...duck weed?

[Puriti]

I went to a new LFS and got a couple mollies and the guy appologized for giving me duck weed when he caught them... Is there something wrong with duckweed or was it just there because and it has no purpose but being annoying?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

There's nothing wrong with duckweed. In fact, it can help with nitrate problems, as they absorb nitrates. If the tank is high in nitrates, the duckweed will multiply very fast, and eventually cover the surface. But if low nitrates, they will fade away and disappear. When I had high nitrates, I was scooping the stuff out every few days. But with fast growing plants now and high light, I have to add nitrates for the plants, and the duckweed has disappeared completely.

 

[Puriti]

^^ okay! He kinda made it seem like it was a bad thing...I've never had live plants so I didn't really know what to do with it ^^;

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Well, there's some people who don't want anything else added to their tank, like duckweed, snails, etc. That's probably why he did it. Just some picky people out there, lol. Everybody is different, and he's just covering his tail.

 

[JeffreyL]

duckweed

Some folk just go berserk about the appearance of "that weed!!!!". My g/f wanted it in a 30 gal, so I did. One month later she was netting it out weekly. lol It can get out of hand. But honestly, I do not mind a bit. Looks sort wild & natural, like a modest growth of algae. If it does not bother you, leave it. Live plants never hurt a tank. If it starts to bug you, just start netting all you can when you do a PWC. Eventually you will get it all. Have fun and enjoy 'that weed".

 

[Puriti]

I haven't put any in yet, or at least tried not to lol cuz I didn't know if I should or not. The tank that the fish I got were in had a crap load of it and it was just sitting there doing nothing... I might put some in my betta breeding 10 gal so they have something else for making a bubble nest in or somethin

 

[GlitcH]

Be warned......lol........I've been trying to get duckweed out of my tank for months now.
Every time I think I've gotten it all out.......more of it pops up a few days later.

I don't mind the look of it and like LWB says it is useful to a point but when I go and spend and hour picking out every little piece of something I expect it to stay gone. With duckweed ......this is just not the case.

Although in a 10G it shouldn't be as much of a problem as in my 92G.

 

[Zagz]

Duckweed can multiply quickly and many aquarists find it annoying. I had one leaf of the stuff and it went crazy! That was before I was able to keep my nitrate under 15ppm. Now it isn't a problem.

 

[Puriti]

Well.... I'm sure my fish'll like it lol. If it becomes a bother I'll find SOME way of getting it out I guess. o.o a couple pieces went into my 20 gal putting the mollies in it .____.;; uh oh lol

 

[Mosaic]

The only problem I had with duckweed is it clogged my HOB filter. That was indeed annoying. But I put it in my betta tank and it's lovely in there.

 

[Puriti]

My bettas seem to like it

 

[Burks]

Duckweed was spawned from Satan himself. I put maybe 10-12 pieces of it in my tank thinking I could keep it under control. Well, that was an understatement. I go away and for three days without the tank lights on those 10-12 pieces turns into a 3x3 area. Thought I had cleaned it all but months later I'm still battling it.

Duckweed, the plant cockroach.

 

[Puriti]

I actually think my goldfish did eat the duckweed...cuz I haven't seen a bit of it in my 20gal LOL Though it's growing nicely in my 10 gal ^^ my male betta loves the stuff!

 

[DocOc]

a duckweek explosion caused such a dimming of the light down at the bottom of my 30G Hex that one of my plants that was nice and full became all stalky as it tried to reach up to the dim light. I'm happy to hear that it deals with nitrates, though. Maybe I'll let my new tank get "contaminated" too.

 

[Puriti]

I just have a question: Why do you have to take all of it out when you do water changes?

 

[Mosaic]

You don't. I think its just a convenient time to take it out. Plus, you're getting rid of nitrates in two ways at the same time - PWC and what is taken up by duckweed. But you will need to thin it out at some time.

 

[Puriti]

Okay ^^ Thanks!

 

[JustOneMore20]

I just wanted to add that I hate Duckweed. It has infested my 29g and I can't get rid of the stuff. It annoys me very much!

 

[Puriti]

Hahaha ^__^ I'm trying it and I don't hate it yet

 

[Mosaic]

I killed it once. If I knew how, I'd tell you!

I have cana and marisa snails, and they take care of it pretty quickly when I toss it in their tanks. But its not like you could just throw one in a planted tank or you'd wind up with no plants at all.