Red root floater

Overview

Red root floater (Phyllanthus fluitans) is the showpiece of the floating-plant world. Small round leaves sit on the surface and, given enough light, flush a striking deep red, trailing equally red roots into the water below. Beyond the looks it does what all good floaters do — grows fast, drinks up excess nutrients, shades the tank and helps fight algae. It is easy to keep, but coaxing out that famous red colour takes bright light, which is where most keepers fall short.

Planting & placement

There is no planting involved — red root floater simply rests on the surface. Drop it in and it drifts. The one thing to manage is where it goes: floaters get pushed around by filter flow and pile up in one corner, so many keepers use a floating ring or a length of airline to pen it into a tidy patch and stop it covering the whole surface. Keep it clear of the filter outflow, and leave enough open water for gas exchange. It needs no substrate and no anchoring — see aquascaping for beginners for how floaters fit into a layout.

Light, CO2 & ferts

Light is everything for this plant. Under medium to high light close to the surface, the leaves and roots turn red; under weak light it stays green and plain — see best light for a planted tank. It needs no CO2, as floating leaves take carbon straight from the air. Because it grows fast it feeds heavily, so a regular water-column fertilizer keeps it healthy — though slightly lean nitrogen actually deepens the red.

Propagation & problems

Propagation happens on its own: each plant splits into daughter plants that break away and spread, so a small starter portion becomes a floating mat surprisingly quickly. The common problems are melting from wet leaves or too much surface turbulence, and dull green colour from insufficient light. Fix the light and the flow and it thrives. As with any floater, thin it before it blocks the surface and shades your rooted plants — pull out and discard the excess rather than letting it smother the tank.