12 Tropical Aquarium Plants Recommended – Cuttings And Floaters

Recommendations are given for a selection of 12 tropical aquarium plants you can use to set up a planted aquarium. These are from the cuttings and floating plant types available.

1. A cutting, the (Bacopa caroliniana) is also known as the Giant Red Bacopa, the Lemon Bacopa and Water Hyssop. If you crush he leaves you will get the smell of lemon. The leaves are thick and have a rounded apex and tapering base and are arranged opposite each other on the stem.It can grow above the water and flowers produced will be blue and have five petals. Flowers may show under water now and again but they will just rot away.
2. They are a slower grower than most stem plants (half an inch a week I’ve noted in one case) and the leaves can show a bronze to red color as they near the highest light levels at the surface of your aquarium.
3. They will grow to about 30 cms and will thrive under bright light, a pH range of 6.8 to 7.2 and a water temperature of between 21 and 27 degrees centigrade.
4. A floater, Crystalwort (Riccia fluitans)is also known as Liverwort and Riccia Moss. It is popular in breeding tanks in particular as a shelter for fry and will float unless you physically attach it to underwater items such as logs and rocks until in due course it attaches itself.
5. This is similar to the way you would treat Java Moss and both would make attractive plants for your foreground in the tank. It can also be used to hide any protruding items in your aquarium.
6. On the surface it will quickly form a thick green mat and is ideal for nest building fish. It will adapt adequately to a wide range of light levels, a pH range of 5 to 8 and a water temperature of between 10 and 28 degrees centigrade.
7. As with Java Moss, from a maintenance point of view you need to keep it clean of algae which will have a detrimental affect on it.
8. A cutting, the Green Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana) is also known as Fanwort and prefers to have soft water and bright light. It has fine fan shaped feathery leaves and the stems appear to be a tubular shape under the water. The leaves are finely divided and arranged in pairs on the stem.
9. It can propagate easily from small pieces and is another one of those invasive plants out in the wild. In fact it seems that in Washington, Fanwort is not allowed for sale as an aquarium plant any more and in general it is best practice to never throw away the contents of your aquarium into any waters.
10. A floater which can also be planted in the substrate, the Indian Fern (Ceratopteris thalictroides) is also commonly known as the Water Sprite, Indian Fern, Water Fern, Oriental Water Fern and Water Horn Fern.
11. It is a sturdy plant suited to beginner aquarists. It will grow to a height of about 30 cms, likes a high light levels, a pH range of 5 to 9 and a water temperature of between 20 and 28 degrees centigrade.
12. It is good for reduction of algae growth as its dense roots mops up nutrients that would otherwise be taken up by the algae. It will thrive even more if you introduce carbon dioxide into the aquarium but you are then in danger of it over-running the whole tank.



Other recommended cuttings plants are: 

* Hygrophila polysperma 

* Nomaphila stricta 

* Rotala macandra 

* Synnema triflorum 

 Other recommended floating plants are: 

* Certophyllum spp. 

* Pistia stratiatos 

* Salvinia auriculata 

* Vesicularia dubyana

Tweet