Dwarf water lettuce actually bears no relation to actual lettuce; it gets its name because its appearance is similar to lettuce. Dwarf lettuce is also called Nile lettuce or water lettuce, even though it’s not actual lettuce, either.

In actuality, Dwarf water lettuce is a floating aquatic plant. Like most things in life, Dwarf water lettuce is both a blessing and a curse. It has a number of beneficial qualities, but left unchecked can take over your aquarium.

Dwarf water lettuce provides shade to help smaller creatures in your tank such as newborn fish fry and baby shrimp and absorbs ammonia and nitrate to improve the health of your aquarium.