Common Name(s): Anacharis, elodea, Brazilian waterweed, water weed, American/Canadian waterweed
Scientific Name: Egeria densa

Note: genus may also be Elodea

This plant can be planted or floating and will grow either way. I will focus on them as a floating plant because that's where my biggest success with them has been.


With a minimum of effort, this particular plant grows very fast. If you have enough lighting, it will grow. If you add fertilizer, it will grow amazingly. In a tank with three hungry goldfish, I've found that one bunch of anacharis has to be trimmed back fairly often to prevent it from taking over the plant and restricting swimming space - and of course the goldfish love to snack on it. All of this without any CO2 system or carbon additive.

It seems the most important thing to the plant is light. It only needs medium light, but make sure it's getting it. If it winds up in the shadow of another plant or decoration, a good part of it will become yellow and dead leaves will litter your tank and clog your filter intake. That was the true annoyance of this plant before I found a better way: dead anacharis leaves all over.

I read once that this was a perfect plant for goldfish and I do suggest it for that.

(Images from WikiCommons.)