After we published our article going over our frogbit vs duckweed comparison, we have noticed more and more people specifically reaching out to ask for a salvinia minima vs frogbit comparison article so we have decided to publish this article.
The main thing to remember is that both salvinia minima and frogbit are very popular and have their place within the hobby.
Both will usually meet the needs of most of our readers but we hope that this article can help you better understand the ins and outs of each to help you choose what plant you want to use.
Salvinia minima is a newer plant to the hobby and is still being experimented with in terms of husbandry. It is harder to keep than duckweed but can be kept in a mixed tank.
Salvinia minima can also be used as a food source for fish with more species of fish actually eating it due to the roots of frogbit putting the fish off.
The Advantages Of Salvina Minima!
The main advantage of salvinia minima in the fish keeping hobby is its smaller, slower growing roots reducing the amount of tank maintenance required just to deal with the roots of the plant.
Salvinia minima also has a slightly better nutritional profile than frogbit too making it a better, natural option for fish food.
The smaller leaves and roots of salvinia minima also make it easier for smaller fish species and fry to eat it too where as frogbit is often only eaten by larger fish.
Salvinia minima can also be seen as being a more attractive plant than frogbit with its greener leaves but personal preference will come into play on that one.
If you are new to keeping live plants in your tank then salvinia minima scores points over frogbit for being so low maintenance. Salvinia minima really doesn’t require much time or effort from you to keep it alive and happy in your aquarium.
The roots of salvinia minima are also less likely to cause problems in your tank than frogbit thanks to the slower growth rate and smaller size.
This means that salvinia minima is a safer option if you have shrimps or other inverts in your tank as there is much less chance of them being tangled up or caught in the roots.
Here is a shorter summary of the advantages of salvinia minima:-
- The smaller leaves and roots make it easier for smaller fish species and fry to eat it too where as frogbit is often only eaten by larger fish.
- Salvinia minima can also be seen as being a more attractive plant than frogbit with its greener leaves but personal preference will come into play on that one.
- If you are new to keeping live plants in your tank then salvinia minima scores points over frogbit for being so low maintenance.
- The roots of salvinia minima are also less likely to cause problems in your tank than frogbit thanks to the slower growth rate and smaller size.
The Advantages of Frogbit!
The main advantages of frogbit is that it is cheaper than salvinia minima and much easier to find in local fish stores. This is due to salvinia minima being a newer plant to the hobby and the demand not being anywhere near as high as frogbit and duckweed demand yet.
Frogbit also has much larger leaves than salvinia minima making it a better option at providing shade and cover in your tank for fish. If you are growing sub-surface aquatic plants or you have fish or invets that require shade, frogbit can push ahead.
If you are looking for frogbit or salvinia minima to use in an outdoor pond, the larger leaves and roots of frogbit can make it the obvious option due to the amount of sunlight it can block out for light sensitive species. On top of that, the frogbit taking upon more space also makes it less likely for predatory birds to see your fish and come for a closer look.
Although frogbit is very easy to maintain for most people, we still people making mistakes time and time again. We have a dedicated article going over how to stop your frogbit dying that may be helpful though.
Here is a shorter summary of the advantages of frogbit:-
- Frogbit is cheaper than salvinia minima.
- Frogbit is much easier to find in local fish stores.
- Frogbit has much larger leaves than salvinia minima.
- If you are looking for frogbit or salvinia minima to use in an outdoor pond, the larger leaves and roots of frog
The Disadvantages Of Salvina Minima!
The main disadvantage of salvinia minima is that it can be more expensive than frogbit. Depending on your location, a small amount of salvinia minima can cost five times the price as a large amount of frogbit as salvinia minima is not in full circulation yet to the its lack of popularity.
That said though, salvinia minima is rapidly growing in popularity causing more and more local fish stores to stock it too. Depending on your location, you may be able to buy salvinia minima online for much cheaper than in stores too helping you overcome the main advantage of the plant.
With salvinia minima being a much smaller plant with a slower growth rate and reproduction rate of frogbit, it can take much longer for salvinia minima to make any real impact in a pond or an aquarium too.
With its higher price tag in many local stores, this just increases your costs of going with salvinia minima as you will usually need much more of it to start with when compared to frogbit or duckweed.
The Disadvantages Of Frogbit!
The main disadvantage of frogbit that people within the fish keeping community complain about time and time again is the growth rate of its roots. We see so many people reaching out about this that we actually have a dedicated article online going over how to trim frogbit roots!
The rapid growth rate of frogbit can go against it sometimes too as it can quickly cover the surface of an aquarium. This can make it difficult for other surface dwelling plants or animals to get the sunlight they need, especially in smaller tanks and ponds.
Frogbit also has a very high reproduction rate which can quickly lead to an overpopulation problem of the plant if you don’t keep an eye on it. This is why regular maintenance and trimming is necessary.
Some sub-surface aquarium plants need large amounts of light too and a water surface covered in frogbit can prevent this. Although this may not be lethal to the sub-surface plants in an aquarium due to light coming in from the sides, in a pond, it can prove fatal.
Salvinia Minima Vs Frogbit – What Is The Best Plant For You?
As you can see, there are pros and cons to both salvinia minima and frogbit. In the end, the best plant for you will come down to personal preference as well as your unique aquarium or pond set-up. There is no one size fits all option here.
Both salvinia minima and frogbit are great plants that offer a lot of benefits but it’s important to be aware of the drawbacks too so you can make an informed decision on which plant is best for you.
If you are looking for a fast-growing surface plant to provide shade and cover in your aquarium or pond, frogbit is the best option.
If you are looking for a smaller surface plant that is slower growing with a more delicate appearance, salvinia minima is the best option.
The lower price point and wider availability of frogbit at the time of writing will make it the default option for many of our readers though.
