The Floating antler-fern, or Ceratopteris pteridoides, is distributed from the American subtropics and tropics from south eastern U.S. to South America and is also reported from Southeast Asia.
As a floating aquarium plant, Ceratopteris pteridoides needs above all a plentiful nutrient supply and good lighting. The favourable temperatures lie between about 18 and 30 °C. Nutrient deficiency or imbalance may lead to pale new leaves and poor growth. Under favourable conditions this fern may get large within a quite short period. If the leaf rosettes have become too large for the tank, they can be replaced by some of the many young plantlets that develop on old, also detached leaves.
This large, decorative water sprite species looks best in open tanks where is provides shelter for the aquarium inhabitants.