PlantLab › Plants › Asian Watermoss

Shrimp Bites

High Calcium Shrimp Food

AquaBoost Bites →

Floating · Beginner friendly

Asian Watermoss

Salvinia cucullata

1 / 5

✦ DIFFICULTY Easy–Moderate

A forgiving choice for newer planted tanks.

☀ LIGHT Moderate

Around 9 hours is a useful starting point.

≈ CO₂ Optional

Injection is not normally necessary.

↗ GROWTH Fast

Weekly trimming needs.

PLANT OVERVIEW

About Asian Watermoss

A floating fern with distinctive cup-shaped leaves.

Salvinia cucullata floats pairs of small, cupped round leaves and dangling root-like fronds that make excellent fry and shrimp cover. Like other salvinia it wants bright light and a gap under the lid to avoid condensation melt.

Shrimp friendly Low-tech suitable High-tech suitable Fry cover

CARE PROFILE

What this plant needs.

The useful numbers and practical notes, grouped around how you actually keep the plant.

□

TANK FIT

Placement + size

Primary placementFloating

Typical height0–2 in

Typical width1 in

Suggested minimum tank5 gal

Suggested tank height6 in+

☀

LIGHT + CO₂

Energy demand

Ideal lightModerate

Photoperiod range8–11 hr

Approx. PAR20–55

Injected CO₂Optional

CO₂ benefitVery Low

●

NUTRITION

Where it feeds

Root feedingVery Low

Water-column feedingHigh

Overall fertilizer demandModerate

Iron demandHigh

MicronutrientsModerate

≈

WATER

Useful parameter range

Temperature68–84°F

pH6–7.8

GH2–15 dGH

KH1–12 dKH

PLANTING

How to plant it.

Substrate: None — floats at the surface

Leave floating; keep the surface calm and avoid trapping leaves under filter output.

GROWTH + PROPAGATION

What to expect after planting.

Propagation

Division / daughter plants

Acclimation

Sensitive to condensation and heat on the leaf tops; keep a gap under lids.

COMMON PROBLEMS

What usually goes wrong.

Melts under lids from heat/condensation; can overgrow the surface.

KEEP EXPLORING

Plants with similar growing conditions.

Matched from the PlantLab database using light, CO₂, difficulty, feeding demand and placement.