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Salvinia, Salvinia minima

Plant · Floating

Salvinia

Salvinia minima · Central and South America · also Water spangles, Common salvinia; related: Salvinia natans

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Height here is the size of each leaf pair; the plant itself spreads across the surface. It doubles fast with good light and nutrients, so remove handfuls often, and pale leaves mean it needs more fertiliser. Never release it or dump it in a drain or pond.

At a glance

Light

Low light

CO₂

No CO₂

Growth

Fast growth

Where it goes

Floats

Temperature

20–28°C

pH

5–8

Height in a tank

1–3 cm 0.4–1.2 in

Difficulty

Easy

What it does for your tank

Shades the tank, fights algae by eating nutrients, and gives surface fish and fry cover.

Fish that eat or uproot it

Goldfish and some plant-eating fish nibble it; strong flow and condensation from a tight lid can damage it.

Growing more

Chains of leaves break apart on their own and each piece keeps growing.

Grows well with

Same light and temperature, but a different spot in the tank, so they fill it out together.

Amazon sword

Amazon sword

Plant · RosetteEasy

  • Low light
  • No CO₂
  • Steady growth
  • Middle
  • 20–28°C

A big, classic centrepiece whose broad leaves give shade and are used by angelfish and other egg-layers for spawning.

Central and South America

Amazon sword

Echinodorus grisebachii 'Bleherae'

Central and South America

Temperature
20–28°C
pH
6–8
Height
8–20 in · 20–50 cm
Light
Low
CO₂
Not needed
Growth
Medium
Goes
Middle
Difficulty
Easy

More plants. Baby plants grow on long flower stems; let them root, then cut them free and plant them.

Goldfish, silver dollars and large cichlids tear or uproot it, and some plecos rasp holes in the leaves.

Full care guide

Photo: Salvatore vitale, Public domain

Anubias barteri

Anubias barteri

Plant · RhizomeEasy

  • Low light
  • No CO₂
  • Slow growth
  • On wood, rock
  • 22–26°C

Tough leaves give shade and spawning spots and survive plecos and cichlids.

West Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko)

Anubias barteri

Anubias barteri var. barteri

West Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko)

Temperature
22–26°C
pH
6–7.5
Height
10–18 in · 25–45 cm
Light
Low
CO₂
Not needed
Growth
Slow
Goes
On wood or rock
Difficulty
Easy

More plants. Cut the rhizome into pieces with a few leaves each.

Herbivorous fish leave its tough leaves alone; big cichlids may uproot it.

Full care guide

Photo: Tocekas, CC BY-SA 3.0

Anubias nana

Anubias nana

Plant · RhizomeEasy

  • Low light
  • No CO₂
  • Slow growth
  • On wood, rock
  • 22–28°C

Tough, low leaves that bottom fish and plecos rest on and that do well in shady corners.

West Africa (Cameroon)

Anubias nana

Anubias barteri var. nana

West Africa (Cameroon)

Temperature
22–28°C
pH
5–8
Height
2–6 in · 5–15 cm
Light
Low
CO₂
Not needed
Growth
Slow
Goes
On wood or rock
Difficulty
Easy

More plants. Cut the rhizome into pieces with a few leaves each.

Almost nothing eats it, so it is a top choice for cichlid, goldfish and pleco tanks.

Full care guide

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0

Bucephalandra

Bucephalandra

Plant · RhizomeEasy

  • Low light
  • No CO₂
  • Slow growth
  • On wood, rock
  • 20–26°C

Small, colourful leaves that suit nano tanks and rocky scapes and give shrimp a grazing surface.

Borneo

Bucephalandra

Bucephalandra

Borneo

Temperature
20–26°C
pH
5–7
Height
2–4 in · 5–10 cm
Light
Low
CO₂
Not needed
Growth
Slow
Goes
On wood or rock
Difficulty
Easy

More plants. Cut the rhizome into pieces with a few leaves each.

Almost nothing eats it, though pieces can be knocked loose by digging fish.

Full care guide

Photo: Manuel Werner, CC BY 4.0

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