Duckweed for control of nitrate and "excess nutrients"

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CoryWentland said:
It might sound crazy, but I've always wanted to give duckweed a try. I like the nutrient values as well as it makes the lighing appear in an aquarium. I mean whjat even are the disadvantages of duckweed besides it growing out of control? Haha
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As Brich said, they can clog filters, not to mention when it does start to take over the top of your tank, it can block a lot of light getting to the bottom IF you have other plants in there...

and if Biggles was still here, he'd tell you stories of how he once forgot to wash his arm off properly, and had duckweed stuck to his arm all day without noticing it...
 
Hahahaha, I'll deffinately look into some other floating plants, then. Thanks for the information and experience, you both probably just saved me from a duckweed crisis!
 
I have duckweed in my tank. It's been in there about 3 months. It hasn't gotten out of control at all but I think my rainbows may be eating it.
 
I still Lol, remembering Biggs' monster duckweed., it clung to his arms & clogged his shower drain. ROFL. and wasn't it oddball who got all aggravated and told him to "NET IT OUT!"
?
hehehe

anyhow, I read some data on various plants' nutrient absorption, indicated that duckweed & anacharis prefer ammonia before nitrates. maybe that's one reason duckweed goes crazy in tanks.
 
Rosy barbs love the stuff... I had a "out of control" case of it.. mollys too.. and pretty much any veggie loving fish.. at work use to feed it to the koi tanks when it would take over another tank. They went nutterz for it. most stem type plants ime where best for water quality, or emmergents like pothos ect. My crypts are a nice plant to help me know when to do water changes.. they start getting algae on them if nitrates get much over 15ppm. but stay healthy and hearty in anything under w/ minimal light... all depends what you wanna use plants for but imo plants balance out any system.
 
I have a duck weed "canopy in my 150 my rainbow wolves are in and I like it. It does grow like crazy and clog filters I like the look it gives the tank and the security it gives the fish.
 
CoryWentland said:
It might sound crazy, but I've always wanted to give duckweed a try. I like the nutrient values as well as it makes the lighing appear in an aquarium. I mean whjat even are the disadvantages of duckweed besides it growing out of control? Haha
Click to expand...


No stay away, have it it came in by accident 7 years back one little leaf , oh how cute, {shock }and now I pull out two nets full every water change in 2 tanks 2 others have it in it but I let it alone.

One leaf will grow to 10 million plants LOL

No BS neither get the large leaf Saliva I think it is.

Jeff
 
A small amount of duckweed inadvertently got introduced to my tanks a few years ago, I now skim the surface of tanks and take out a few net fulls daily.

Luckily I have a small goldfish, koi pond, and it's the only thing I feed them, because there is so much of it.
 
Just net out excess to allow light to reach bottom of the tank.
It will start to grow into a water sprite. When it does, u can plant the stem into the substrate and watch it grow like mad.
The plant will remove lots of ammonia and nitrates. It'll also feed gold fish and koi.
I haven't had it get to my filters yet, but my plants r in my sump, so I'm not too worried about that
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