Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is one of those versatile floating plants that looks just as great in a backyard pond as it does in a home aquarium. However, if you’re planning to grow it indoors, there are a few tricks to keeping it happy so it can really do its job.
The Perfect Setup
To keep your water lettuce thriving in an aquarium, you’ll want to check off a few boxes. Here’s what the ideal environment looks like:
- Light: It needs plenty of bright light to stay green and lush.
- Airflow: It’s best to keep the tank open-topped. These plants hate trapped humidity and condensation on their leaves!
- Temperature: Keep things cozy between 72°F and 86°F.
- Water Parameters: Aim for a water hardness (KH) of 5 to 20 and a pH level between 6.5 and 7.2.
Why You’ll Love Water Lettuce in Your Tank
Adding water lettuce isn’t just about the looks; it’s like adding a natural filtration system to your tank. These plants are amazing at soaking up excess nutrients, which helps keep your water crystal clear. Plus, they act as a natural algae fighter by outcompeting the gunk for food. Your fish will love them too—the long, trailing roots provide the perfect “jungle” for shy fish to hide and feel safe.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
It’s not all hands-off, though. Water lettuce is a “heavy feeder,” meaning it has a big appetite for nutrients. You’ll likely need to add a good liquid aquarium fertilizer regularly to keep it from turning yellow.
Also, be prepared for how fast this plant grows! It spreads by sending out little runners, and before you know it, the entire surface of your tank could be covered. You’ll need to thin it out occasionally so it doesn’t block all the light for the plants living at the bottom.
Lastly, those beautiful feathery roots can sometimes get a bit *too* long for smaller tanks. If they start taking over, don’t worry—you can easily trim them back with a pair of scissors without hurting the plant.
Overwintering in Your Aquarium
Since water lettuce is a tropical plant, it won’t survive a frosty winter outdoors. If you have a pond, the easiest way to overwinter your plants is to bring a few small rosettes inside and pop them into your aquarium. The care requirements stay exactly the same as they would year-round.
By bringing them inside, you get to enjoy all those water-purifying benefits through the winter months, and you’ll have plenty of healthy plants ready to go back outside once the weather warms up!
