Red root floater

Phyllanthus fluitans

Also known as Red Root Floater, Floating spurge

FreshwaterFloatingRunnersSide shoots

Red root floater (Phyllanthus fluitans) — Curtis Wolfenberger

Care at a glance

Light: High light
CO2: No CO₂ needed
Growth rate: Fast
Placement: Floating
Type: Floating
Temperature: 70–82°F (21–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 2–12 dGH
Max height: 1.2 in (3 cm)
Spread: 1.2 in (3 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Origin: South America (Amazon Basin)
Family: Phyllanthaceae

Overview

A surface floater for the open water of the tank, not planted in substrate. Just drop it on the surface and let it spread. It needs strong overhead light to turn red (under low light it stays green and leggy), iron-rich water column dosing helps the color, and CO2 is not needed. Keep surface flow gentle, because spray and constant agitation rot the leaves and waterlog the plant. Thin it regularly so it does not shade out plants below.

In the wild

Native to slow and stagnant tropical waters of South America, especially the Amazon Basin where it drifts across canals, backwaters, and ponds. It forms loose floating mats of round, lily-pad-like leaves around a centimeter wide, trailing a dense tangle of feathery roots beneath. In bright sun the leaves and roots flush deep red, which is the look most aquarists are after.

Good to know

Phyllanthus fluitans is one of the few truly aquatic members of the large, mostly terrestrial genus Phyllanthus in the family Phyllanthaceae. Unlike most floaters in the trade, it is a flowering dicot rather than a fern or monocot, and it produces tiny white flowers and occasional seeds. The red pigment is anthocyanin that builds up under strong light and is intensified by lean nitrogen.

Did you know

Did you know the plant's signature red roots act like a built-in light meter? They deepen from pale pink to blood red as light intensity climbs, so the redder the roots, the brighter your tank is at the surface.