Pothos

Epipremnum aureum

Plantae›Tracheophyta›Liliopsida›Alismatales›Araceae

📍 Tropical Southeast Asia & Pacific Islands

Pothos is the go-to houseplant for aquarium filtration. Grown emersed — roots trailing in the water while the vine climbs out of the tank — it's a voracious consumer of nitrate and other dissolved wastes, helping polish the water and starve algae. It's nearly indestructible, needs no CO2 or special lighting, and its dangling roots give shrimp and fry a place to shelter. Only the roots go in the water; never submerge the leaves.

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Compatible Livestock

Betta

Classic pairing — pothos roots shade the surface and export the nitrate a betta's waste produces.

excellent

Red Cherry Shrimp

Shrimp graze biofilm off the submerged root mass and love the cover it provides.

excellent

Neon Tetra

Peaceful schoolers that benefit from the cleaner water without disturbing the roots.

good

Nerite Snail

Algae grazer that pairs well in the low-maintenance tanks pothos suits.

excellent

Common Diseases

Root / crown rot

Symptoms

Mushy, blackened, or foul-smelling roots or lower stem; drooping, yellowing foliage — almost always from submerging the leaves or crown.

Treatment

Keep only the roots underwater and the foliage in the air. Trim away rotted tissue with clean scissors, improve surface circulation/oxygen, and let the plant re-establish.

Yellowing leaves

Symptoms

Pale or yellowing foliage, slow or leggy growth.

Treatment

Give brighter indirect light and dose a little liquid plant fertilizer. In a lightly stocked tank the water may lack nutrients for vigorous emersed growth.

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Quick Facts

co2: Not required
light: Low to bright indirect; tolerates ambient room light
placement: Emersed only — suspend the roots in the water with the leaves above the surface (hang-on-back filter, tank rim, or lid). Do not fully submerge; submerged foliage will rot.
substrate: None — roots grow directly in the water column
growth rate: Fast