Floating bladderwort

Utricularia gibba

Also known as Humped bladderwort, Shortspur bladderwort, Floating bladderwort, Utricularia gibba L.

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Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: No CO₂ needed
Growth rate: Fast
Placement: Floating
Type: Floating
Temperature: 64–82°F (18–28°C)
pH: 5.5–7.5
Hardness: 1–12 dGH
Max height: 0.8 in (2 cm)
Spread: 9.8 in (25 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Origin: A rootless carnivorous plant found in warm shallow fresh water on every continent except Antarctica, drifting in tangled mats near the surface.
Family: Lentibulariaceae

Overview

Let it float or settle in shallow, calm water with moderate light and no CO2, and it will grow quickly. It feeds itself by trapping daphnia, mosquito larvae, and protozoa, so it does best where that microfauna is plentiful. It can become weedy and tangle into carpets and filter intakes, so thin it regularly to keep it in check.

In the wild

Utricularia gibba is a fine, thread like carnivorous plant with no roots, growing as a loose green tangle that floats midwater or drapes over the substrate in shallow tanks. Scattered along its stems are tiny bladder traps that snap shut to catch microscopic prey. In good light it sends up small bright yellow flowers above the surface.

Good to know

Bladderworts are carnivorous plants with no roots, instead carrying hollow bladder traps that suck in tiny prey when trigger hairs are touched. Utricularia is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with species on nearly every continent.