A question... With an answer

[Theplatymaster]

This will be interesting.

 

It seems that in this hobby there is a continued Hate of Duckweed.

duckweed the small floating plant that spreads quickly.

it sounds good.

i mean when people get their whole tanks covered with red root floaters do they complain?

when you think about it, duckweed and red root floaters are actually very similar.

So please answer my question.

Why do you all hate duckweed?

I personally have never had an outbreak, and i think ill explain why.

I have had duckweed in my tank before, but i mess around with my tank (moving plants, cleaning sponge filters, etc...) and in this process i ended up dripping water on the duckweed, and it died.

Cory has talked about how floating plants dont like their tops getting wet before.

So everyone is wanting a Duckweedicide, but has anyone tried splashing water on it?

thats working fine for me.

[CJs Aquatics]

I have my thoughts but for now… following 🙃

[jwcarlson]

Are you sure it's duckweed that is dying from a little water on it?  I've seen it live completely submerged (like stuck in coarse sponge filter) for WEEKS if not months.  In fact, I've irradicated it from the only tank that I ever let it get into and I STILL find a piece of it every once in awhile.  The only way that's possible is that it's living submerged somewhere and multiplying and occasionally one of the baby one gets loose.  

 

I've had a number of other floating plants and while I like them, the only one that's done well for me has been dwarf water lettuce and it's just bigger duckweed, frankly.  But that makes it easy to manage.  If I forget to clean it out for a couple weeks it will have grown over the entire tank and started choking light out.  It also out competes every other plant for nutrients (and light).  Which is ultimately why I dislike duckweed.  Basically every other floating plant is easier to control.  Additionally, I also like hornwort much more for something up high.  Other than getting algae pretty often.

[JoeQ]

I never understood how people cant get rid of it, its easy scoop it up with a net, do that consistently..... If thats too much like work buy a skimmer!!!!

[MattyM]

I don't mind duckweed so much anymore, as long as I keep it in check. The small kind is just so prolific. I tried introducing "giant duckweed" to another tank, so see if it would be easier to manage. Even though I tried to keep the smaller duckweed out of that tank, it eventually got in there and I barely have any of the giant stuff left. I have lids on my tanks and the condensation drips on it, and it doesn't mind. When it's stuck to my hand and I plunge it in water, it doesn't care - just floats back up to the top. 

I do notice it's more of a problem in tanks where I have things sticking out of the water, like wood or plants. The duckweed can avoid the current there and then accumulates. 

This has been a wonderful tool, I get so much more out then netting that if I slack on my weekly maint it's not a huge deal: 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1381980040/duckweed-destroyer

Edited March 5, 2023 by MattyM

[Lennie]

On 3/5/2023 at 7:46 PM, Theplatymaster said:

So everyone is wanting a Duckweedicide, but has anyone tried splashing water on it?

I have a HOB and sponge filter combination, where HOB pushes them both under the water and around on the surface, meanwhile sponge filter splashes water on them.

They literally thrive! 

 

Problem with duckweed: it is messy and super hard to get rid of. I have amazon frogbit, water lettuce and salvinia too. They are all super easy to remove whenever I want to. They mostly do the same job the duckweed does. They are easier to position in the tank with the help of tubes and so on. So tldr: you can have a control on other floating plants, but not duckweed

Edited March 5, 2023 by Lennie

[Theplatymaster]

On 3/5/2023 at 2:38 PM, Lennie said:

I have a HOB and sponge filter combination, where HOB pushes them both under the water and around on the surface, meanwhile sponge filter splashes water on them.

They literally thrive! 

 

 

On 3/5/2023 at 1:10 PM, jwcarlson said:

Are you sure it's duckweed that is dying from a little water on it?  I've seen it live completely submerged (like stuck in coarse sponge filter) for WEEKS if not months.  In fact, I've irradicated it from the only tank that I ever let it get into and I STILL find a piece of it every once in awhile.  The only way that's possible is that it's living submerged somewhere and multiplying and occasionally one of the baby one gets loose.  

these are interesting points, im speaking from my experience where the duckweed was dying from getting wet.

[JoeQ]

On 3/5/2023 at 1:40 PM, Pepere said:

The problem is if it shows up in your tank mixed in with your wanted floating plants.

 

when it happens I throw all of the floating plants away.  I have given up on trying to save the desired floating plants.  I simply replace them after I am pretty sure the duckweed is truly gone..

Even so, getting rid of duckweed is time consuming.  I end up removing every air hose and wire to wipe them thoroughly before replacing them after thoroughly skimming the tank with a very fine net,  wiping down all the tank walls above waterline and under the rim etc.

 

1 Stinking tiny leef left behind means you have to start allover again….

 

Why do I hate Duckweed and not Red Root floaters?  Specifically because the duck weed is so tiny.  I am not going to accidentally leave a single Red Root Floater cluster behind…

Im not sure about all that wiping of cords/tubes/wires, it seems a little OCD! All ya have to do is keep a lookout for lil white watermelon shaped seeds and pluck em out. 

Edited March 5, 2023 by JoeQ

[JoeQ]

You sir are excused! Im 47ish and I already need longer arms!! 😂

[CJhilljack]

On 3/5/2023 at 10:10 AM, JoeQ said:

scoop it up with a net

The net scooping would work if duckweed's the only floating plant, but as a few others stated, I have frogbit (which I much prefer for all the reasons others already stated) and it's difficult to scoop it without getting the frogbit too. It also likes to cling to the frogbit roots and frogbit definitely doesn't like it's top getting wet. I also happen to have 2 very small water gardens that are round jars and the nets just don't work well in them at all - at least, not the ones I have. I had a thriving frogbit cover on one of my tanks, but when I thinned it & allowed some duckweed to remain, I found I had been overrun by duckweed & my frogbit was barely a presence, so there's that too. 

I have had good success in my water gardens with a turkey baster to suck up the duckweed - I use that same baster to clean those 2 little jars too, so it's a multipurpose tool. 😄

But to each his own, if you're having success managing it, more power to you.

Edited March 5, 2023 by CJhilljack
added one tip

[JoeQ]

On 3/5/2023 at 5:05 PM, Pepere said:

It gets better the older you get…. Sometimes I just sit there waiting for my organic lenses to decide to focus in…

 

I was blessed to be farsighted when I was young and could discern at 20 feet what many people needed to be ten feet to do.

 

I pay  for that now. Close in work is a pain.  I mostly shave by feel more than sight now.  For close in work I need magnifying visor on.   Which is a real bear when you get a speck of something in your eye…. And it is mostly all close work that the problem is.  I am still legal to drive without glasses…. I have a little bit of astigmatism, but I test out 20/30 distance.  

I am sorry about your eye sight, as for me I've never had vision problems except floaters. Over these last few years my near sight has gotten progressively worse. So much so I've considered getting large print books. My pride won't let me do that tho,...... Or carry around a pair of readers. 

If anything god has blessed me with the ability to spot a duckweed seed from 50 yards, so at least I got that going for me!!!! 🤣