[johnnymax]

What is the astest frowing free floating free floating plant. I have some fox tail (I think) that grow like crazy, when properly light. I did search the site and went through several pages but did not find the answer.

Thnx,
John

 

[johnnymax]

The name of the free floating plant I have is Hornwort. I think it must be the fastest growing plant.

 

[timwag2001]

water hyacinth

 

[johnnymax]

that stuff "water hyacinth" grows all over in the canals, and bayous around here.

 

[nismo tetra]

duck weed.

 

[johnnymax]

i can take a dip net and scoop up duckweed by the 5 gallon bucket fulls. I feed it to my chickens. they love it

 

[seds]

Very fast growing floaters include Bladderwort, and hydrilla, (and other plants called waterweed) duckweed, hornwort, and stuff. Star duckweed grows slower than normal duckweed. I think star duckweed is an exquisite species. It lives under the surface rather than on top.

Waterweeds like egeria najas don't float very well but they don't HAVE to be rooted.

 

[blackandyellow]

The fastest I have seen are limnophila sessiflora and elodea densa (egeria densa). Hygro also grows very very fast...

 

[Solid]

Maybe Carolina Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana). It is a stem plant, but it can grow floating as well, in my tank I've trimmed it to 1"-2" above the substrate and had it back along the surface in 5 days (18"). I think if you stare at the tank for more than 5 minutes, you will see it grow.

That being said, i don't think there is one "fastest" growing plant as plants grow differently under different conditions and it would be almost impossible to truly measure all plants and which is the fastest.

 

[Ariel301]

i can take a dip net and scoop up duckweed by the 5 gallon bucket fulls. I feed it to my chickens. they love it

Great idea! I should try that with mine. I wonder if they'll eat green hygro too lol.

Duckweed is probably one of the fastest growing, I agree. Green hygro also will grow at a very high rate, either planted or floating. (Mine grows about an inch a day)

 

[timwag2001]

duckweed is an excellent source of protein

 

[boon]

I third duckweed. Under good lighting it can be a pain the ass

 

[lauraleellbp]

+1 for duckweed.

Can't stand the stuff.

 

[DavidZ]

another for duckweed, hard to get rid of the stuff!

 

[Ariel301]

Yep, I got one or two pieces once accidentally with some plants I ordered. I did not even see them when I planted the new plants. Then a week later I was wondering why these little things had grown a half inch thick over the whole surface of my water!

 

[PRSRocker3390]

yes, duckweed is definitely fast. I also find that brazilian pennywort for me grows very very fast. It is under roughly 2.5 watts per gallon with co2 but it is a monster for me. It has to be trimmed every few days for me.

 

[Gatekeeper]

duckweed and Hygrophila polysperma (grows even faster emersed than submersed)

 

[elihanover]

Duckweed

 

[Ariel301]

Hygrophila polysperma (grows even faster emersed than submersed)

Hahaha remind me never to emerse mine then! That stuff grows fast enough as it is!

 

[Franzi]

I agree with Brazilian Pennywort. I was disappointed when I first got them from an online retailer, cuz they looked like scrawny asparagus sprouts and nothing like the pictures, but after just throwing them in the water with the lead weights keeping them down, they have bloomed in to my favorite plant in the tank and it grows noticeably from the time I leave work in the morning to the time I arrive home (9am - 5pm). Pretty plant, don't have to actually plant them in the substrate, and they grow well.