Salvinia Natans

Salvinia natans is a small floating fern with paired oval leaves covered in fine water-repellent hairs, which is why water beads and rolls straight off the surface. It grows quickly, spreads across the surface in a soft green mat, and its trailing roots hang down into the water column where fry and shrimplets use them for cover.

Growing it in your tank

• A floating plant — do not plant it in the substrate.
• Grows fast under moderate to strong light and takes up nutrients as it goes.
• Needs calm surface water; strong surface agitation pushes water onto the leaves and rots them.
• Shades the tank below, which suits fish that prefer dim light and helps limit algae.
• Thin it regularly or it will cover the entire surface and block light to plants beneath.
• Keep the tank lid closed to maintain the humid air the leaves prefer.

It suits betta tanks, shrimp tanks, breeding setups and any aquarium where surface cover is wanted. Floating ferns of this group are seriously invasive where they have escaped into warm waterways, so never release it, and put surplus growth in the household waste rather than outdoors.

Stock rotates with each delivery, and live plants are available for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. Browse the live plant collection.