Duckweed – a lacy carpet of the aquarium

The tiny aquatic plant known as duckweed frequently covers the surface of aquariums in a delicate, green carpet. Duckweed is crucial to getting your fish and plants to live in a healthy, natural environment, even though some people just think of it as a floating plant. Its little plain leaves can shade the area, inhibit the growth of algae, and even serve as a snack for some types of fish.

Duckweed is a seemingly inconspicuous plant that, if allowed to proliferate unchecked, has the ability to cover the entire surface of your aquarium due to its remarkable resilience. For aquarium enthusiasts, this presents a challenge as well as a blessing. Keeping your aquarium looking its best while maximizing the benefits of this little plant is possible if you know how to use and manage duckweed.

This post will explain what makes duckweed special, how it can help your aquarium, and what you should know about controlling it. Duckweed can give your aquatic environment a hint of natural beauty, regardless of your level of experience.

Benefits for the aquarium

Duckweed is simple to propagate in an aquarium because the "water flower" requires no special treatment or fertilizer and grows in diffused light, even in the shade. Its ideal temperature range is 12 to 30 degrees. It has functional qualities in addition to its aesthetic appeal as a representation of a natural landscape:

• Actively absorbs carbon dioxide, saturates water with oxygen.
• Filters water (bioremediation) absorbing harmful substances, organic waste, excess phosphates, nitrogen.
• Thanks to bromine and iodine in the composition, normalizes the pH of the water, removes excess nitrates and nitrites. Serves as an acidity indicator, changing color depending on the acid-base balance of the aquatic environment.
• Serves as a high-quality food for fish (goldfish, carp, tilapia, cichlids, etc.) rich in microelements, protein and starch.), provides them with a balanced diet.
• Covering the entire surface of the water, it creates suitable conditions for shade-loving algae.
• It plays the role of a spawning ground for eggs and a place of shelter for fish fry.
• It is necessary for labyrinth fish, which are built from the thickets of duckweed “Nest”.

Some people who work with aquariums view duckweed as a weed. Risks associated with toad weed:

• Sometimes the seeds get into the aquarium by accident, together with fish food or other seedlings, quickly cover the surface of the aquarium and inhibit the growth of light-loving algae.
• The plant can grow to such an extent that it begins to interfere with other inhabitants of the aquarium, absorbing too much oxygen.

Using a net to mechanically remove duckweed is a challenging task because you have to gather thousands or even more tiny shoots. You can release snails, crucian carp, goldfish, and laliusses, which will devour the weed fast. Alternatively, substitute side light sources for vertical ones to deny the duckweed enough illumination. After that, it will start to wither after about a week.

Conditions of maintenance and care

Duckweed can withstand cold temperatures and grows at room temperature. Without water, seedlings can survive for nearly a day. All you have to do is disperse seeds or shoots, and within a few days, they will cover the aquarium area through vigorous vegetative reproduction.

Simple conditions must be met for duckweed to flourish in an aquarium:

• Lighting, artificial or natural (diffused light is suitable) at least 12 hours a day. Intensity – 0.5 – 0.8 W / l of water.
• Temperature without frequent and sharp changes, frosts. Normal range: +10 ° C – +30 ° C, optimal – +20 ° C – +23 ° C
• Timely replacement of water from the reservoir (in stagnant water on the leaves, products of the vital activity of the flora and fauna of the aquarium begin to accumulate, and they wither).
• The population of the plant is regulated by the inclusion or disconnection of additional light sources.
• It is impossible for the aquarium filter to create a stormy current, release many bubbles: duckweed feels comfortable only in slowly current waters.

How to plant and propagate?

There is no need for special care, such as fertilizers or haircuts.

It only takes money to start duckweed breeding; an aquarist can purchase the desired species’ seeds or sprouts and add them to the aquarium. This is frequently unnecessary, as the plants accidentally struck by nutrient mixtures or algae seedlings.

When taking sprouts from open water bodies that have grown naturally, you should let them grow in a different container first and look for parasites and other illnesses. Consequently, we advise against taking duckweed from natural reservoirs and instead to purchase it from reputable sources!

Duckweed shoots reproduce vegetatively, meaning that new clones are produced from the daughter plants that bud off from the mother plant. This process happens quickly and actively. In a week, you can get seven to eight new plants from just one shoot.

When duckweed is grown solely for aquatic inhabitants’ sustenance, another container will be required; a reservoir for settling water will work well. Both fresh and dried leaf top dressing is used. The powdered dry shoots are combined with regular fish, crab, turtle, newt, and snail food.

Types of duckweed

The most popular varieties of duckweed in aquariums are the following ones:

Small, or marsh

Frond length: 3–4 mm. The leaf blades are round in shape and have a vivid yellow-green color. The effects of cold cause red dots to appear on the leaves. The most widely distributed member of the family, it is found all over the world, including in central Russia.

Multi-root

From its leaves, a clump of three to five roots protrudes. The fronds are comparatively large, measuring 6 mm. The leaf blades have a purple underside.

Tri-lobed (ternate)

Its ability to float in the water column and only come to the surface during flowering sets it apart. the biggest plant in its category. The lanceolate leaves can grow up to 2 cm in length and 0.5 cm in width. The trilobed duckweed prefers both heat and light. Except for the southern areas, it is uncommon throughout Russia. Plants grow alone to create "lace" thickets. The roots of trilobed duckweed are absent. Only during the flowering season does the plant come to the surface; otherwise, it remains submerged in the water.

Humpbacked

Particularly cherished by aquarists. Its glossy, shiny, juicy leaves have an unusual shape and size (0.7 cm), and it grows quickly. Because of the air pockets at the bottom, the leaves are convex. The tops of them are colored reddish. The root is 15–16 cm long. The humpback duckweed changes to a violet-purple color shade when it is about to flower.

The remaining subspecies are uncommon or disliked by aquarists, and they primarily grow on other continents.

Tips and reviews

A fishing line aids in regulating the shoot’s growth. Fishing line fences, or "buoys," are affixed to the aquarium walls with the aid of suction cups to restrict the spread of duckweed. It will be simpler to manage duckweed populations, but this does not ensure that it will not spread beyond the fishing line.

When trimming too many duckweed leaves, you run the risk of ensnaring baby shrimp and fish. Consequently, in order to view the living things and return it, it is preferable to pour what is captured by a click into a transparent container.

Divergent views exist regarding duckweed: while some people enjoy the real plant, others do not. However, if duckweed reproduction is appropriately managed, the "water flower" will unquestionably improve the aquarium ecosystem.

Despite its diminutive size, duckweed is vital to the equilibrium of an aquarium. Its vivid green leaves give the water’s surface a soft, organic carpet that is both calming and aesthetically pleasing.

Duckweed is visually pleasing, but it also has useful properties. It contributes to a healthier ecosystem for your fish and plants by absorbing harmful toxins and preventing the growth of algae by blocking excess light.

But it’s crucial to handle duckweed with caution. It can spread quickly and cover the whole surface if allowed to grow unchecked, which could limit oxygen exchange and prevent light from reaching other aquatic plants. Duckweed is a useful addition to your aquarium that won’t become bothersome with regular upkeep.

Duckweed, which is frequently observed as a delicate, floating carpet in aquariums, is essential for preserving the water’s purity and giving fish cover. With its vivid green leaves, this little plant not only makes your aquarium look better, but it also helps absorb extra nutrients, which inhibits the growth of algae. Its quick spread, though, necessitates cautious handling to keep it from taking over the entire tank.

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