Phyllanthus Fluitans Red Root Floater

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Red root floating plant

Synonyms

Salvinia auriculata (misapplied, similar appearance)

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, tropical South America

Habitat

Slow-moving rivers, ponds, and marshes with still or gently moving surface water in tropical South America

Sourcing

Captive-bred

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Growth form

Floating

Max height

0.5 – 1.5 in (1.3 – 3.8 cm)

Spread

2.5 in (6.4 cm)

Growth rate

Fast

Placement

Floating

Water

Temperature

72 – 82 °F (22 – 28 °C)

pH

6.0 – 7.5

GH

2 – 15 dGH

PAR

20 – 40 PAR

Flow

Low

Light

High

CO₂

Not needed

Planting

Substrate

Not needed

Feeds from

Water column

Fertilizer needs

Medium

Colors

Green, Red, Brown

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Runners, Splitting

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Care guide

Overview

Suited to open-top tanks and paludariums where the floating rosettes can stay dry on top, this low-tech floater carries round green leaves that redden under strong light along with the namesake crimson roots trailing below. Iron dosing and calm surface flow bring out the color, and regular thinning stops the mat from shading plants underneath.

Care

Red root floater does best in an open-top tank or paludarium where its leaves can stay completely dry on top, since any splash from a filter outlet, air stone, or spray bar causes rot within days. It tolerates a wide range of temperature and hardness, but the surface needs to stay calm and the light needs to be strong for the plant to hold its color instead of reverting to plain green. A gap of an inch or two between the water line and a closed lid helps prevent the leaves from being wetted by condensation while still trapping humidity around the roots.

Planting & trimming

No planting is required; simply place divided portions on the water surface and let them spread into a mat. Keep surface flow to a minimum by directing filter or powerhead outflow along the glass rather than across the top, and thin the mat regularly by scooping out excess growth so light still reaches plants and fish below.

Fertilizing

Roots draw nutrients directly from the water column rather than from a substrate, so root tabs do nothing for this plant. A standard all-in-one liquid fertilizer covers most needs, and a well-stocked tank often supplies enough nitrogen and other nutrients through fish waste alone. Iron is the one nutrient worth dosing specifically, since the red pigment cannot form without it even when light levels are high enough to trigger coloration.

Propagation

The plant propagates itself readily through budding and division, sending out short stolons that connect daughter plants before they separate naturally. Portions that break away from the fragile stems can simply be left to drift and form new patches, making manual propagation as easy as separating clumps by hand.

Problems

Shipping stress is common and new arrivals often look wilted or half-dead before recovering under stable conditions. The most frequent cause of decline in an established tank is wet leaf tops from surface agitation, which leads to rot spreading through the mat within a few days. A mat left unchecked can also shade out submerged plants below it, so regular thinning keeps both the floater and the rest of the tank healthy.

Sources

1. Red Root Floater Care Guide
2. Red Root Floater Care: Light, Flow and Getting Red Leaves (2026)
3. Phyllanthus Fluitans - Tropica Aquarium Plants
4. Red root floater (Phyllanthus fluitans) - Scale & Stem

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