Who Gives A Fish Forums

Most of my tanks are for river-based fish, and I've got a lot of water movement going on. To contain them, I've made foam dams for the plants. But this creates dead water areas - some plants are doing great, but I'm worried about what's collecting in those areas. For instance, my African tank's water lettuce is surrounded by bubbles, like a betta bubble nest (no bettas in that tank, though). I'm guessing it's an accumulation of proteins or something.

These fish need highly oxygenated, pristine water - except for the African glass cats, which seem to love hiding under the water lettuce. I've been having trouble with floaters in my high-flow tanks. I think I might have to rely on terrestrial plants for shade instead. My South American tank has a Calathea Orbifola with huge leaves that's doing really well and providing some shade. That might be a good idea for my river tanks too.

I've also got some Duckweed in two of my lake tanks that I'm trying to overwinter indoors. I want to have some stock to move back outside in the spring (I use it to supplement my Tilapia's food). One of the tanks has foam dams and two hang-on filters, and it's doing okay. The other tank just has foam filters, and the Duckweed seems to be thriving - except when the Tilapia eat some, of course. My African tank's water lettuce is still surrounded by those bubbles, though.

I'd suggest creating some small channels in the upper part of your foam dam to allow for a bit of circulation to "skim the surface" of the water. Start with really small channels and then adjust them until you notice the surface layer moving slightly. Once you've got that going, use some paper towels to remove as much of the accumulated debris as possible. Then, observe how quickly it starts to build up again and where it's accumulating, and readdress the situation as needed until you're satisfied with the results.

I like that idea about the channels in the foam dam, could definitely give that a shot. Cutting up the foam and using the stainless rod to hold it in place seems like a good way to create those little channels.

I've had floaters work fine for me, maybe try adjusting your diet - more protein and less fiber could help.

I've noticed some floating plants struggle in aquariums, especially with covers. Water lettuce and Water hyacinth, for instance, tend to rot under coverglass. They can't handle constant water splashing on their leaves either - it's okay if it happens occasionally, but prolonged exposure will cause the leaves to rot and the plants to die.

These plants seem to thrive outdoors in direct sunlight or in aquariums with extremely bright lighting and no cover.

I've got one tank with a cover, and coincidentally, it's the only one I've never bothered trying floaters in - the terrestrial plants sprouting from the hang on back filters seem to be doing just fine.

In my experience, problems with floaters usually boil down to one thing - a lack of nutrients. Floaters can get all the CO2 they need from the air, and they're typically found in humid climates with full sunlight, which is way stronger than any aquarium light. Water current and splashing water aren't a problem for them. They need 14 nutrients dissolved in the water to grow, aside from water and CO2. If the leaves are yellow with holes, you're definitely low on nutrients. You need to fertilize your water for them to thrive.