Floating Plants that can support weight of newts?

[Clintaceous]

Basically finished my newt setup, and now just have to make an area they can haul out on to. I'll use a piece of moss covered cork bark no question, but are there any floating plants that could support a newt without sinking? Looking at salvinia in particular as they have nice bushy roots, but unless they get quite long and dense, I couldn't see that working well. Frogbit I'm sure could handle them no doubt, but I find their roots too long and not nice to look at in my opinion. Was considering water lettuce, but feel it won't do too well in cold temps.

The newts I have will be alpines.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Cthulhu Starlord]

Hey! So they are not exactly floating Persaud, but I find things like lillys or even a thick patch of hornwort can work. I have some lilly pads that I harvested from a nearby body of water and quarantined along with red lotus and the afformentioned hornwort in my alpine newt tank. Water lettuce can work too I have mixed success with it. Salvinia is a bit to light for the alpines. If it were firebellys I would say sure. Maybe the frogbit would be a good test

 

[Clintaceous]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I've thought about the past few days, and I think I'll wait till I get all my plants in first which should be this week. Once they are in, I'll see if I can't group plants together in a way that the floating plants above them blocking light won't be a bother.

As for floating plants, should I add any I think I'll do water lettuce, salvinia, or both!

 

[Salamanderman21]

Did the plants work

 

[Clintaceous]

Did the plants work

Not really. I just put some Giant salvinia and Water Lettuce in. The newts hang out in the roots at night, but they never climb on. They'd rather clamber onto the floating piece of cork in the tank, which I may switch to an acrylic platform so that light can reach in for my plants. Only issue is most don't platforms don't move with the fluctuating water level, so you have to keep on top of the water level in your tank.

 

[Salamanderman21]

Okay thanks good to know

 

[Clintaceous]

Huh, guess I was wrong. As long as its the species Salvinia molesta and its formed a big enough mat, it'll support newts! Just saw one used today after work!

You can tell its molesta by the hairs on the leaves. If they form an egg beater or whisk shape at the end of each hair its molesta. Unsure if the smaller species of salvinia would work. Larger water lettuce (4"+ diameter) would be able to support a newt as well.

 

[Salamanderman21]

Okay thanks