[wesly2007]

Im looking for a good plant that will float on the water surface as well as make a good ground cover. does anyone have any experience with this plant or have another suggestion. also would Salvinia Natans be good for the surface of the water feature.

 

[BonnieLorraine]

I grow Salvinia minima in my water features and on my tadpole cups, it's a rather pretty plant. A good ground cover that can work both emersed and submersed is Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides. It's not a floater, but it looks like small shamrocks scrambling up out of my pond and over the ground.

 

[Bokfan1]

ive tried azolla carolinias without much succcess though that may have been because I didnt have bright enough lights. lots of people have success with duckweed though...

 

[flyingSquirrel]

Azolla, Salvinia, and duckweed (lemna species) can get out of control in a hurry, but if you have a small enough water feature it should be easy to scoop a bunch out with a net and toss it out. Duckweed is the worst because it is so small and gets everywhere. Keep on top of them and you should be ok. Bright light grows these faster, lower light slower. Azolla colors up reddish in higher light as well.

Another good floating plant is Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce). It grows fast when it likes the conditions, but it's easy to control by removing offshoots or larger plants, whichever you prefer. The roots do hang down quite a distance though. Bright light grows it fast, lower light keeps it alive.

And one more amphibious plant is Hemianthus callitrichoides. It can grow submersed, emergent, or emersed. Bright light is required to grow it well, otherwise it is weak, leggy and straggly.

 

[tclipse]

Frogbit is another which people don't seem to mention much, it has worked very well for me with tadpoles in the past.

 

[flyingSquirrel]

Frogbit is another which people don't seem to mention much, it has worked very well for me with tadpoles in the past.

Frogbit is an awesome plant, but I think it's kinda hard to find. Know of a source?

 

[tclipse]

Frogbit is an awesome plant, but I think it's kinda hard to find. Know of a source?

Aquabid has auctions for it almost constantly

 

[flyingSquirrel]

Aquabid has auctions for it almost constantly

Wow, thanks for linking me to this site! I've never seen it before. Have you purchased on that site before? Is it safe and legit? They do have a few plants I have been looking for

 

[tclipse]

It's like ebay, each seller posts auctions & has feedback/ratings. Just check an individual auction and the seller's info should be somewhere under the header.

 

[wesly2007]

this is exactly the information im looking for.

thanks

 

[Shinosuke]

Wow, thanks for linking me to this site! I've never seen it before. Have you purchased on that site before? Is it safe and legit? They do have a few plants I have been looking for

Aquabid is as legit as ebay and has the same pros and cons. I'd agree with tclipse - check out a seller's rating before buying and you should be fine. I've purchased from it and know many people who regularly sell on it. The only word of caution I'd pass along is to sanitize any and everything you buy from there.