Floats at the surface on round, coin-sized leaves trailing crimson roots into the water column. Given strong light the leaf undersides and margins turn deep red as well, which is the reason most people buy it.
What You’ll Receive
A small portion (approximately 2” × 2”) of healthy Red Root Floater containing approximately 6–8 plants.
Each plant includes multiple leaves, forming small clusters ready to grow and spread on the water surface.
Plants are carefully harvested and packed to ensure they arrive fresh and ready to add directly to your aquarium or pond.
Plant Profile
- Common name — Red Root Floater
- Scientific name — Phyllanthus fluitans
- Placement — Floating
- Mature height — Floats at the surface
- Growth rate — Fast
Care
- Difficulty — Intermediate
- Light — Medium to high
- CO₂ — Not required
- Water — 72–82°F · pH 6.0–7.5
- Feeding — Water column
- Propagation — Runners
Grower’s Notes
- Keep the surface still. Water sitting on the leaves makes them yellow and rot, so aim filter outflow below the surface and break up any spray.
- Leave an air gap under the lid. Condensation dripping onto the leaves does the same damage.
- Red is a lighting response, not a health sign. In medium light it stays green and healthy; strong light and available iron bring out the color.
- It doubles quickly — thin it by hand every week or two or it shades out everything beneath.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Red Root Floater Care Guide.
Notes
- Photos are for reference; leaf size and red intensity vary considerably with lighting and iron availability.
- Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
At a glance
- Free shipping on orders of $150 or more (after discounts) within the contiguous United States, by USPS.
- Free thermal protection is included with every shipment, all year round.
- Processing: most orders leave us within 1 to 2 business days. Tracking is emailed when your order ships.
- USPS (2 to 5 business days) ships Monday through Saturday.
- UPS 2nd Day Air® ships Monday through Wednesday. Order by Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- UPS Next Day Air® ships Monday through Thursday. Order by Wednesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and military addresses ship by USPS at a flat rate shown at checkout.
- Weather holds: during extreme heat or cold we may hold live orders until it's safe to ship.
- We ship within the United States only.
Please bring live plants indoors and unpack them the day they arrive. Every live order is covered by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee.
The complete rules, including lost packages and address issues, are in our Shipping Policy. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Every live order is backed by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee. If a plant arrives dead, we'll make it right.
How it works
- Tell us within 24 hours of the delivery time on your tracking.
- Send photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label, to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com with your order number.
- We'll make it right with a replacement, store credit or refund for the affected item.
Good to know
- Some melting or yellowing as plants adjust from greenhouse to aquarium life is normal. They regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes.
- Please bring your package indoors and unpack it the day it arrives.
- Free promotional items and shipping charges are not covered.
The complete rules, including what's covered and what voids the guarantee, are in our Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Guarantee. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.
Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.
Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.
Customers praised the vibrant red roots and healthy plants that show "new growth" quickly. Most reported excellent quality and generous quantity. However, some felt pricing was high for small portions, and shipping delays (2 weeks vs 5-7 days) were noted. Minor concerns included occasional snails, duckweed, and plant melting during adjustment.
- Already producing new growth. Very happy with the quantity and quality of the product I received.
- Already showing new growth and turning red! The Java Ferns are also already attaching themselves.
- These are one of my favorite plants in my aquarium. They are so pretty and I love the red roots.
J
All the plants that came in still seemed healthy, they have only been planted in the aquarium for about 2 days and the red root floaters are already showing new growth and turning red! The Java Ferns are also already attaching themselves to my lava rocks, can’t wait to see how it all looks when I can trim and replant to really fill everything in.
M
Everything came incredibly vibrant and green, and has already needed trimming in the tank, save for a pair of poor crypto that did melt away. A small loss in an otherwise fantastic bundle of plants.
A
Beautiful plant starters. My betta absolutely loves to hides in the roots.
G
Red root floaters are doing so well and looking so pretty! My shrimp love them too 🤣
S
Amount was more than I expected. It looked great when added to my tank. The shrimp love it.
E
So far this is my favorite aquarium plant! I love how red the roots and leaves are, and it has been the easiest to adapt. The only minor issue i had was that these floaters (or one of the plants purchased here) came with duckweed that has now been making itself at home in my tank.
T
Absolutely love them and can’t wait to see them grow!
A
Bought a small portion of each. Great experience, came fast and my floating plants look great! Pics are Day one and Day 7. Already so red and getting such pretty roots
S
Arrived healthy! Hoping they do well in my tank
J
These are one of my favorite plants in my aquarium. They are so pretty and I love the red roots. Every plant that I have ordered from this shop have all arrived super healthy. I highly recommend this shop.
P
Excellent quality, in perfect health with an amount worth the cost! I highly recommend Red rooted floating plants from Aquarium Plant factory
K
These are perfect if you want to add some bright red color to any tank!
A
Not worth the price
A
Red Root Floater
J
Red Root Floater
C
Red root floaters have been in my tank for just over a week and are already producing new growth. Very happy with the quantity and quality of the product I received.
C
Red Root Floater
A
I was surprised by the quality.
E
I ordered several plants at once from here and this was the only one that was not a tissue culture. Because of that I expected the possibility of snails, and there were quite a few baby snails on this one. I washed off the snails and so far the floaters are doing okay in my aquarium. This is the only one out of all the plants I ordered that have melted back though. I am hoping they bounce back as they adjust.
M
Arrived in perfect condition, and exactly as advertised! Thank you again
J
Red Root Floater
M
I planted my aquarium with a few products including the red root floater. They are already growing and adjusting to the environment. I highly reckoned aquatic plant factory and the product specifically. It exchanges the aquarium with a red hue in a green planted aquarium.
A
They arrived and I wasnt able to put my plants in same day due to being out of town when they showed up. The next day I put them in the tank and after 5 days theyre already producing more leaves with minimal melting. A teensy bit of duckweed showed up so I assume it was stuck to one, thats fine thats a bonus for me. Outcompete my red algae, little floating plants, feast upon the nutrients!
B
Very impressed so far
J
The re root floaters I got were as advertised, they looked great, but shipping as 2 weeks not the 5-7 days I thought.
A
A lot of websites say things you buy might not look like their picture… I got my red root floaters and they looked exactly like the photo. Very pleased !!!
J
Arrived fast and healthy.
P
Red Root Floater
Recommended for You
Frequently Asked Questions
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
!
