What does duck weed look like?

[Manix]

I saw someone mention it in another thread. When I do a search all I get are articles on killing it. Does somebody know where I can see a pic of this stuff or have a pic they could post?

Thanks

 

[GobyGuy5]

Petsolutions.com sells the stuff, if you look for it there, you'll find a pic (greatly magnified)

 

[Manix]

GROOVY!
Thats what I thought it looked like but never knew the name.

I was looking for a floating plant to encourage my male betta to make a bubble nest. I have a strong current in my tank so he doesn't have a stable area to put one. I thougth plants might help.
What do you think? BTW My tank is low light and I want some anubis later on. Is this stuff very hard to control? I wouldn't want it to prevent too much light from reach the lower plants.

 

[OrionGirl]

When I had duckweed in my main tank, it would grow so thick that it covered the entire surface of the tank in a week. I would scoop out cups of the stuff each water change. When I started supplementing CO2, the underwater plants took off and the duckweed died off--completely. I still have a few bits in other tanks with no CO2, but nothing as bad as in my 40. It really depends on the available nutrients.

There are a couple of floating plants like duckweed--frogbit, and one I can't recall right now. Salvinis? Maybe...Anyway, they don't get as out of control as duckweed, even when nutrients are plentiful, IME.

 

[SBA]

Salvinia natans? I have it in my low-light tank and it grows enough to need thinning out weekly. It grows better with more light but looks good IMO anyway.

here's a link to a picture.

 

[OrionGirl]

Ah! Yep, that's the stuff. Thanks SBA--This week I am working with a reptiles and amphibians document, and all that came to mind was Rana pipiens...Not the same thing at all.

 

[Manix]

Thanks, I'm gonna do some more looking around. If it covers the surface in a week, my under water plants wouldn't get any light at all.