# why does everyone hate duckweed?



## johnny313 (Apr 15, 2011)

i hear everyone hating it. its NOT uncontrollable. I have it in my 40B with shrimp and when it gets too much I scoop some out. its not hard to do...


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## Studman0143 (Mar 20, 2011)

johnny313 said:


> i hear everyone hating it. its NOT uncontrollable. I have it in my 40B with shrimp and when it gets too much I scoop some out. its not hard to do...


I totally agree. I actually sell it here in Utah. It brings in business for me. I originally started growing it to feed to my turtle, but after time, I heard people were looking for it, and I knew I could sell it cheaper than LPS. 

I love it, can get annoying at times, but like you said, just scoop it out and there you go! Its a fantastic plant thought to help cycle a tank. The amount of water it takes in and puts out is amazing compared to most plants.


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

I don't really know of anyone that hates it, per se. I actually like it. I wish I could get some for free locally, haha.


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## WATduh (Feb 27, 2011)

I think the chief complaint is filter clogging. Never had it in my tank though. Really don't want it either.


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## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

It's not duckweed, but I recently got my first bits of dwarf water lettuce - I love it! It's doubled in less than two weeks, and I can't wait to offer it as a RAOK, like I got it. I can't decide if it looks like jellyfish of UFOs - lol.


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

I didn't know there was a hate for it - seems silly


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

Doesn't a huge mass of floating plants block out the light to below?


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## Studman0143 (Mar 20, 2011)

VeeSe said:


> Doesn't a huge mass of floating plants block out the light to below?


Yes, that is one obvious down side to it, is that it blocks a lot of the light. But if you keep it thin, like he mentioned, then you are ok. I've had it in my tank for over a year with some medium-light plants and they have all survived well.



WATduh said:


> I think the chief complaint is filter clogging. Never had it in my tank though. Really don't want it either.


There is actually a really easy way to prevent this. In my two 10Gs, I purchased one of those feeding rings at PetSmart and have positioned it so that the water flows directly into the circle so that the duckweed stays afloat and doesn't get caught in the current, thus keeping my plants clean looking.

Here see:


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

It would still be super annoying for my surface skimmer though.


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## sevenyearnight (May 1, 2011)

I have water spangles, I wish they didn't grow so quickly, but it's a pretty plant.


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## koebwil (Jul 6, 2011)

I personally don't like it because it is a very boring plant as far as floating plants are concerned, it adds very little visual interest and obscures light. I very much prefer floaters with cool root systems that add interest when viewed from the front of the tank.


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

koebwil said:


> I personally don't like it because it is a very boring plant as far as floating plants are concerned, it adds very little visual interest and obscures light. I very much prefer floaters with cool root systems that add interest when viewed from the front of the tank.


What's an example of the kind of floater that you are talking about? And does it multiply fast?


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## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

here's a pic of my dwl as seen from the chair in front of the tank.
What are water spangles?
Also, I'd love to see a pic of red root floaters...


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

If my whole tank surface is gently rippling for surface agitation, does that bother floaters?


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## sevenyearnight (May 1, 2011)

They're also called water fern, salvinia minima. The roots are a reddish color.


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## jdm68 (Jun 2, 2011)

Duckweed isn't so bad. I collected some from a local marshland to put on the top of my shrimp bowl. The shrimp definitely enjoy hanging from it. When it get's too thick, about every 2-3 weeks, I just scoop out a handful and throw it into my 45gal. The snails like to eat it from the top of the tank. If you do use a HOB filter, the water return will quickly make a mess as it pushes the stuff under water, whereupon it gets all over EVERYTHING. Studman it seems, came up with the perfect solution. I had to build a sort of "surface dam" from some pieces of filter tubing that sit across the water surface and keep the duckweed to the side of the tank opposite the filter. Temporary set up on a temporary grow out tank, so I'm satisfied. If any would really like some, I'd just give it to you for the price of shipping. The stuff most certainly multiplies like rabbits.

p.s. Interesting thing about duckweed is that it doesn't reproduce sexually. It splits into clones of itself, so when you see it covering a pond or wetland, it is usually one single(maybe 2-4 at most) DNA sequence for all of the plants. I'm not sure if I'd consider hundreds of thousands of tiny plants of the same genetic makeup different organisms or "cells" of one giant organism. Kinda weird.


