Leaf colourgreen
rosette background spawning plant midground specimen surface Conservation status: LC
The broad-leaved water sprite: a fast fern that grows planted or floating and takes nutrients out of the water as quickly as it grows. A standby in breeding and shrimp tanks.
- Light
- medium–high
- Difficulty
- medium
- Temperature
- 18 – 30 °C
Parameters
Plant typerosette
Growth ratevery fast
Tolerates lightmedium – high
pH5 – 8
Carbonate hardness0 – 21 °dKH
General hardness0 – 30 °dGH
Placementbackground, spawning plant +3
Propagationplantlets on leaves, spores
Grows emersedyes
Appearance
Light green fronds, broader and less finely cut than those of the common water sprite, in a loose rosette. Floating plants trail long roots into the water.
Keeping
Moderate demands and very fast growth. Soft water suits it best but it tolerates hard water, carbon dioxide is optional, and light from medium upward is enough. Its speed is what makes it useful: in a new tank it takes up nutrients before algae can.
Placement
Planted in the middle or back, or floating at the surface. Floating, the fronds and roots become cover for fry and shrimp — the usual reason it is kept.
Propagation
It does it itself: young plants form on the edges of older leaves and drop off ready to grow.
Fish and this plant
Water conditions match
The water suits 1007 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.
Swordtail GuppiesCobra GuppyBlood Red MollyButterflyfishRed Zebra CichlidJulii CorydorasRed-finned ParotocinclusGastromyzon monticolaEgg-shaped GoldfishFlame TetraGardner's KillifishAfrican TetraKenyi CichlidCuckoo CatfishGolden SwordtailHypsolebias picturatusCommon ZaccoLabeo BicolorGambusiaFlying barbGastromyzon scitulusAlbino Zebra DanioGeophagus BrokopondoZebra Mbuna
Will eat this plant
These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.
Bengal LoachZebra LoachBurmese Border LoachEmperor BotiaMarbled HeadstanderPellegrin's LeporinusLeporinus striatusFalse Black TetraCommon MetynnisMylossoma duriventreRed Whiptail CatfishMolly sphenopsBalloon MollyLyretail MollyMarble MollyHi-Fin PlatyHawaii PlatyBlue PlatyPintail PlatyBlack PlatyChocolate MollyMoonlight GouramiMelanotaenia parva
Will uproot it
These species dig through the substrate and pull rooted plants out.
Marble LoachPeacock EelForktail LoachGuntea LoachLong-nosed LoachHorseface LoachPearlscaleBlack Moor GoldfishShubunkinPainted PlecoFeatherfin SynodontisReddish Mystus CatfishBlue AcaraAulonocara maylandiAulonocara multicolorAulonocara OrchidGeophagus altifronsGeophagus winemilleriPearlscale CichlidPearl CichlidRedbelly CichlidRed-spotted CichlidChuco godmanniHaplochromis philanderRed ChromideJack Dempsey cichlid
Cultivars
The same plant with a different look: light, water and care are shared with the species.
Other varieties: Ceratopteris cornuta Topf