Anyone tell me what this is?

[PattysAquatics]

I’ve had duckweed in this tank for months and always take a net or two out a week to keep it in control but last week these tiny green ones started showing up. Is this tiny duckweed or something else? Anyone know?

[fishinacage]

Wolffia or watermeal.  I've never had it in a tank but I imagine it's even harder to get rid of than duckweed!

[PattysAquatics]

On 8/29/2022 at 7:36 PM, fishinacage said:

Wolffia or watermeal.  I've never had it in a tank but I imagine it's even harder to get rid of than duckweed!

Well how the heck did I get that in my tank. All my tanks have duckweed and  red root floaters and have been in there for like 6 months and this first popped up last week. Side note I never thought I find something that out competes duckweed 

[fishinacage]

Maybe until recently you had a fish who was eating it for you?

[The Killer of Fish]

It seems Wolffia is the genus name for both duckweed and watermeal.  I found the picture below at a herbicide website.  It describes both plants. 

 

Has anything been added or changed with the tank recently?  Did someone borrow your net?  Did a kid borrow the net and use it in the local stream or pond?  I am assuming a bird couldn't have flown over the tank left a deposit....  Do you use rain water?  Find what has change and you will find how you got it.  Sorry to say not sure how you get rid of it except by getting a Goldfish.  Cory says they love Duckweed.  Good Luck.  Let us know if you figure out how it happened.  It will be a lesson for all of us.  Thanks.

 

 

[PattysAquatics]

On 8/30/2022 at 12:29 PM, The Killer of Fish said:

It seems Wolffia is the genus name for both duckweed and watermeal.  I found the picture below at a herbicide website.  It describes both plants. 

 

Has anything been added or changed with the tank recently?  Did someone borrow your net?  Did a kid borrow the net and use it in the local stream or pond?  I am assuming a bird couldn't have flown over the tank left a deposit....  Do you use rain water?  Find what has change and you will find how you got it.  Sorry to say not sure how you get rid of it except by getting a Goldfish.  Cory says they love Duckweed.  Good Luck.  Let us know if you figure out how it happened.  It will be a lesson for all of us.  Thanks.

 

 

Nothing has been added or changed in like 6 months. No one borrowed the net. I use that net to take duckweed out of all my fish room tanks. None of my tanks I use the net for changed except one I added guppies but not the tank in question. Tank is in the basement so yes no birds deposits and I use tap water. Honestly no idea how it got there but as of know I prefer it over duckweed 

[Odd Duck]

Yep, that’s Wolffia.  The only way I’ve found to get rid of it so far is to empty the tank and scrub the bejeebers out of it (don’t forget the underside of the top rim), clean the filter and replace the foam blocks I use for media, rinse, and rinse, and rinse, and rinse, and rinse any plants that were in the tank and quarantine them for a full month or more.  Then pray.  I’ve tried guppy/endler crosses to eat the stuff and they ate some, but didn’t clear it.  I haven’t tried any other species since the guppies were a complete failure.  It can very easily come in with any fish or plants.  It is so tiny, it’s practically invisible if you aren’t watching for it, and even if you are.