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## koebwil (Jul 6, 2011)

VeeSe said:


> What's an example of the kind of floater that you are talking about? And does it multiply fast?


that DWL was a perfect example, frogbit or even greater duckweed can work too. I don't know how fast they grow, I just likes what I likes.


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## happi (Dec 18, 2009)

i hate it because i could not get rid of it, no matter what i do. good for reducing light and sucking up nutrients though.


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## johnny313 (Apr 15, 2011)

i dose ferts and it multiplies like crazy!


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

johnny313 said:


> i dose ferts and it multiplies like crazy!


You may be just feeding you duck weed and generally starving your other plants IDK though hard to tell.

For me I finally got rid of all the duck weed I had ... It not that I hatit it was just a challenge to keep up with. I too EI dose.

Best wishes,
Wes


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

freph said:


> I don't really know of anyone that hates it, per se. I actually like it. I wish I could get some for free locally, haha.


I have some in my 40 gallon tank. If it multiplies and I have excess I'll let you know. I got mine from Wingsdlc.


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

driftwoodhunter said:


> here's a pic of my dwl as seen from the chair in front of the tank.
> What are water spangles?
> Also, I'd love to see a pic of red root floaters...


 
Now that I like for a floater .. I see what you mean about adding interest for front viewing.

Maybe I'll try some of those soon.

Best wishes,
wes


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## Eldachleich (Jul 9, 2011)

I love duckweed... I prefer greater duckweed though.. As it tends to stick to my arm less when I stick it in the tank. I always just scoop a handful out everyweek and drop it in my goldfish pond. They go nuts for the stuff... It's not the most interesting floater. I generally use it on top of small bowls... or in between my more interesting floaters. I love regular water lettuce... That stuff has one of the most beautiful root systems ever. My neighbor has one thats huge... nearly a foot an half across. Its in his giant cylinder shrimp tank... its huge and breathtaking. The ones in my tank stay at about 4 inches across... lol... I suppose they do block light. But I always just keep it on the side of my tank that has no plants.. just sand. So it has never been much of a problem for me. And those sides are always the side that the flow of the filter pushes them naturally. So I've never had an issue with them floating into the filter and causing problems...


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

freph said:


> I don't really know of anyone that hates it, per se. I actually like it. I wish I could get some for free locally, haha.


Dude, I will mail you some. I scoop it out almost daily!


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## jflng (Apr 5, 2007)

1. It sticks to my arm. That's obnoxious.
2. It sticks to the side of the glass and dries. Then I have to scratch it off.
3. During water changes, It gets underneath other plants and decor.
4. It's nearly impossible to completely get rid of.
5. I dropped a bucket full once. It was an absolute disaster. That was months ago, and I'm still finding dried duckweed in strange places.

I don't hate it. It helps keep the water clean. It's not ugly. It's just way too messy. There are better alternatives.


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## vespers_ (May 6, 2011)

you don't hate it because you've never tried to get it out of the tank  

i personally like it a lot, but it gets out of hand quickly if you don't watch it.


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

> It's not duckweed, but I recently got my first bits of dwarf water lettuce - I love it! It's doubled in less than two weeks,


Duckweed will double in about ten seconds.

The biggest thing I have against it is that it blocks light. I may feel differently if I had a moss tank.


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## Studman0143 (Mar 20, 2011)

Too bad you don't live in Utah or I'd give you some. I have it growing in 3 tanks and a bucket right now. I have nothing to ship it out in or I would send you some as well.


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## johnny313 (Apr 15, 2011)

I actually put some in my toilet bowl and it multiplied over night


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## mach_six (Sep 12, 2005)

I have it growing outside in 5 gallon buckets where it will get the most sun and in a few days it more than doubled. I put some potting soil and some liquid ferts. 

