If you’re setting up a freshwater or marine aquarium, most likely you will want to include some aquatic plant life, either as a central focus (in a freshwater aquarium) or as an additional visual element in a reef aquarium. Adding plants requires that you make appropriate adjustments in your substrate, water chemistry, lighting, filtration, and other support systems; you must ensure that your plant life can live comfortably in the ecosystem that you are creating for your fish and other aquatic animal life. One easy way to quickly add plant life to your aquarium is by introducing floating plants.

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Floating plants can grow very quickly, with appropriate lighting conditions. Also, floating plants serve a number of secondary functions. They act as a biological filter, using up nitrates that accumulate in the water from fish waste. They can also act as a food source for goldfish and other fish species; your fish can help you keep the density of floating plants under control. If floating plants are allowed to grow rampantly, they may block light from penetrating to lower areas of your tank, inhibiting the growth of other plants and organisms. So if your fish don’t trim back sufficient amounts of floating plant life by consuming it, you’ll need to thin it out yourself.

One easy floating plant to introduce to your tank is java moss. This moss reproduces vegetatively, as broken-off pieces establish themselves as new plants. It can attach itself to pieces of driftwood or rocks in your tank, and can be tied down until its growth has spread thickly along the surface of the wood. Java moss provides ideal cover for breeding fish, especially if it is floated; baby fish such as tetras and guppies can find refuge within the moss from other fish species in your tank that may be predators. As a shade dweller, java moss does not require much light, and does best in unheated or moderately heated tanks. When you first purchase this plant, a clump about the size of a tennis ball should be enough; it will propagate quickly.

Riccia fluitans is another free-floating plant without a root structure; its bright lime green color is eye-catching. Riccia grows in long, thin strands that mesh together, either floating near the top of your aquarium or anchored to a rock or piece of wood in your substrate. This plant can tolerate a range of water pH levels and hardness levels, but prefers plentiful light. If you wish to attach riccia to a rock or piece of driftwood, wrap the base of the strands to the anchoring piece with twine; after a few weeks, a bond will have formed and you can remove the twine.

Duckweed is a shade lover that is often found in outdoor fish ponds and fountains; floating on the surface, it can flourish in filtered light or bright shade. In strong light, duckweed tends to burn, so this floating plant will only be suitable for a low-light tank. One of the smallest aquatic plants, with egg-shaped leaves less than a centimeter in length, duckweed helps remove waste products from your tank as part of its growth process. Because of its small leaf size, duckweed will not choke your tank, and some species of fish like to find shelter here. It can tolerate a wide range of temperature and hardness levels in your tank water.

Greater duckweed is a larger variety of the duckweed family; the underside of the leaves are deep red, and the leaves have multiple trailing roots. Greater duckweed requires stronger light than its smaller cousin, and provides cover for Siamese fighter fish, especially when this species is breeding. Greater duckweed is also a food for goldfish, mollies, and other species, providing a high nutrient content. If greater duckweed is allowed to proliferate in a goldfish tank, your fish will help keep the plant trimmed back. Like the smaller varieties, this plants can thrive in a range of temperature and hardness levels.

Pennywort, sometimes referred to as water ivy, is a stem plant that grows roots, but the roots don’t need to be buried in the substrate, so the stems can hover freely in your tank. This is a hardy plant that can tolerate a range of temperatures, hardness levels, and illumination levels; it is happy in most aquarium environments.

Fontinalis is similar to java moss, and can be attached to driftwood or rocks in similar fashion, but it is a distinct species from java moss. Fontinalis prefers low light and acidic water; its leaves are quite small but its stems can grow up to 2 feet in length.

Azzola is a floating fern that is most often seen in outdoor fish ponds, but given strong light this plant can thrive in an indoor aquarium as well. It grows prolifically, but because of its small leaf size, it will not choke the water surface. This striking floating fern ranges in color from green to deep red; greener shades are more often found in shady conditions, and red in brighter light and in water with high nitrogen content. Some azzola leaves even produced a rainbow effect in their coloration.

With this wealth of choices, it should be easy to select a floating plant that is suitable for your aquarium environment. Be sure to take into account the needs of your fish and other plant life, to ensure compatibility.