Need nitrate gone and algae starved out fast? Salvinia Minima does it quicker than almost anything. Small quilted leaves with water-repellent hairs spread across the surface, soaking up nutrients and shading the tank below — and it grows fast enough that thinning it becomes a weekly job.
What You’ll Receive
- Sold as a small portion
- Approx. 2" x 2" in size
Plant Profile
- Common name — Salvinia Minima, Water Spangles
- Scientific name — Salvinia minima
- Plant type — Floating fern
- Placement — Floating on the surface
- Mature height — 0.5–1 in
- Growth rate — Fast
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner. Close to unkillable
- Light — Medium to high, though it manages on less
- CO₂ — Not required! It takes carbon straight from the air
- Water — 65–85°F · pH 6.5–7.5
- Feeding — Water column
- Propagation — Runners; it multiplies on its own
Grower’s Notes
- Thin it every week. This is the fastest-spreading plant we sell, and left alone it forms a solid mat that shades out everything beneath it.
- The leaf hairs repel water, so it tolerates surface movement far better than Red Root Floater or Frogbit — a good choice if your filter breaks the surface.
- Yellowing usually means iron or micronutrients. Floating plants feed entirely from the water column and show a deficiency before rooted plants do.
- Bigger sister plant: if you want the same look at three times the leaf size, see Salvinia Natans.
Notes
- Cannot ship to Texas. Salvinia minima is listed as an invasive species there — please do not order if you are in Texas.
- Photos are for reference; portion size and leaf density vary with growing conditions.
- Never release aquatic plants into natural waterways. This species spreads rapidly and can do real damage to local ecosystems.
Shipping Policy
At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Order Processing Time
Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.
Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.
Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.
Shipping Schedule
Live Plants
Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).
Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.
Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.
UPS Express Shipping
We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:
UPS 2-Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 2 business days
Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.
UPS Next Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 1 business day
This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.
UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.
Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.
To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).
Live Animals Shipping
Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.
Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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Shipping destination
Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.
Free Shipping
We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.
Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.
If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.
Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.
Delivery Time Estimates
Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.
While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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Transportation disruptions
Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.
Delayed or Lost Packages
Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.
A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.
If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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The customer covers 50% plus shipping
Address Accuracy
Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.
Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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Failed delivery attempts
may not be eligible for a refund.
Order Cancellations
If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.
Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.
Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.
Returns
Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.
We do not accept returns or exchanges for:
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Live plants
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Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
WHAT WE GUARANTEE
24 Hours Live Arrival Guarantee* - In a rare case of live stocks dead on arrival, we must be notified within 24 hours by the same day of delivery. Please take clear photos of the damaged product and send it to us within 24 hours. Live Arrival Guarantee will be void after 24 hours of delivery. All replacements are considered final and we will not replace the replacement.
- Picture requirements: Take at least 2 clear photos of damaged product in their original, unopened & sealed transparent packing and send photos and orders information to our email within 24 hours: aquariumplantsfactory@gmail.com
- Please do not take picture of damaged plants, or animals in your aquarium. Once they have been introduced to your aquarium's ecosystem. It is no longer covered by our guarantee.
Please be aware that our Live Arrival Guarantee is subject to certain conditions. Specifically, the guarantee will not be applicable in cases where the package is marked as 'invalid address', 'undeliverable' or is 'returned to sender.' This includes situations such as a vacant delivery address, a missing apartment number, or any other issues that prevent the postal service from delivering your package.
It is crucial to provide accurate and complete shipping information to ensure the successful delivery of your order and the applicability of the Live Arrival Guarantee.
Please keep in mind that Live Arrival Guarantee only guarantees that live stocks will be alive upon arrival. We cannot guarantee that you will continue to have success with them. Many factors, including the aquarium environment, water quality, nutrient, temperature, lighting, filter, and CO2 system, can contribute to the failure to grow live plants and live animals.
WHAT WE CAN'T GUARANTEE
Even though our plants are very clean, but we can't guarantee they will be 100% pest-free because we cannot be responsible for your aquarium. Please use it at your own risk. We recommended all customers rinse the plants with clean water and quarantine them before use.
However, plants in tissue culture will be 100% free from pests, algae and never have been contacting with any aquarium.
