Duckweed: a weed or a useful inhabitant of the aquarium?

Duckweed is a plant that may seem like any other annoying plant floating in your aquarium, but it’s important to investigate further. Although this little green plant is frequently called a weed, it actually has some surprising advantages that can make it a useful addition to your tank.

Although duckweed spreads quickly and forms a dense mat on the surface of your aquarium, it actually inhibits the growth of algae by obstructing too much light. This results in fewer algal blooms and an overall cleaner tank. Furthermore, its quick growth can aid in absorbing excess nutrients that would otherwise cause algae issues.

Another benefit is that fish can hide and find some shade under duckweed, which makes it an ideal cover. This can help your aquatic friends live in a more natural habitat and experience less stress. To prevent it from overflowing your tank, it’s crucial to control its growth.

Is duckweed a bother or a valuable addition to your aquarium? It can undoubtedly be the latter with the correct balance, offering advantages that could make it your aquatic ecosystem’s ideal companion.

Distribution

Duckweed is found all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica. It is a member of the Araceae family. Its modesty allows it to survive in freshwater environments with slowly moving or stagnant water; occasionally, it is even discovered in puddles that hold water for an extended period of time. In warm climates, the plant particularly likes ponds and lakes, where the duckweed layer can grow up to several centimeters on the surface.

Growing and care

Duckweed is regarded by many aquarists as a common weed. Although shots can inadvertently wind up in the aquarium, they don’t always result in damage. The plant provides the inhabitants with essential nutrients, acts as a biological filter, fills the water with oxygen, and absorbs excess organic compounds.

When conditions are right, duckweed grows quickly and self-sufficiently. It requires very little maintenance. Fish like labyrinth and viviparous species benefit greatly from it as a shelter; they will take great pleasure in creating nests among the thickets.

Water parameters for ideal maintenance

Temperatures between 12 and 30 degrees are ideal for duckweed growth. Although acidity is essentially irrelevant, excessive variations shouldn’t be permitted. The pH range that the plant can adapt to is 5-8, but it can stop growing and even die at values that are too high or too low. Although hardness is not particularly important, exceeding the dH value of 10–12 ° is not advised.

Clean water aquariums are ideal for the growth of duckweed. Excessive pollution will make it difficult for the plant to perform the filtration function, causing organic waste and turbidity particles to land on the leaves and impede growth. However, filters shouldn’t produce a lot of current because duckweed prefers slow-moving or stagnant water.

Even in tiny amounts, salt and chlorine are intolerable to duckweed. It stops growing at low concentrations of these substances and dies at high concentrations.

Lighting requirements

The proper lighting is a crucial requirement for the growth of duckweed. Lighting should be left on for 10 to 12 hours with a minimum brightness of 0.5 Watts per lumen. Duckweed stops producing oxygen and can only survive for a few days in the absence of light. Sunlight is another option, but it must be diffused because direct sunlight is not good for plants.

Requirements for soil and nutrient substrate

With its roots in the water and its leaves on the surface, duckweed is a plant that grows on the water’s surface. As a result, the soil does not matter much for plant growth because water supplies nutrients, and light initiates photosynthesis.

Demanding for fertilizers

Additionally, fertilizer requirements are not unique for duckweed. It reacts well to CO2 levels, just like the majority of other plants do; it grows more quickly and takes on a vivid green color.

It is preferable to utilize fluorescent lighting over incandescent lighting when it comes to duckweed growth. They contribute to the upper water layers becoming overheated, which hinders the plant’s growth and diminishes its advantageous characteristics.

Reproduction

Duckweed must be propagated by keeping a small shoot apart from the parent plant. It will eventually take hold, start to grow, and split off into its own island.

Since duckweed is so ubiquitous, it can be picked up from the closest lake or pond.

True, releasing "wild" specimens into an aquarium without first putting it under two weeks of quarantine is not possible because doing so runs the risk of bringing in bacteria, mollusks, or other living things that could upset the ecosystem’s delicate balance.

To defend duckweed, it can be argued that shrimp, especially the young ones, find comfort in the web of roots. They will have no shortage of food there, and it is completely secure. Duckweed thickets are not likely to provide a better hiding place for shrimp in a fish-filled aquarium.

Varieties of the plant

Duckweed comes in a number of varieties; while they look different from one another, they are not arbitrary or indifferent to the conditions of confinement.

Three-partite

The plant is unique in that it floats in the water column and only comes to the surface when it is in flower. The leaves are round and measure around 1 centimeter. Its growth is clearly seasonal; during the winter, it is kept in different containers at a temperature that does not go above 12 degrees.

Multiple roots

This duckweed has slightly larger leaves than the small duckweed (6 mm), and a bunch of roots rather than just one extend from the leaves. Round in shape, with purple at the bottom and green at the top.

Tiny

The most prevalent kind of plant. The oval-shaped leaves have a size of 3-4.5 mm and a yellowish-green color. The root, or submerged portion, is up to 10 mm.

Hunched over

A species of duckweed that grows the fastest, and is also frequently found in aquariums. The leaves have a glossy, slightly curved surface and measure 5-7 mm in size.

No particular circumstances are needed for any kind of duckweed. Bright, consistent lighting is all that the aquarium’s owner needs to supply.

Aquarium enthusiasts can have strong opinions about duckweed. On the one hand, because of its quick growth and propensity to cover the water’s surface, it’s frequently thought of as an annoying weed. This may cause light obstruction and possibly throw off your tank’s equilibrium. But its advantages shouldn’t be disregarded.

An excellent natural filter for your aquarium is duckweed. It helps keep the water clean and absorbs excess nutrients, which can lessen the need for regular water changes. It also gives fish a nice place to hide, and by shading the water’s surface, it may even help prevent the growth of algae.

In the end, how you handle duckweed will determine whether it’s a benefit or a curse. It can be a useful addition to your aquarium if you can control its growth and use it well. Making the most of this little plant will require you to balance its benefits with any possible drawbacks.

Is duckweed a nuisance or a useful supplement for your aquarium? In this piece, we’ll examine the benefits and drawbacks of using duckweed as an aquarium plant, including its effect on water quality, function as a food and shelter source for fish, and possible drawbacks. Duckweed’s final worth in an aquarium setting will help you determine whether or not your tank should contain it.

Video on the topic

OUR WHOLE VILLAGE RESIDENTS ARE IN THE AQUARIUM IN MINECRAFT | Minecraft Compote

#98 MIRACLE GRASS??? DUCKWEED. Lémna

Small duckweed