Salvinia

Salvinia are floating ferns from the Salviniaceae family of the same name. In nature, they are found in stagnant swampy warm reservoirs or backwaters with a slow current. They grow on almost all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.

The scientific description of this plant was given by the Italian botanist Pier Antonio Micheli (1679–1737), who named it after his friend, the philologist Antoine Salvini.

Salvinia ferns are easy to care for. They are unpretentious, do not require special conditions for growth, except for bright light. They grow quickly, in a small aquarium they can quickly fill the entire surface. As a rule, they are used as an addition to the design of the aquarium along with other plants.

Advantages

Fry protection. Salvinia ferns have a dense network of hanging “roots” among which fry and small fish can hide.

Fight against algae. Ferns effectively consume excess nutrients, for example, in an aquarium with a large number of fish and poor filtration, thereby inhibiting the growth of algae.

Water purification. Salvinias have the unique ability to absorb harmful toxins produced during the nitrogen cycle, such as ammonia, nitrates and nitrites, and also remove some heavy metals, such as copper, from the water.

Pick up plants