Top 10 Floating Aquarium Plants Roundup: Surface Coverage Picks

Floating plants do three jobs at once: shade nuisance algae, lock in atmospheric ammonia faster than any submerged species, and provide cover for surface-dwelling fry. The top 10 floating aquarium plants ranked here mix workhorse nutrient sponges with display species for blackwater biotopes. This roundup from Gensou Aquascaping at 5 Everton Park ranks each by growth speed, surface coverage rate and tolerance for the high humidity inside Singapore HDB tanks. Containment via floating ring is recommended for aggressive species.

1. Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum)

Lily-pad style rosettes 3-5cm across with trailing roots. Doubles weekly under any light, locks ammonia aggressively. SGD 5-10 per portion. The default beginner floater. Keep humidity moderate or leaves rot — leave a 5cm air gap between water and lid.

2. Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)

Velvety rosettes that grow 5-15cm across. Long trailing roots host shrimp and fry. SGD 5-10 per portion. Demands strong light to stay compact — under low light it stretches and rots. Trim daughter rosettes weekly.

3. Salvinia Natans

Pairs of green oval leaves with bristly upper surfaces that repel water. SGD 6-12 per portion. Slower than frogbit, easier to control. Pair with a live aquarium plant range for matched fertiliser regimes.

4. Azolla (Azolla filiculoides)

Tiny fern that turns red under strong light. Each frond under 2cm. SGD 5-10 per portion. Fixes atmospheric nitrogen via symbiotic cyanobacteria — useful in fry tanks. Aggressive: cover an entire surface in two weeks.

5. Red Root Floater (Phyllanthus fluitans)

Compact rosettes with brilliant scarlet roots and red-tinged leaves under high light. SGD 8-15 per portion. The display floater. Holds a 30cm pocket of surface beautifully without overwhelming the tank.

6. Dwarf Water Lettuce

The compact form of water lettuce, capping at 4cm rosette. SGD 6-10 per portion. Better suited to nano tanks where standard water lettuce overwhelms the surface within weeks.

7. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides)

Floats or roots in substrate. As floater, lacy fronds form a dense canopy. SGD 5-10 per bunch. Drops daughter plantlets that root themselves elsewhere. Doubles as a fry refuge in livebearer tanks.

8. Giant Duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza)

Larger-leaved duckweed at 5-8mm — easier to remove than common duckweed. SGD 4-8 per portion. Aggressive grower; control via floating ring or risk it carpeting the surface in two weeks.

9. Riccia Fluitans (Floating)

The floating form of the carpet liverwort. Forms bright green floating mats that pearl under good light. SGD 5-10 per portion. Trim weekly or it shades out everything below. Pair with strong planted tank lighting for full pearling.

10. Pennywort (Hydrocotyle leucocephala)

Round 2-4cm leaves on creeping stems. Floats horizontally across the surface or roots in substrate to grow vertically. SGD 5-10 per bunch. Excellent fry cover and slow grower compared with frogbit.

Related Reading

• Aquarium Algae Control Guide
• Blackwater Aquarium Setup Guide
• Fry Tank Setup Guide
• Aquarium Plant Fertiliser Guide
• No CO2 Planted Tank Guide