Plant · Rosette

Water sprite

Ceratopteris thalictroides · Tropics worldwide · also Indian fern, Water fern

Photo: chiuluan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Plant it in the gravel or just let it float; both work. It is a hungry fast grower, so give it decent light and some fertiliser, and thin it out so it does not shade the whole tank.

At a glance

Light

Medium light

CO₂

CO₂ helps

Growth

Fast growth

Where it goes

Back

Temperature

22–28°C

5–8

Height in a tank

15–30 cm 6–12 in

Difficulty

Easy

What it does for your tank

A soft, fast-growing fern that uses up spare nutrients, fights algae and gives fry and surface fish cover.

Fish that eat or uproot it

Goldfish, silver dollars and many cichlids eat its soft leaves, and snails sometimes nibble it.

Growing more

Baby plants sprout on the old leaves; pull them off and plant or float them.

Water sprite

Plant · RosetteEasy

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Fast growth
Back
22–28°C

A soft, fast-growing fern that uses up spare nutrients, fights algae and gives fry and surface fish cover.

Water sprite

Ceratopteris thalictroides

Tropics worldwide

Temperature: 22–28°C
pH: 5–8
Height: 6–12 in · 15–30 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Fast
Goes: Back
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Baby plants sprout on the old leaves; pull them off and plant or float them.

Goldfish, silver dollars and many cichlids eat its soft leaves, and snails sometimes nibble it.

Full care guide

Photo: chiuluan, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sources

The care values on this page come from these sources.

Grows well with

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

African water fern

Plant · RhizomeSome care

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Slow growth
On wood, rock
22–26°C

Dark, see-through fronds give cover and suit river-style tanks.

African water fern

Bolbitis heudelotii

Tropical Africa

Temperature: 22–26°C
pH: 6–7
Height: 6–16 in · 15–40 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Slow
Goes: On wood or rock
Difficulty: Some care

More plants. Split the creeping rhizome.

Almost nothing eats its tough fronds; plecos and cichlids usually leave it alone.

Full care guide

Photo: Tsunamicarlos, Public domain

Bacopa caroliniana

Plant · StemEasy

Medium light
No CO₂
Slow growth
Middle
20–26°C

A tidy, upright plant that rarely needs trimming and gives mid-water fish cover.

Bacopa caroliniana

Southeastern United States

Temperature: 20–26°C
pH: 5–7.5
Height: 4–12 in · 10–30 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Slow
Goes: Middle
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Cut a side shoot or the top of a stem and plant it.

Goldfish and plant-eating cichlids may nibble it; most fish leave its thick leaves alone.

Full care guide

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

Banana plant

Plant · LilyEasy

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Slow growth
Front
20–26°C

An unusual, eye-catching plant that gives some shade under its round leaves.

Banana plant

Nymphoides aquatica

Southeastern United States

Temperature: 20–26°C
pH: 6.5–7.2
Height: 4–12 in · 10–30 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Slow
Goes: Front
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Grows new plants from runners, or split the root cluster.

Goldfish, silver dollars and snails may eat the leaves and the bananas.

Full care guide

Photo: Show_ryu, Public domain

Christmas moss

Plant · MossSome care

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Slow growth
On wood, rock
20–28°C

A neat, tree-shaped moss that fry and shrimp hide and graze in.

Christmas moss

Vesicularia montagnei

Asia and Australia

Temperature: 20–28°C
pH: 5–7
Height: 0.4–1.2 in · 1–3 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Slow
Goes: On wood or rock
Difficulty: Some care

More plants. Cut off a piece and tie it onto wood or rock.

Rarely eaten, though goldfish and big fish may pick at it.

Full care guide

Photo: Storm from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0

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