Duckweed

[Blos85]

Just curious what peoples opinions are on duckweed and their existence in an aquarium?

 

[BBradbury]

Just curious what peoples opinions are on duckweed and their existence in an aquarium?

Hello Blos...

Invasive. Will take over the surface of the tank in no time. I remove it weekly when I do my water changes. A good, natural water filter with the roots hanging under the leaves to take in nutrients. Not a popular plant with most tank keepers.

B

 

[Mattyfelts]

Beautiful but insane plant, I believe that it is good if controlled.

 

[Fishandmusic81]

I despise it, I got it gone in one if my tanks and still fighting it in another tank. The only benefit I see in it is that some fish will eat it.

 

[Blos85]

Beautiful but insane plant, I believe that it is good if controlled.

For some reason i agree it looks great on top of a tank....must be the pond look. Although my concern is my tank is IMO medium-heavily planted for the beauty and my nitrates are at .5ppm and im afraid they are gonna take away from my plants. I only have 4 marigold platys and 2 kuhli loaches in a 29T should i add more fish to increase the nitrates?

 

[Rivercats]

Honestly I'd net it out because if you add more nitrates it will encourage the duckweed to grow even faster. When I want an easy to control floater I use frogbit. It reminds me of large duckweed but so easy to keep thinned out as needed. Also in a planted tank you want nitrates at 10-20ppm. Often times low nitrates under 10ppm makes it easier for cyanobacteria to get foothold in the tank.

 

[wildroseofky]

I am in the minority and actually like duckweed. I have tried for a year to grow it and have finally got it growing in my tanks. The mollies like to eat it. Goldfish and coy like it too. I saw a prepper show were a guy was growing it to feed his Talapia in his aquaponics pond. I am experimenting on making my own plant wafers using duckweed and a few other plants. It is annoying when you put your hand in the tank. That stuff sticks to you. I have started keeping a rag by my tanks to wipe it off of my arm. I give my extra away or compost it.

 

[Blos85]

I am in the minority and actually like duckweed. I have tried for a year to grow it and have finally got it growing in my tanks. The mollies like to eat it. Goldfish and coy like it too. I saw a prepper show were a guy was growing it to feed his Talapia in his aquaponics pond. I am experimenting on making my own plant wafers using duckweed and a few other plants. It is annoying when you put your hand in the tank. That stuff sticks to you. I have started keeping a rag by my tanks to wipe it off of my arm. I give my extra away or compost it.

Really?? Your own wafers???? You mind sharing your idea's???

 

[stingrays4]

Hi I also actually like it BUT! It is very invasive once it gets established,and I find it tiresome keep netting it out,so I would think long and hard before adding it! As already said it sticks to everything when you take something out of the tank including your arm

 

[wildroseofky]

So far all I have tried with the home made wafers is this. I put duckweed, dandelion leaves, spinach, and some ground up egg shell into a blender. I added some very green water to get a nice pulp. I spread this out onto coffee filters and put it in my food dehydrator. It dries into a hard slab that I break up. The snails eat it but they do not seem to be particularly crazy about it. It also is messy. I need to figure a way to get more algae into them I believe. Green water is all I have come up with and it doesn't get thick enough with algae to really add much to the wafers. I am going to experiment with different greens and see what they like best but right now it is too cold to grow many greens. I am trying to get some to grow inside but really do not have a lot of room to work with. Our local grocery store doesn't have much of a selection. I really want something I can grow at home to make it worth my effort. I may try adding some fruit flavored antacid tablets to the mixture and see if that increases their liking of it. My snails, shrimp, and fish really like the fruit flavored tums.

 

[Skull.kid.q]

So far all I have tried with the home made wafers is this. I put duckweed, dandelion leaves, spinach, and some ground up egg shell into a blender. I added some very green water to get a nice pulp. I spread this out onto coffee filters and put it in my food dehydrator. It dries into a hard slab that I break up. The snails eat it but they do not seem to be particularly crazy about it. It also is messy. I need to figure a way to get more algae into them I believe. Green water is all I have come up with and it doesn't get thick enough with algae to really add much to the wafers. I am going to experiment with different greens and see what they like best but right now it is too cold to grow many greens. I am trying to get some to grow inside but really do not have a lot of room to work with. Our local grocery store doesn't have much of a selection. I really want something I can grow at home to make it worth my effort. I may try adding some fruit flavored antacid tablets to the mixture and see if that increases their liking of it. My snails, shrimp, and fish really like the fruit flavored tums.

You could drain a tank completely then scrape the algae off that way? Just depends if you can grow enough algae...