Surface water plant that doesn’t spread like crazy

[Adog99]

Hello, this is my first post so I’m a bit nervous but I’m just gonna break it down. I currently have a 80gal tank and have surface water fish that need that surface water plants to make them feel safe, but I don’t want the hole surface of my tank to be covered with plants. Anything is appreciated.

 

[ZxC]

ludwigia sedioides

 

[Autumnsky]

Ludwigia sedioides gorgeous plant! Hard to find in my area locally.

You can also make an air tube circle in a appropriately size, connect with a inline connector. Make a corral for the plants to stay in or one to keep the plants out of.

Red Root Floaters Phyllanthus fluitans easy to scoop out, and people like it a lot and would usually have a local market to sell leftovers. Depending on your tank maybe grows too fast. Mine is slower growing.

 

[libertybelle]

Seconded on the airline tubing corral. Super easy creates a great little floating island the tubing is basically invisible among the roots (at least with water lettuce) and costs almost nothing to make.

Pretty much any surface plant you choose will cover your whole surface eventually it’s just a matter of faster or slower and so your options are removal or corralling (still with periodic thinning). Unless you want to go with something artificial for the surface.

 

[ANELSON84]

You could also check out water Sprite. It will grow rooted or floating and looks great! Not too expensive, doesnt require co2 either.

 

[evil Nick]

have that lilly pad looking plant in my tank. Im not sure what its called but it grows nice and is super easy to trim out. maybe someone here knows the name.

 

[LLG]

I added Phyllanthus and it spread like crazy. Am I doing something wrong?

It's very messy with dead leaves and bunches of roots fall off and float around. I had some tiny water lettuce plants but they are gone now, I guess the Phyllanthus choked them out?

I'm going to scoop it all out and throw it away.

 

[Niccobacci11]

My favorite is salvinia cucullata it holds together in chunks super easy to take out if needed, not an insanely fast grower, and the roots don’t extend down more than 1.5 inches which I love I’m not a fan of 6” plus roots coming down from the surface.