The greaters don't reproduce as fast., I like those better. 

These make great food for the hungry tetras that took a few days to eat the initial clump I got, I saved a few to propogate more.


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## bubbleboy (Jul 18, 2011)

Sheesh I have tons of it in the lake in my back yard as well as water lettuce, hyacinth, and all kinds of other florida and feral plants.. hell I even have 4 foot tall common sword plants growing on the fringe...

Weeds, all of them. 

Did I mention the billion frogs that are so loud I can not open my windows at night?


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

I don't hate duckweed, per se. If my tank didn't have emergent growth and it was my only floating plant then I'd continue to keep it.

But in my tank I have emergent Bacopa and floating Hydrocotlye; this makes maintaining it a complete pain. And since it propagates so darn quickly it just isn't a good fit.

I think it just depends on your specific tank, really.

In a gold fish tank it would be awesome because they'll help keep in check with their nom nom munching on it.


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## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

I didn't hate duckweed until I found mini water lettuce and RRF to replace them. I have to admit that the people that claim you can't get rid of it are wrong. My 125 gallon has been duckweed free for a couple of months now. I don't even see the occasional single piece anymore.

I did love the green tint it put on the lighting of the tank though. It would make my water look the most beautiful and natural I think it could. 

I will agree with the sticking to the arm, the side of the glass, and getting shoved under the water though. These traits are all very annoying.


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## Korzak (Mar 3, 2008)

So what happens when it gets sent underwater from the filter output? Does it grow where it lands, or does it just stick there and die?

I got some in with a shrimp shipment and didn't think much of it, but people seem to be freaking over it. Should I wipe it out now, while it's still small?

I do kind of enjoy watching my shrimp swim to the surface and hang on to the pads, and ride them around in the current...but I don't want to to blow all over my tank and start rooting on everything.


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## thefisherman (Oct 15, 2011)

Korzak said:


> So what happens when it gets sent underwater from the filter output? Does it grow where it lands, or does it just stick there and die?
> 
> I got some in with a shrimp shipment and didn't think much of it, but people seem to be freaking over it. Should I wipe it out now, while it's still small?
> 
> I do kind of enjoy watching my shrimp swim to the surface and hang on to the pads, and ride them around in the current...but I don't want to to blow all over my tank and start rooting on everything.


let it grow in your tank and you'll find out why... mhahahahaa! 


Sent from my iPhone


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

I'll hate on it.

Grows too fast....To much maint, scooping it out of my low light low maint. tanks.

You pretty much have to scrape it's dead leaves of the surfaces...NOT wanting that in my acrylic tank.

Adds no interest as posted by koebwil

I do keep Water Lettuce and I like the roots, my Betta loves to hang under them.


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## pepetj (Jun 7, 2008)

Duckweed (Lemna sp) can be annoying but also a life saver. For what I understand, to date this is one of the plants with higher uptake of nitrates. I keep them (low light is the key so they don't grow amok) in my Red Saddled Bichir shoal tank to keep the tank somewhat dimmed. For these type of fish, duckweed can be a blessing.

During a weekend (that tank is at my office) two out of three HOBs failed as the coils burned (local energy likely responsible for that). I think duckweed played a role in keeping water quality in check for those two days. I had an invasion of duckweed in two of my Planted Discus tanks (I don't have them anymore) and those read the least in nitrate testing before water changes (I didn't control other variables so this is just anecdotic).

To get rid of it I choose to remove it with a small net (being obstinate helps). For extreme cases (I've had a few) simply keep the tank dark for a few days and it will die out. 

Pepetj
Santo Domingo


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## Rev_jim_jones (Sep 25, 2011)

High surface flow and few surface obstructions will limit duckweed growth. I is a stagnant water plant.


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## Patriot (Dec 22, 2010)

I thought it was cute until it formed a thick blanket...but I just scooped most of it out though.


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