Giving floating plants to fish?

The rule in the world of fish is generally that anything of a suitable size to fit in the mouth and that is edible or even alive is eaten.

Exceptions are quite rare.

Some fish are strictly meat-eaters, such as pike, Betta, or many killifish...

But others, on the other hand, do not refuse some algae or tender plants (carp, platy, goldfish, etc.), or even plant sediments in the process of decay.

Those who raise goldfish outdoors, in a natural pond, know their appetite for duckweed.

If they can fully access it, it is even the best way to completely eradicate duckweed in a pond.

We know that this plant intake is essential for them, due to the particular shape of their intestine.
Without plants, constipation threatens them!

Those who have fairly large goldfish can therefore offer them other floating plants to discover their preferences: azolla (rich in proteins), large duckweed, three-lobed duckweed (quite tender), etc.

For goldfish in an aquarium, having a small culture of duckweed at hand is surely an excellent idea
You will thus have a reserve of duckweed and therefore something to give again as soon as the previous ration is consumed…

But most tropical freshwater species are content to nibble on algae (often brush algae) that cover plants, sand, and glass.

This does not prevent them from enjoying some boiled lettuce from time to time. Guppies, platys, swordtails, and gouramis like that very much.

But to attack living plants, not softened by cooking, few dare to do so!

What is the point then of providing floating plants to your fish?

I understood it by observing goldfish and their appetite for duckweed.

 Why does a fish capable of consuming plants like this seem to prefer those that float, and shun more those that live underwater?

A close look at all the most appreciated floating plants (small duckweed and large duckweed and azolla) provides an answer.

Indeed, the common point of these floating plants is that they are normally colonized by aphids. It is even hard to find any in nature that are not covered with them.

If you observe your floating plants in an aquarium, it is very likely that aphids are parasitizing them without you ever having noticed!

And you must not worry about it at all…

Indeed, when a goldfish devours duckweed, it swallows at the same time a large number of aphids. And thus insects rich in proteins.

This fish is therefore not so vegetarian after all!

The more aphids the floating plants host, the more attractive they are to these fish.

This brings us to other fish: if you have floating plants in your aquarium, and by chance they are covered with aphids, your fish will be busy all day watching for those that will inevitably fall into the water.
It is a natural, quality food available to them at all times.
And so, very often, without us suspecting anything!

 
Azolla, duckweed and large duckweed attract many aphids, even in aquariums. Floating plants never lack water and ideally feed the aphids. Their exponential growth even makes them an inexhaustible food source to establish their colonies.

Aquazolla uses absolutely no treatment products.
You will therefore probably find some aphids on the floating plants you order.
And if not, do not worry: they will come very soon!

In conclusion, floating plants are a food source for all fish. Whether they feed directly on the plant itself, or indirectly on the insects it attracts…

To learn more about natural fishkeeping, do not forget Mattier’s blog.