Riparium Plants That Grow With Their Roots in the Water

A riparium is a riverbank in a tank: plants grow above the water with their roots reaching down into it, while fish swim among the roots below. It's one of the most beautiful ways to set up a river tank, and the plants pull nitrates out of the water as they grow.

How plants are mounted

• Hanging planters: small cups or baskets that clip or hang on the tank's rim, with the bottom in the water.
• Floating rafts or platforms.
• Wedged into rock and driftwood that rises above the waterline.
• Simply rooted in a cup of gravel at the water's edge.

Use a growing medium like gravel, clay pebbles or a little aquatic soil, not regular potting soil, which clouds the water.

Easy plants to start with

• Pothos: the classic. Cuttings root in water fast, and the trailing vines look great over the edge.
• Philodendron (heartleaf): similar to pothos, very forgiving.
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum): handles wet roots well and flowers indoors.
• Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana): grows with roots in water.
• Umbrella sedge (Cyperus): a true marginal plant, very riverbank.
• Creeping Jenny: grows emersed and trails nicely.
• Anubias and Java fern can grow emersed (above water) in humid setups, tied to rocks or wood.

Introduce a new plant's roots gradually and rinse off soil completely first. Choose plants not treated with pesticides; they can harm fish and shrimp.

Light and humidity

Plants above the water need good light: a decent LED fixture or a bright spot (away from direct sun, which grows algae). An open top or partially covered tank keeps humidity up for leafy plants.

Why it's good for the tank

Plants with roots in the water take up nitrate and other nutrients, competing with algae and helping keep the water clean. The roots give fry and shrimp places to hide, too.

Keep it tidy

Trim roots that get too long or clog the filter intake, remove dead leaves, and keep cuttings going so you can replace tired plants.

More on the riverbank look: the river tank owner's guide and can chameleons survive in a riparium.