Phyllanthus fluitans — Red Root Floater

Vivid crimson roots beneath a red-purple surface canopy — a striking, easy-to-float plant

Elevate the surface of your aquascape with the Red Root Floater — one of the most sought-after floating plants in the hobby. Its rounded leaves shift between green, pink, and deep purple, while its signature crimson roots hang vividly below the surface, creating a striking two-layered display. It's a must-have for open-top aquariums, ponds, and natural microlandscapes where those red roots can be fully admired. Beyond its beauty, it's genuinely useful: floating at the surface gives it unlimited access to atmospheric CO2, so it grows fast, strips excess nutrients from the water, and helps outcompete algae — while casting soft, dappled shade that shy fish, fry, and shrimp love to hide and forage in.

⚠ Important — the one thing that kills Red Root Floaters: These floaters hate having water sitting on their leaves. Strong surface agitation, filter spray, or condensation dripping from a tank lid will cause the leaves to rot and melt. Keep surface flow gentle, aim filter output away from them, and if you use a lid, leave an air gap so condensation doesn't drip onto the plants. Give them a calm surface and dry leaf tops, and they thrive with almost no effort.

AT A GLANCE

CARE GUIDE

CUSTOMER QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q. My floaters are melting and rotting — what went wrong?

A. Nine times out of ten, the culprit is water sitting on the leaves. Red Root Floaters are naturally adapted to calm water surfaces, and their leaf tops need to stay dry. Strong surface agitation, filter or powerhead spray, and condensation dripping down from a tank lid will all cause the leaves to rot and melt away. The fix is simple: reduce surface flow, angle your filter output downward or away from them, and if you keep a lid or cover glass, leave an air gap so condensation doesn't drip onto the plants. Open-top tanks are ideal. Get this one thing right and they're remarkably easy — it's the single most important factor in keeping them healthy.

Q. Will they be red, or stay green?

A. Their color is driven almost entirely by light. Under medium-to-high lighting, the leaves develop the vivid red and purple tones this plant is famous for, and the plants stay compact; under lower light, they remain mostly green and grow larger and flatter. The crimson roots show color across conditions, but the foliage needs strong light to blush. It's also normal for them to arrive greener than the sample photos — season, shipping, and their previous growing conditions all affect appearance, and they color up over time under your lighting. So if you want maximum red and purple, give them bright light and a little patience.

Q. How fast do they spread, and will they block light to my other plants?

A. They grow at a good pace and multiply by dividing themselves into new plants, so a small portion gradually spreads across the surface. That fast growth is a big benefit — it's how they absorb excess nutrients and help starve out algae — but it does mean they need occasional thinning. If left completely unchecked, a thick surface mat will shade the plants growing below, so simply scoop out and remove excess floaters every week or two to keep light reaching the rest of your tank. Removed plants are free stock: share them, move them to another tank, or compost them. Never release them into natural waterways.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

🌿 1 healthy, carefully inspected portion of Red Root Floaters (Phyllanthus fluitans), ready to float on arrival. Simply place them on the water surface — no planting needed. Keep surface flow gentle and leaf tops dry (see the FAQ). Because every live plant is unique, factors like season, lighting, and growth stage affect appearance on arrival; slight variations in color intensity and size from the sample photos are completely normal.

Pro tip for a healthy tank: Always quarantine new live plants before adding them to an established setup to avoid introducing hitchhikers like pest snails. For Red Root Floaters, a gentle rinse and a quarantine period are the safest approach — their delicate leaves and fine crimson roots are easily damaged by harsh disinfecting dips.

📦 Ships within 10–15 business days. Live arrival guaranteed.