# Does Frogbit grow fast



## atjurhs (Nov 21, 2014)

Hi,

I bought some Frogbit off eBay and got 6 plants. The plants are much smaller than I thought I would get.

Will Frogbit grow quickly and that's why they sent me very small plants?

Todd


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## PortalMasteryRy (Oct 16, 2012)

Under optimal conditions, a new leaf is produced every 2 days and it will separate from the mother plant thereafter. You should be able to see triple or quadruple the amount of plants in 2-3 weeks.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

In good light it sure can.


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## atjurhs (Nov 21, 2014)

I read that it doesn't like any current? I do have a high-tech 10gallon tank with an HOB. I've located the HOB on one end of the tank. I'm thinking about running a line across the tank on the surface of the water to prevent them from floating toward the HOB. Is this a good idea? 

Will my Ramshorn or Nerites eat it?

Are there any ferts they won't like?


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## RWaters (Nov 12, 2003)

I have two filters on each of my tanks and the frogbit grows like mad! It's not a strong current though so maybe someone else can speak to that. 

By the way, you bought six small plants? Check this forum next time you want any plants . I give away at least three to four times that amount of frogbit to members here.


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## atjurhs (Nov 21, 2014)

RWaters said:


> I have two filters on each of my tanks and the frogbit grows like mad! It's not a strong current though so maybe someone else can speak to that.
> 
> By the way, you bought six small plants? Check this forum next time you want any plants . I give away at least three to four times that amount of frogbit to members here.


Thanks!


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## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx (Jul 12, 2011)

Frogbit under good lighting grows at a good pace, strong current or low to no current. They help to control water parameters, and will grow via any type of fert schedule, or dosing regime such as EI, PPS-Pro, PPS-Classic....

I had them in my 45 gallon long tank, and was using a Odyssea CFS-500 canister filter rated at 500 gallons per hour, and all it did was keep the frogbit to one side of the tank.


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## GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy (Feb 11, 2012)

It dies really easy


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## RWaters (Nov 12, 2003)

GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy said:


> It dies really easy


Really? Mine seems to die only if I deprive it of light or water. :red_mouth


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## atjurhs (Nov 21, 2014)

Sounds like mixed reviews, I guess I'll find out how mine grows or not....


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## Izzy- (Jun 11, 2014)

For me it does. I got mines a week ago and now they're sending runners left and right lol


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## devilduck (May 9, 2012)

It doesn't travel well and takes a bit to establish. Once it takes hold it grows at a medium fast pace. I can feed my turtle a couple of times a month from the amount I have growing in a 29g. Also notice it goes in phases where it seems like they are dying off but bounce back a couple of weeks later.

I like them because their root length is a good indicator that I'm adding the correct amount of ferts. If the roots grow long it means I need to up my dosing, if they are short I'm dosing correctly.


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

It grows like weed in my tank, I've got different floaters in my tank, to me what grows fastest is the following (again, coming from my tank):

Duckweed > Frogbit > RRF > Salivinia > Water Lettuce

I give ROAK on Frogbits regularly but it's cold now so I'll hold off.


GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy said:


> It dies really easy


It may rot/melt, but it will grow new roots and new 'leaves' once it stabilizes.


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## Knotyoureality (Aug 3, 2012)

Frogbit can be a bit hit or miss and some snails do take a liking to it. One of the types of pond snails I have (limnaea stagnalis as best anyone can guess) have a predilication for eating the spongy undersurface. 

In full sunlight it'll grow huge leaves with super thick, almost triangular in profile, leaves; in low light it'll grow smaller thin leaves. Low ferts tend to trigger particularly robust root growth--though I've seen frogbit in EI tanks with heavy dosing still putting out dense roots, so even that bit of wisdom is subject to exceptions.


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## someoldguy (Feb 26, 2014)

I had somewhat the same experience , got stuff off eBay , 6-8 plants packed in newspaper . It neither thrived nor died , just kinda chugged along shooting a new plant now and then . About 6 months or so later a butter dish of the stuff came up at a local club event , picked it up at a ridiculous price , like 2 bucks . This stuff took off ..... got 10 tanks pretty full , plus a massive amount in a small pond until the temperature dropped , plus enough for a RAOK a few weeks back . Best I can think is it depends on how it's shipped , maybe the first batch took a hit in transit . For me , under cfl's , low filtration , light to moderate bioload , and maybe light fert dosing (Flourish) every week or 2 I can expect my frog bit mass to maybe double in size every 6 weeks or so . Sometimes it gets kinda raggedy but it usually comes back fine . Be patient and wait for a RAOK when it gets warmer , someones always looking to unload their excess .


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## atjurhs (Nov 21, 2014)

what's RAOK


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## Knotyoureality (Aug 3, 2012)

atjurhs said:


> what's RAOK


 
Random Act of Kindness. Lots of folks here offer up their unwanted/excess stock, plants, trimmings, etc for just the cost of shipping, or shipping and a small handling fee to help cover associated costs. Floaters and common stems are the most commonly offered items as the plants/trimmings would otherwise just get thrown out. 

You'll find 'em listed in the WTB(wanted to buy)/RAOK section here.


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## RexDart (Aug 12, 2013)

It's a damned weed in my tanks. The fish enjoy it so I keep it, but every couple of weeks I'm pulling fistfulls out so the other plants get some light.

Yeah, sends out 2ft roots in search of nutrients... right up your filter intake.


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## Aqua nut (Jul 5, 2014)

I throw away at least 3 hand fulls every week..
But I do have 6 tanks..


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## Matsnork (Jun 3, 2013)

atjurhs said:


> I'm thinking about running a line across the tank on the surface of the water to prevent them from floating toward the HOB. Is this a good idea?


Got the same idea a week ago and it has been working great. I took some thin stainless wire and bent hooks at the ends that goes on the tank edges and thus separating a corner of the tank surface.


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

RexDart said:


> It's a damned weed in my tanks. The fish enjoy it so I keep it, but every couple of weeks I'm pulling fistfulls out so the other plants get some light.
> 
> Yeah, sends out 2ft roots in search of nutrients... right up your filter intake.


Cut the roots, that's what I do, they HOG nitrates.


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## Irma (Apr 6, 2017)

RWaters said:


> I have two filters on each of my tanks and the frogbit grows like mad! It's not a strong current though so maybe someone else can speak to that.
> 
> By the way, you bought six small plants? Check this forum next time you want any plants . I give away at least three to four times that amount of frogbit to members here.


How do you give it away? I've had to buy salvinia, azolla, frogbit and they are not growing after 6 weeks in a 6000 + gal pond. Do goldfish and koi eat it. We have 4 small 3" koi and about 10 small 3" goldfish. Thanks for your help


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## lunaluz (Feb 24, 2018)

Hi.. I just got some frogbit on Amazon (BTW) it was shipped well and packed great..it keeps floating to the intake grate.. is there any good way to corral it.. so it get some good light?
Thank you in advance for any help you can give.

Bump: Hi.. I just got some frogbit on Amazon (BTW) it was shipped well and packed great..it keeps floating to the intake grate.. is there any good way to corral it.. so it get some good light?
Thank you in advance for any help you can give.


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## eeyipes (Sep 25, 2014)

I've had bad luck and good luck with frogbit. When I was not dosing liquid ferts regularly it would have some initial growth and then slowly fade away to nothing. I now have some in a low flow betta tank that gets dosed weekly with Thrive and the frogbit is exploding. So in my experience regular use of ferts seems to really help. I'm trimming the roots once a week, and soon I may have some to rehome.


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