Salvinia

By Clint Norwood
 
Scientific Name: Salvinia auriculata
 
Temperature: 19 - 27°C (67-80°F)
 
Ease of growing: Medium
 
Lighting: Very high
 
Origin: Tropical America
 
Propagation method: by division
 
Salvinia is a floating plant a lot like Duckweed only much larger. It has thick hairlike roots that provide a lot of area for tiny organisms to grow (fish food) and excellent hiding places for fry.
 
It is an excellent pond plant, and in some cases Salvinia will work in home aquariums, it needs strong light yet it is sensitive to the heat produced by strong light. This dilemma is probably the main reason Salvinia is not a more popular aquarium plant.