error<\/strong>. \ud83d\ude42 If you\u2019re starting with floating aquatic plants, this guide will help you avoid mistakes\u2014like choosing duckweed and then struggling to get rid of it. Here we go!<\/p>\n<h3>Limnobium laevigatum<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4788\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4788\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4788\" src=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/limnobium-laevigatum.jpg\" alt=\"Limnobium laevigatum aquarium\" width=\"500\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/limnobium-laevigatum.jpg 500w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/limnobium-laevigatum-470x389.jpg 470w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/limnobium-laevigatum-50x41.jpg 50w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/limnobium-laevigatum-300x248.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/limnobium-laevigatum-125x104.jpg 125w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/limnobium-laevigatum-75x62.jpg 75w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/limnobium-laevigatum-150x124.jpg 150w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/limnobium-laevigatum-110x91.jpg 110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4788\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beautiful plant, right? Source: cichlidenkwekers.nl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If this were a woman, we\u2019d already be married! Limnobium laevigatum is <strong>gorgeous, fresh, and easy to care for<\/strong>. Admit it\u2014that\u2019s quite a combination. This floating plant grows quickly and has long, decorative roots. If you don\u2019t like that, you can trim them without harming the plant.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Light: high<\/li>\n<li>Temperature: 15 \u2013 28\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li>pH: 6 &#8211; 8<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Pistia stratiotes<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4789\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4789\" style=\"width: 515px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4789\" src=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Pistia-stratiotes.jpg\" alt=\"Pistia stratiotes aquarium\" width=\"515\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Pistia-stratiotes.jpg 515w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Pistia-stratiotes-470x365.jpg 470w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Pistia-stratiotes-50x39.jpg 50w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Pistia-stratiotes-300x233.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Pistia-stratiotes-125x97.jpg 125w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Pistia-stratiotes-75x58.jpg 75w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Pistia-stratiotes-150x117.jpg 150w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Pistia-stratiotes-110x85.jpg 110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4789\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Not the prettiest, but definitely effective! Source: cichlidenkwekers.nl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A low-maintenance floating plant that\u2019s also <strong>very affordable<\/strong>. Maybe not the most attractive, but that\u2019s subjective. One thing to watch out for: <strong>make sure its leaves don\u2019t get submerged<\/strong>, or it won\u2019t last long.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Light: medium<\/li>\n<li>Temperature: 22 \u2013 30\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li>pH: 6 &#8211; 8<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Riccia fluitans<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4790\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4790\" style=\"width: 516px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4790\" src=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans.jpg\" alt=\"Riccia fluitans floating plant\" width=\"516\" height=\"387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans-470x353.jpg 470w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans-50x38.jpg 50w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans-125x94.jpg 125w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans-75x56.jpg 75w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Riccia-fluitans-110x83.jpg 110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 516px) 100vw, 516px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4790\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Riccia as a floating plant can look amazing! Source: Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A true floating aquatic plant! Unlike the others, Riccia fluitans grows <strong>without roots<\/strong>. Just keep an eye on floating debris that might clutter your tank. Other than that, Riccia fluitans is an <strong>easy, <a href=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/blog\/aquarium-plants\/fast-growing-aquarium-plants\/\">fast-growing plant<\/a><\/strong> that forms lush green islands on the surface.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Light: medium<\/li>\n<li>Temperature: 20 \u2013 30\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li>pH: 6 &#8211; 7<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Ceratophyllum demersum<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4791\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4791\" style=\"width: 547px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4791\" src=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum.jpg\" alt=\"Ceratophyllum demersum aquarium\" width=\"547\" height=\"410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum.jpg 800w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum-470x353.jpg 470w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum-50x38.jpg 50w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum-125x94.jpg 125w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum-75x56.jpg 75w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Ceratophyllum-demersum-110x83.jpg 110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 547px) 100vw, 547px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4791\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Works as both a background and floating plant. Source: AquaticCommunity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is a stem plant that also does well as a floating plant. Ceratophyllum demersum <strong>grows extremely fast and thrives in cooler water<\/strong>. If you want floating fish tank plants to dim the light, this one might not be ideal since <strong>its fine leaves filter light only moderately<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Light: medium<\/li>\n<li>Temperature: 15 \u2013 28\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li>pH: 6 &#8211; 7<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Vallisneria<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4792\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4792\" style=\"width: 564px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4792\" src=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria.jpg\" alt=\"Vallisneria aquarium\" width=\"564\" height=\"423\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria.jpg 667w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria-470x352.jpg 470w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria-50x37.jpg 50w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria-125x94.jpg 125w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria-75x56.jpg 75w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/planted-box.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Vallisneria-110x82.jpg 110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 564px) 100vw, 564px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4792\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Let Vallisneria grow, and it becomes a &#8220;floating plant&#8221; \ud83d\ude42 Source: Josh Segars<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Not technically a floating plant, but hey, I like to break the rules. If you let Vallisneria grow without trimming it, you get <strong>a floating plant effect<\/strong> as its long leaves drape over the surface. <strong>Perfect for creating shade in your tank<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Light: low<\/li>\n<li>Temperature: 15 \u2013 30\u00b0C (varies by species)<\/li>\n<li>pH: 6 \u2013 8.5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion:<\/h2>\n<p>Floating plants are <strong>a fantastic addition to your aquarium<\/strong>. Try them out\u2014you\u2019ll see they <strong>help control algae<\/strong> while requiring minimal maintenance!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cAre floating fish tank plants a good idea?\u201d you might wonder. I don\u2019t see why not. In fact, there are even several advantages. In this article, I\u2019ll list them all for you and, as a bonus, share my &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"bwfblock_default_font":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2396,2403],"tags":[2420,2418],"class_list":["post-145871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aquarium-plants","category-types-aquarium-plants","tag-inrichting-inspiratie-en","tag-plantengroei-verzorging-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145871"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145871\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":145875,"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145871\/revisions\/145875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planted-box.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}