01
Overview
Frogbit floats spongy, rounded leaves in tidy rosettes, hanging root curtains half a tank deep. It gives aquarium fish what wild fish have always had overhead, shelter, shade, and a hunting ground, while stripping nutrients at a pace that embarrasses algae.
02
Aquascaping use
Corral it with clear tubing or floating rings so it shades intended zones and leaves open water elsewhere. The dangling roots double as spawning cover and shrimp playground.
03
Planting
Set rosettes afloat in calm water; that is the entire procedure. Keep drip lines and splash away, as pooled water rots the leaf tops.
None
04
Light & CO₂
Medium light grows flat, healthy pads; intense light with high humidity can scorch them under sealed lids. CO₂ is irrelevant, since its leaves breathe air.
05
Substrate & fertilization
It intercepts nutrients before anything below sees them, so dose with the whole tank in mind. Iron-hungry pale leaves appear in very lean systems.
Feeding behavior: Water-column feeder. Nutrient demand: moderate.
06
Growth, trimming & propagation
Scoop surplus rosettes weekly and compost them responsibly given its invasive record. Thin before the mat doubles, not after.
Runner separation
07
Common problems
This fast-spreading floater is invasive or regulated in some jurisdictions. Verify local law, never release it, and dispose of excess plants securely.
- !Blankets the surface and starves plants below of light
- !Roots foul in strong turbulence
- !Legally restricted in some regions
