Help Identifying Floating Plant

[Liz]

A guy at a pet store today sold me a clump of some floating plant that he said I could use for breeding guppies, for the fry to hide in. He said I could tie it down to the bottom of the tank, too. I was looking at the Riccia plants but I'm not sure. Can someone help me identify it?

 

[pl*co]

It rather looks like the plant is floating, but is not necessarily a "floating" plant. Java Moss? There are floating fern type plants though. Waterhorn fern? Can you post a shot that is not so close, but just a step or so back?

 

[Aqualung]

Looks like it could be watersprite, although it's hard to say for sure from the pics.

 

[Seaman]

Bingo.....watersprite. I would plant it....more than likely it will grow to the surface and then branch out.

Pretty easy plant to grow.

 

[pl*co]

Yeah, kinda like watersprite and watersprite is a floating plant. Yours seems to be quite full, if that's what it is. Check out this pic. The edges of the leaves are very different than in your pics.

http://www.plantgeek.net/images/plantpics/watersprite.jpg

 

[Liz]

Nah, that's what the leaves look like (the watersprite). I think that's it.

Dunno how to plant it though... they just had it floating in the tank. Can't really find a root system. I did take a clump of it and kind of bury some of it under the gravel and it's anchored there, the rest floating up.

It isn't java moss, I know that. I've seen java moss and this isn't it.

Ah, here we go:
"A floating fern, Water Sprite can quickly cover the surface with new growth. This plant has many feathery roots that make excellent hiding for fry and small fish. Some varities can be planted in the substrate, but most do better when just left to float. Fish are very comfotable in a tank filled with Water Sprite, it has a calming effect on even the most timid types of fish."
http://www.petfish.net/sprit.htm

Here's a quick drawing of a segment of the foliage.

 

[Blinky]

Water sprite is a great floating plant. I tried it planted for a while, but I really prefer it on the surface. It grows like crazy; water sprite is a great nutrient sponge. I detach plantlets from large plants every two weeks or so, and leave them in the tank. I throw out the larger, older plant - if I didn't I'd be absolutely overrun with it.

 

[Liz]

Does that leaf structure look like watersprite?

 

[Blinky]

Your pics look like water sprite to me, it's a little hard to tell for sure - check out Google, do an image search and you should be able to find it. Water sprite's leaves can really vary in shape from very fine and lace like to rounded (above water), and the colour can also vary from lighter to darker green. It surprises me that you don't see roots; mine have roots that get more than 6" long.