Just got some Red Root Floaters! Any tips?

[OlsonAquatics]

So this is my first time keeping a planted aquarium, and all things seem to be going smoothly, I've got great color, great plant growth, etc. This is also my first time dealing with any sort of floating plant.

Everything I've looked up for Red Root Floaters seem to be pretty straight forward. They're pretty robust, easy, etc. So I'm glad that they should do fine in my aquarium with how I've been doing with my other plants. I guess my biggest thing is, is there anything you can recommend to get the maximum out of these little guys? Anything I should know in particular dealing with floaters? Really any help and discussion would be great! I'm super pumped about my new tank and am loving returning to the hobby!

[Maggie]

My only advice is don't put them with any other floaters or they might be drowned out (my water sprite did mine in). And they don't necessarily like a lot of surface agitation, so keep them away from the filter waterfall and sponge filter bubbles - if you're handy you can make a flowting corral out of airline tubing and plastic items, or they're available to buy. 

[OlsonAquatics]

6 minutes ago, Maggie said:

My only advice is don't put them with any other floaters or they might be drowned out (my water sprite did mine in). And they don't necessarily like a lot of surface agitation, so keep them away from the filter waterfall and sponge filter bubbles - if you're handy you can make a flowting corral out of airline tubing and plastic items, or they're available to buy. 

Good to know! I've got a bubble wall in my tank and they've moved away from it! They seem to be doing okay as of now, although they've only been in for an hour or so!

[Maggie]

It takes days or weeks for water agitation to affect them. The bubbles from a sponge filter alone might be okay - I have a HOB and sponge on opposite sides and the HOB was relentlessly battering them around, pushing them into the bubble area, then the bubbles moved them along back to the HOB, and back around again, in a circular path. And if red root is anything like salvinia minima, it grows like wildfire and squeezes itself out of room every single week, causing browning on the older leaves. I have to remove at least a cup a week. So if your red root does that, you might have to remove a lot of it regularly (and hopefully can sell or donate to your LFS). Good luck!

[Brandy]

They like not to be wet on the top surface of their leaves. So they don't handle being dunked by agitation, or having bubbles shower them, or being rained on by condensation from a tight fitting lid. If you can leave the tank uncovered they are happiest but even a small gap will help. To get bright red color they like high light and a tensy bit of iron. That makes them a fovorite of mine in tanks with low light plants that have an algae problem, the red root floater often sucks up extra light and nutrients.