duck weed? anyone have it?

[as40]

I have it in my tank. It was an accident, but I like the way it looks... On the top. I do hate how it sticks to your arm/hand/net/anything you put in the tank during routine maintanence, but, can deal with that... What is more of a nuisance is how it gets all over the other plants when the current (or during water changes) "blows" it all over the tank. I like the idea, Leopardess, of creating a fence. Also, like you, TKOS, it seems to grow in my filter, but unlike you, it does clog it a bit also. I've toyed with the idea of removing it, but think I'll try some of the methods described here for controlling it first.

Oh, one last thing. I've noticed the longer tendrils that grow beneath mine on occasion form 'colonies' whereby they twist together and attatch to something, like a close-to-the-surface bit of driftwood or plant leaf. Hopefully will have a digital camera soon and can post some pics.

Good luck, fishfreak21, with your guppy tank. Should be fine in there. Don't know about the 30 and 90 though. See how you can manage it or if you like it first in your guppy tank.

 

[Godslayer]

I had duckweed for awhile and it does grow fast, expecially under high light conditions. I didn't find it invasive as it was easily removed by scooping it out. I have been toying with Phyllanthus Fluitans for awhile and find it very similar to the duckweed, but much larger. It grows slower, is larger, turns reddish, and flowers on a regular basis.

 

[promethean_sprk]

Duckweed - beware

I had some duckweed living in my 20g when I was in graduate school. It gradually was covering the surface, but did a great job sucking up nutrients and keeping the tank algae free. But then I went on christmas break for 2 weeks and asked a friend to stop by a few times and feed the cat and fish. After 10 days I called to see what was up, he had stopped by a couple times but said that something 'really bad' happened to the fish tank, but was unable to elaborate, not being a fish person. I got back to find a 2 inch thick layer of duckweed, duckweed choking out the filter, and it was so thick that everything under it went anerobic! Needless to say I was short some fish. Luckilly they were mostly sculpins and darters I had caught with a minnow trap in putah creek. I did lose a 7 inch pleco that had been with me a few years...

Amazingly the plants survived this, if barely. Some crypts and swords popped back once the duckweed was removed and some major water changes enacted. Those plants are still with me. After that incident I have used hornwort as a nutrient vaccum instead.

Duckweed might be great in a sump filter with a big sponge intake and bright lights. That is my fantasy filter.

I have also seen ponds that have flooded where the duckweed on the edges had rooted into the ground. It formed a rather pretty carpet effect. Perhaps someone could use it like riccia to coat some sort of rootable material for an interesting effect.

 

[Godslayer]

It's definitely one of the fastest growing plants I have seen. It has the "aerial advantage" as Diana Walstad likes to call it, meaning it has access to CO2 in the air which is much higher in concentration than water normally is. I've had the entire surface covered with duckweed before, but a 2 inch mat..... that's impressive.

I'mn not a cichlid expert but I believe most of them will dig the substrate. I don't think hey really eat plants. So the duckweed might be safe. You might want to double check that though.