# the benefits of duckweed



## janftica (Jan 11, 2010)

:thumbsup: I guess we all fight with keeping duckweed in control once its in our tanks, but I have to say KUDOS to Duckweed! 

I took a look at my blue orange eyed tiger tank and was  AMAZED at how many baby tigers are crawling around in my duckweed! They are hanging off the roots and having a great time! Im watching them all popping up and down inside the duckweed like they are bungy jumping 

Seems they love to hang out in it and must be eating something on it, because I must have counted at least 50+ babies all in there, and of course that's NOT counting the ones on the bottom of the tank crawling all over my stones. :thumbsup:

I used to scoop it off and just dump it in a bag and throw it out, but now I have it in all my shrimp tanks and from what I have been told, it controls the nitrates or nitrites (not sure which one or maybe both) in your tanks.


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

> from what I have been told, it controls the nitrates or nitrites (not sure which one or maybe both) in your tanks


All plants serve this function. That's why we dose nitrates in planted tanks. We just don't dose nitrite because it is more toxic. Ditto for ammonia, although ammonia is a great fertilizer in a plant only tank.


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

Floaters are a wonderful way to get your nitrates to zero, especially in a tank that is less "planted".
For instance in my Sulawesi tank for Cardinal shrimp & Tylo snails. All rocks & sand, so the floaters export the nitrates quicker than any water change. Which I try to avoid (WCs) in order to keep the tank stable.
Duckweed serves this purpose wonderfully, in addition to adding the micro-fauna, for the babies.


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## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

But why use duckweed when you have access to other great floaters such as:
-Greater Duckweed
-Azolla
-Frogbits
-Redroot floaters

Duckweed is just a mess to thin out everyweek or so, unlike those listed above; albeit they have roots longer than 1inch unlike duckweed.


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## barbarossa4122 (Jan 16, 2010)

Too bad I can't keep duckweed with my goldies.


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## janftica (Jan 11, 2010)

AH maybe I have greater duckweed then, cause the roots are longer than 1 inch! I also have frogbit and other floating plants in the tank too, but its the duckweed the baby shrimplets like!


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Lemna Minor aka duckweed has a single root that can grow up to 15 cm long. I had some that would grow roots 3-5 inches when I had some. Not only that, but giant/greater duckweed will grow 6 or more roots per frond. So the two are easily differentiated.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

duckweed sucks. if you leave it alone in a tank, it'll grow to cover the entire top, and once it covers the entire top, it starts doubling up and rotting on the edges. YUCK! And unfortunately once you have babies in the tank, it's really hard to skim some of the duckweed off without skimming off some babies. This is why I eradicate every bit of duckweed as soon as I see it.

I do have and use frogbit though. Water lettuce too. But even with these you have to pick off the little baby plants they send out.

But I hate duckweed so bad.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

mordalphus said:


> But I hate duckweed so bad.


You and me both. I have azolla in my 30C and frogbit in my 33 with a bit of saliva.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Ewww, saliva? Why are you spitting in your tank!? I mean... sure it floats, but WHY!?



> You and me both. I have azolla in my 30C and frogbit in my 33 with a bit of *saliva*.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Oops lol, Thanks for catching that Salvinia is what I meant HAHAHA


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Duckweed can be a nice plant but I have to agree that in a shrimp tank its hard to control with the chance of scooping out babies. Frogbit and red root floaters are better for this. Or salvinia minima.


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