Lf: Duckweed

[DUHK]

Does anyone know where I can get some duckweed?

[Roujin]

Buy some fish or plants from Fish Ranch II. You'll get some hitchhikers. If not ask them to include some when they bag up your stuff.

[DUHK]

Where is this fish ranch? >.<

[Roujin]

Look in the LFS map that was posted here: http://houstonfishbox.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=4

I bought all my livestock from them. Great selection in general but a good place for nano fish.

[jeb102385]

FYI duckweed is illegal to buy/sell because it has the tendency to overtake large bodies of water

[mahoro]

FYI duckweed is illegal to buy/sell because it has the tendency to overtake large bodies of water

ur thinking of other kind of duckweed, the graint duckweed... anyways just go to any LFS and ask them nice for a bag of it...

[PhishPhreek]

If you want to drive down to TexasCity, I have plenty.

[DUHK]

Wow, that place is really close to where I live! Fish Ranch II

[tnguyen]

Duckweed is bad for a planted tank.

[Nickintex]

Duckweed is bad for a planted tank.

But it makes a great snack for goldfish and silver dollars.

[Rico]

But it makes a great snack for goldfish and silver dollars.

yes it does

[tnguyen]

But it makes a great snack for goldfish and silver dollars.

I guess if you want it for that reason then its good.

[DUHK]

Yeah. I know duckweed is bad for the tank since it absorbs all the nutrients in the tank but I really need it since I am doing an iwagumi tank and it's hard also to balance it. I don't want the algae to get away with sucking up all the nutrients my plants are unable to use up so I plan on getting some duck weed or hornwort and floating them on the surface of the tank to suck up the excess nutrients :)

[tnguyen]

I sorta understand where you coming from. Your best bet at algae control is keeping thing balance. Everyone eventually will have some sort of algae sooner or later. Amano did a bunch of article on aquajournal so you know he gets it (everyone does). A change in tap water parameter can cause havoc depending on time of the year after heavy rainfall and so on. Neglect can do that too. Knowing how to determine exactly what algae you have and learning how to tackle it is part of owning a planted tank. Sooner or later, you won't be talking about algae as much but more about scaping(the real fun begin)

The method of introducing plant that you eventually don't want in a scape doesn't make sense to me. It takes the fun out. Use otocinclus, nerite snail, amano shrimp, and yourself as your choice of weapon to help you in a planted tank.

Provide light with a timer.

Keeping co2 at a good constant level (you can use a ph and kh test to determine co2 level or one of those co2 in tank tester).

Fertilize accordingly. (every tank is different)

Clean your glass regularly even though you don't see it on the glass (swipe of a mag float takes seconds to do)

Duckweed will multiple real fast and can do more harm than good if not taking care of (blocking down on light for you HC lawn-not good). They also can get stuck in you hc lawn and you will have more of a battle to rid of them than algae.

Good luck and have fun!

[Complexity]

For the most part, I agree with tnguyen; however, when you first plant a tank, it takes time for all the plants to actually grow in. During that time, I have no problem with adding 'temporary' plants to help establish a balance. That balance then gets passed off to the permanent plants once they grow in.

However, before getting duckweed, I'd definitely get hornwort. Hornwort will do what you want without being a headache to remove later.