Hey fishie people welcome back to the channel I am coming at you with another video
this time talking about a cool floating plant, the red root floater or the Phyllanthus fluitans
As far as floating plants go it is one of the more low maintenance ones compared to
dwarf water lettuce or frog bit, in that it won't just keel over and die when its leaves get wet.
One of the really neat things about this plant can actually change colors. So the red roots are
actually a floating fern that have varying colors depending on the tank set up they are in. If they
are provided a low to medium light their leaves will be green and the roots will take a reddish
tone. But as you continue to up the lighting intensity your leaves will slowly go from green to
bronze to a vibrant red color. They can even grow little white flowers on top of themselves. In the
wild this plant is native to South and Central America and most common in the Amazon river
basion, growing on channels and ponds where there is little to no water movement. They are one of
the more hardy variety of floating plants we can keep in the hobby. As far tank parameters go you
will want to keep the temp between 70-82, though I have had them in slightly cooler waters do ok.
Ph wise a range of 6.5-.75 will be ideal but again I have kept them in tanks with a ph of 6 before
and had them thrive. Again with the lighting they can survive in low, moderate or high light,
which makes them a great beginner floater plant along with their other requirements
as well. They also do not require CO2 or other fertilization to grow in a tank. They also provide
wonderful benefits to your aquarium. First of all they provide shelter for some of your
fish which can make it easier for live bearers to feel more secure and drop their fry. They will
also help diffuse the light at the surface which can lead to a better environment for your fish and
invertebrates. They will also soak up a lot of the nitrates and other things in your tank that can
be harmful to your fish. Couple tips for growing, when you first get some turn the flow down in your
tank down as low as you can get it and drop your water level down about an inch from the top.
When these are first getting established they will not like a lot of flow in their water, but as they
begin to propagate and spread you can slowly turn it up but I would still go with just enough to
slowly circulate the water. You don't want a waterfall level of movement stirring everything
up. I also found that when my water level was lower there was better growth out of the plants,
im not sure if it was do to the distance from the light or if it just provided a better.
Over all these are a super easy beginner plant for someone looking to get into floating plants,
they are relatively cheap and will spread quickly once established to your water.
I will give them a 10 out of 10 for being so darn awesome.
As always thank you all so very much for the support on all the videos and
remember to hit that like button and leave a comment down below, and of course if you
are new and enjoyed this please thinking about hitting the sub-button as well. Thanks again and I
will see you all in the next video.