White Sanderiana Plant: Worst Plant For Freshwater Tanks

Today, many fish stores sell White Sanderiana plants. The leaves of a White Sanderiana plant are green with creamy white margins. White Sanderiana leaves are thick and sturdy. The plant looks a lot like a corn stalk. 

The leaves wrap around the base of the stem. New growth comes from the center of the plant. So, growth on the outside is older than growth on the inside. And, much like corn stalks, the roots of the White Sanderiana plant grow from the base of the stem.

Fish stores sell the plant under other names. ‘White Ribbon Plant’ is one of them. Others are Sanderiana White and White Sandriana.

White Sanderiana Is Not An Aquatic Plant

Pet stores usually sell a white sanderiana plant in a sealed plastic tube. You may see white sanderiana with roots planted in gravel or another substrate. And sometimes, you find them immersed inside of a tank.

The plants in the display tank often look nice and healthy. Novice aquarists may think these are good for their tank. Sanderiana doesn’t do well when immersed. White Sanderiana isn’t an actual aquatic plant. It’s more of a land plant or terrarium type instead of an aquarium type.

Why Your White Sanderiana Plant Dies In Aquarium

You might buy a Sanderiana at the store. You might think that it will look as nice in your tanks, and it does for a while.

It may grow a bit and even sprout new leaves. Unfortunately, after about a week, you will notice brown spots on the leaves. The leaves start to crumble. The plant uproots. It starts to float as the roots die and break off. You will only have a mushy mess left in your aquarium.

Luckily, you did not do anything wrong—a total misunderstanding. Unfortunately, Sanderiana dies if you submerge it in water. Thus, it’s not suitable for aquariums.

You can still choose to buy White Sanderiana, even though it is not a true aquatic plant. Know that it won’t survive in your aquarium for too long.

You can try to grow it by planting its roots in a substrate. You can let most of the leaves rise above the surface of the water. It is a clever workaround, but it won’t last long because it is not a true aquarium plant.