Frogbit: Aquatic Plants for Goldfish

: Image by Bas Kers via Flickr

Frogbit, American Sponge Plant

Limnobium laevigatum

Region: The frogbit floating aquatic plant grows naturally in tropical areas in the Americas but grows invasively in many other regions in North America.

Habitat: You can can find frogbit growing on the tops of ponds, lakes and swamps that have slower moving waters.

Water: Frogbit can grow in a wide range of environmental conditions. It can live in waters with temperatures ranging from 64 to 86 degrees, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, in soft to hard water conditions.

Lighting: It will thrive anywhere there is sufficient light. In an outdoor goldfish pond, frogbit does best when it has a few hours of direct sunlight.

Height: It doesn’t grow much taller than the thickness of a leaf. It’s roots can however drop down a few inches. Frogbit can spread out and cover the entire surface of your goldfish tank or pond.

Growing: It grows easily and does not require it to be planted in the gravel substrate but could grow that way. It is best to let it float on top of the water where it can send out plantles. These plantlets will break free from its parent plant and create a new frobit floating aquatic plant. It is typical for the frogbit to grow several new leaves weekly or even appear out of nowhere over night.

The roots of the frogbit make a great place for small goldfish or fry to hide in. The leaves of the frogbit can help block out bright light which will help regulate the water temperature, create a shady place for goldfish to hang out and allow aquatic plants that require less light to grow. The floating leaves of the frogbit will also reduce the surface area of a goldfish pond or tank, leading to lower levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. For this reason, it’s not a good idea to allow frogbit to cover the entire surface area of the water. During this maintenance, remove any dead or rotting leaves since these add to higher levels of pollutants and lowers your goldfish water’s pH.

Propagation: Plantlets that divide from their parent plants. Dormant frogbit can live in the substrate over the winter and then reappear when spring arrives.

More aquatic plants for goldfish Selecting Aquatic Plants for Goldfish