- Due to the nature of the product. We don't guarantee our plants will be pests free. ( snails, algae, hitchhikers )
- We don't guarantee our plants will be free of pesticides. We use homemade, organic pesticides in our greenhouse to control pests. We do not use pesticides that contain copper. Copper is toxic to invertebrates such as aquatic snails, crabs, shrimps, etc
- We don't guarantee your aquarium success or are responsible for your aquarium inhabitant including but not limited to fish, shrimp, snail, turtle, etc. So please quarantine all plants when use!
- Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be grow emerged or submerge.
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.
Floating aquatic plants praised for arriving healthy and green with excellent packaging. Customers said they "multiply overnight" and thrive in low-light tanks without CO2. Fish enjoy hiding beneath them. Some noted browning from cold temps or goldfish eating them quickly. Generally generous quantities with fast growth.
- This stuff seems to multiply overnight! Super happy with the quality and rate of growth!
- More plants came than I expected, and all were in good condition after transit.
- Thriving in my low light tank, no CO2.
P
First time ordering. I received my order quickly and the quality and quantity of the plants are excellent. Thank you
K
Very satisfied! I look forward to watching them grow
M
Arrived early and in good condition, and am already seeing new growth after a couple days with no CO2. They also look really good next to my larger Floating Ferns.
D
This is a small floater, I put it in a ring for some protection. Looks wonderful and is of great interest to the Angel fish.
M
Very high quality and carefully packaged, thank you!
K
They came in a good package, bubble wrap and cold protector, though no water, which was a bit worrying, but I was able to put them in water and they have been doing good for about a week so far. My fish love hiding underneath the plants.
L
Salvinia Minima
A
It is doing pretty good in my tank.
M
I got my first order of these about a week ago. Shipped quick and looked good when they arrived. They looked really pretty in the tank too. However, if you have goldfish, you might need more than one packet. My goldfish went to town on them and ate every single plant in about twelve hours. They apparently loved snacking on the plants, which is great, but if your goal is use floaters to keep your tank clean instead of as a fish snack, don't expect these to stay around too long.
D
Salvinia Minima
M
These little plants arrived in great shape and are already starting to grow in my backyard pond
E
Always a nice addition to add to tanks
E
Can never go wrong with more floaters
E
Nice & clean
S
I got these to put in my cichlid tank since they tend to dig up everything and so far are thriving. They all arrived healthy so I am happy
R
Thriving in my low light tank, no CO2.
K
Came in sick
M
It has some browning, probably due to the cold temperatures the past few days, but overall very nice plants that should perk up in the next few days.
C
First time buying from here and honeslty It went great! Everything shipped in time and was only late bc of the post office. Plants came in healthy and green and they look great in my tank!
L
Very nice. Plants arrived quick and clean. No dead plants.
L
First time buying from here, won't be my last! I couldn't find good floating plants from any other online store. Selection was great, shipping was pretty quick, even considering how backed up the post is, and plants arrived in perfect condition. Thanks!
S
More plants came than I expected, and all were in good condition after transit. The roots look great, and there were no hitchhikers. Looks great, and is a great addition to my tank. I would definitely recommend if you are interested in a floating plant!
C
Arrived faster than I expected with maybe 1 brown leaf so very pleased. Small portion but from what I know these will grow extremely quickly so it's not a problem at all. Very pleased with this order.
A
Came in looking amazing. Roots all healthy and leave a healthy bright green. Love the way water droplets sit on the leaves.
C
Don't be alarmed if you feel like they don't give you much as this stuff seems to multiply overnight! Super happy with the quality of the plant and the rate of growth! Highly recommend if you want a floating plant!
R
They were delivered to the Midwest so quickly. They were so green when they arrived. I will definitely order these again
T
Almost too much. But hey, who doesn’t want more than expected?
R
All plants were green, alive, and packaged well. Second order from here, no complaints thus far.
T
Shipped to the east coast surprisingly fast and had only a few brown leaves surviving well now, 0 complaints
P
My package was 2 or 3 days late, even with that the salvinia still looks good. I am excited to add it to my tank.
T
I ordered 2 bags and got a 3rd one free with my order which was great. The plants were also in excellent condition and arrived a day earlier than expected. Very excited to see how they do in my betta tank.
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