# What's a floating plant that will diffuse light/dim the aquarium?



## Akeath (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm trying to find a floating plant that will provide shadow to the aquarium. I want this because I have a cranky Betta who hates bright light and insists on tail-biting if the aquarium isn't dim enough. I'm hoping that with a floating plant I'll be able to have a flourescent light I can see him by but he will still have enough shadow to be happy. Any suggestions for a plant species that would serve that function would be very much appreciated.


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

Amazon Frogbit is a good floating plant that can provide shade once it creeps outward. Salvinia species are good as well. Duckweed; these floating plants are very fast growers by the way, so be cautious if you have plants on the substrate.


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## Andy Ritter (Nov 26, 2008)

I have found that just about any stem plant is quite happy growing on the surface. I find that many times I don't trim my plants when I should and the stem plants start growing across the surface. In fact, this if typically when I get the best growth and am also rewarded with flowers. Some examples are Cabomba, Ludwigia repens x arcuata, Pennywort (Hydrocotyle leucocephala), Stargrass (Heteranthera zosterifolia), Mayaca fluviatilis, and Hygrophila polysperma. Be aware that many of these will grow very thick if left unchecked creating a lot of shade. I've even let Elatine triandra grow on the surface this way, but it will also grow a thick mat that doesn't let much light through. 

If I don't trim Hygrophila corymbosa angustifolia, it will also grow across the surface, but doesn't shade as much as the other stem plants. Cyrptocoryne balansae also grows leaves that will float on the surface and provide shade. I also have an Echinodorus cordifolius that produces huge leaves that will float on the surface if I let it.

Good luck figuring out what you'd like to try to help out the well being of your Betta. I hope this has helped.

Andy


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

lotus make nice umbrellas


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## BobAlston (Jan 23, 2004)

Duckweed will work great. cheap. Unfortunately you may never get rid of it.

bob


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## aquaman555 (Mar 22, 2011)

Salvinia works great, I use it for dimming purposes. Grows like crazy for me, every week I scoop tons out and it grows right back. Though not positive, it seems like if I wanted to do away with it completely it wouldn't be to hard to totally clear it out, like I've heard can be a problem with duckweed. Frogbit is really cool looking never had any though.


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## Jim Miller (Feb 3, 2003)

Myriophyllum mattogrossense

Easy to maintain. Beautiful as a floater.

jim


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Andy Ritter said:


> ......................................I have found that just about any stem plant is quite happy growing on the surface. I find that many times I don't trim my plants when I should and the stem plants start growing across the surface. In fact, this if typically when I get the best growth and am also rewarded with flowers. Some examples are Cabomba, Ludwigia repens x arcuata, Pennywort (Hydrocotyle leucocephala), Stargrass (Heteranthera zosterifolia), Mayaca fluviatilis, and Hygrophila polysperma.........................


Andy> Which of those plants flowered for you?

(Sorry, dont mean to hi-jack the thread)


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## Andy Ritter (Nov 26, 2008)

Hey Newt,

When I still had some Stargrass, it would bloom for me regularly. I finally got tired of how I couldn't seem to keep it looking good planted, so I got rid of it. I've had my Cabomba bloom for me occasionally, but not lately. My Pennywort blooms constantly, but to be fair, it is largely growing emersed where it climbed out of the tank at the back up onto the tank rim. I used to have some Polygonum Porto Velho, and when it would reach the surface it would bloom, but I also grew tired of it and removed it. I know that they aren't stem plants, but my Anubias barteri and Echinodorus species bloom almost constantly. However, I am most thrilled that recently my Crinum calamistratum bloomed, and it had the prettiest flower of them all!

Andy


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I have both stargrass and pennywort. I shall give it a try. thnx


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## miremonster (Mar 26, 2006)

Watersprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides, C. "siliquosa"). Grows floating as well as rooted in the ground.


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## James0816 (Oct 9, 2008)

Any floater will work.

Dwarf Water Lettuce is a very nice option due to its root structure.


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## Molch (Nov 10, 2010)

I second the stem plant idea. I let some of my stem plants grow all the way up to the surface, where they'll form dense mats that I can trim at will. I use mostly Rotala rotundifolia and Bacopa australis that way. My Valisneria spiralis also grow very long leaves that cover much of the surface.

I also have a lot of Pistia stratiotes. They make many baby plants and grow like weeds.

Between all these, about 1/2 of my surface is covered with plants. I keep newts, and they love to loiter on the surface plants at night.


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