Golden Bladderwort

Bladderworts are often treated as weeds in the aquarium, but Utricularia aurea is worth a second look. It is a floating carnivorous plant — its finely divided leaves carry tiny bladder-like traps that capture micro-organisms, which supplements its nutrient intake in soft, nutrient-poor water.

The plant forms a tangle of thread-like stems and leaves at the water surface. It has no true roots and does not need substrate. The small, yellow flowers that give it the name 'golden bladderwort' appear above the waterline when the plant is healthy and receives enough light.

It grows very fast under medium to high light at 22 to 30 °C and pH 5 to 8. CO₂ injection is optional. The main challenge is containment — in a stable tank it spreads quickly and can shade plants below. Regular thinning by removing handfuls of growth is the standard maintenance.

Each piece that breaks off grows into a new plant, making it nearly impossible to remove completely once established. This matters if you want to keep it, and matters even more if you do not. It does not grow emersed and is not winter hardy. In open-top tanks, the flowers are a bonus that most floating plants do not offer.