# Brazilian Pennywort as a Floater



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I couldn't find any pictures of mine, but I had some floating in my 90gal for a while. I really liked the way it looked with the tangle of stems and tufts of roots, and the fish really loved it too, just I have so much surface movement in the tank that it would get too pushed around and over and under and the long stems and leaves inevitably would catch and get tangled in my driftwood... I eventually pulled it b/c most plants don't like being aquatic tumbleweeds and it finally gave up on me and pooped out lol

All that to say- I think it's a lovely floater, you may need to do something to hold it in one stable position if you use it, though.


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## intermediate_noob (Jan 23, 2007)

I will try to get some photos of mine tonight. I use one of the suction cup clips to hold a group of stems together and let it float. I have to trim it back by the handful every few weeks. It provides a lot of cover, but can get messy if you do not take it out and rinse it. 

I resorted to this "floating" method when my cichlids refused to leave it planted. Works great and much better with overflows than frogbit or other floaters because it stays put!


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## woodstock (Mar 8, 2010)

I plan on planting it, but I want to keep options open (or a backup if I just get that lazy, haha). Does it grow horizontally though? I'm having trouble imagining how it grows as a floater. 

I'll probably have to stabilize it, somehow. Maybe have a tall plant hang on to it? I'll experiment around once I buy it, but thank you for the ideas ~

For the suction cup clips, does it go underwater at all? I'm afraid my betta will nip at it, he's too curious.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

woodstock said:


> I plan on planting it, but I want to keep options open (or a backup if I just get that lazy, haha). Does it grow horizontally though?


I have it planted and it does grow horizontally, but since my last trim one of them started growing horizontal, but it really got big since the last trim so maybe thats why.


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## Aquarist_Fist (Jul 22, 2008)

I use them as floaters in a 5.5g. I clamped the stems together (like they come from the store) and affixed them to the outflow of my Eheim Liberty HOB filter. The flow keeps the pennywort nice and straight. Looks good.


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## woodstock (Mar 8, 2010)

So when floating, it grows horizontally along the water's surface? And thanks guys ~


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## Robert H (Apr 3, 2003)

hydrocotyle is often used floating or fully submersed


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

That looks awesome robert!

I just posted some pics of mine. Originally it was planted in the soil but all but one stem became unrooted.

I've taken these stems and attached them to the side of my tank using suction cup airline tub holders just under the surface, hoping it will go emergent.


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## jerry1 (Oct 13, 2010)

I do and it grows quick. It will grow along the top and start wrapping around itself and growing downward. Every 2-3 wks, I pull it all out, detangle, clip and reattach a few stems to my filter intake tube. I am not using my CO2 and only using one of my T5HO bulbs with amost no fertilizing and it still grows like mad.


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