I totally agree. I actually sell it here in Utah. It brings in business for me. I originally started growing it to feed to my turtle, but after time, I heard people were looking for it, and I knew I could sell it cheaper than LPS.

I love it, can get annoying at times, but like you said, just scoop it out and there you go! Its a fantastic plant thought to help cycle a tank. The amount of water it takes in and puts out is amazing compared to most plants.

 

I don't really know of anyone that hates it, per se. I actually like it. I wish I could get some for free locally, haha.

 

I have some in my 40 gallon tank. If it multiplies and I have excess I'll let you know. I got mine from Wingsdlc.

 

I think the chief complaint is filter clogging. Never had it in my tank though. Really don't want it either.

 

It's not duckweed, but I recently got my first bits of dwarf water lettuce - I love it! It's doubled in less than two weeks, and I can't wait to offer it as a RAOK, like I got it. I can't decide if it looks like jellyfish of UFOs - lol.

 

I didn't know there was a hate for it - seems silly

 

Doesn't a huge mass of floating plants block out the light to below?

 

Yes, that is one obvious down side to it, is that it blocks a lot of the light. But if you keep it thin, like he mentioned, then you are ok. I've had it in my tank for over a year with some medium-light plants and they have all survived well.

I think the chief complaint is filter clogging. Never had it in my tank though. Really don't want it either.

There is actually a really easy way to prevent this. In my two 10Gs, I purchased one of those feeding rings at PetSmart and have positioned it so that the water flows directly into the circle so that the duckweed stays afloat and doesn't get caught in the current, thus keeping my plants clean looking.

Here see:

 

It would still be super annoying for my surface skimmer though.

 

I have water spangles, I wish they didn't grow so quickly, but it's a pretty plant.

 

I personally don't like it because it is a very boring plant as far as floating plants are concerned, it adds very little visual interest and obscures light. I very much prefer floaters with cool root systems that add interest when viewed from the front of the tank.

 

What's an example of the kind of floater that you are talking about? And does it multiply fast?

 

here's a pic of my dwl as seen from the chair in front of the tank.
What are water spangles?
Also, I'd love to see a pic of red root floaters...

 

Now that I like for a floater .. I see what you mean about adding interest for front viewing.

Maybe I'll try some of those soon.

Best wishes,
wes

 

If my whole tank surface is gently rippling for surface agitation, does that bother floaters?

 

They're also called water fern, salvinia minima. The roots are a reddish color.

 

Duckweed isn't so bad. I collected some from a local marshland to put on the top of my shrimp bowl. The shrimp definitely enjoy hanging from it. When it get's too thick, about every 2-3 weeks, I just scoop out a handful and throw it into my 45gal. The snails like to eat it from the top of the tank. If you do use a HOB filter, the water return will quickly make a mess as it pushes the stuff under water, whereupon it gets all over EVERYTHING. Studman it seems, came up with the perfect solution. I had to build a sort of "surface dam" from some pieces of filter tubing that sit across the water surface and keep the duckweed to the side of the tank opposite the filter. Temporary set up on a temporary grow out tank, so I'm satisfied. If any would really like some, I'd just give it to you for the price of shipping. The stuff most certainly multiplies like rabbits.

p.s. Interesting thing about duckweed is that it doesn't reproduce sexually. It splits into clones of itself, so when you see it covering a pond or wetland, it is usually one single(maybe 2-4 at most) DNA sequence for all of the plants. I'm not sure if I'd consider hundreds of thousands of tiny plants of the same genetic makeup different organisms or "cells" of one giant organism. Kinda weird.

 

i hate it because i could not get rid of it, no matter what i do. good for reducing light and sucking up nutrients though.

 

i dose ferts and it multiplies like crazy!

 

You may be just feeding you duck weed and generally starving your other plants IDK though hard to tell.

For me I finally got rid of all the duck weed I had ... It not that I hatit it was just a challenge to keep up with. I too EI dose.

Best wishes,
Wes

 

I love duckweed... I prefer greater duckweed though.. As it tends to stick to my arm less when I stick it in the tank. I always just scoop a handful out everyweek and drop it in my goldfish pond. They go nuts for the stuff... It's not the most interesting floater. I generally use it on top of small bowls... or in between my more interesting floaters. I love regular water lettuce... That stuff has one of the most beautiful root systems ever. My neighbor has one thats huge... nearly a foot an half across. Its in his giant cylinder shrimp tank... its huge and breathtaking. The ones in my tank stay at about 4 inches across... lol... I suppose they do block light. But I always just keep it on the side of my tank that has no plants.. just sand. So it has never been much of a problem for me. And those sides are always the side that the flow of the filter pushes them naturally. So I've never had an issue with them floating into the filter and causing problems...

 

1. It sticks to my arm. That's obnoxious.
2. It sticks to the side of the glass and dries. Then I have to scratch it off.
3. During water changes, It gets underneath other plants and decor.
4. It's nearly impossible to completely get rid of.
5. I dropped a bucket full once. It was an absolute disaster. That was months ago, and I'm still finding dried duckweed in strange places.

I don't hate it. It helps keep the water clean. It's not ugly. It's just way too messy. There are better alternatives.

 

you don't hate it because you've never tried to get it out of the tank

i personally like it a lot, but it gets out of hand quickly if you don't watch it.

 

It's not duckweed, but I recently got my first bits of dwarf water lettuce - I love it! It's doubled in less than two weeks,

Duckweed will double in about ten seconds.

The biggest thing I have against it is that it blocks light. I may feel differently if I had a moss tank.

 

Too bad you don't live in Utah or I'd give you some. I have it growing in 3 tanks and a bucket right now. I have nothing to ship it out in or I would send you some as well.

 

I actually put some in my toilet bowl and it multiplied over night

 

I have it growing outside in 5 gallon buckets where it will get the most sun and in a few days it more than doubled. I put some potting soil and some liquid ferts.

The greaters don't reproduce as fast., I like those better.

These make great food for the hungry tetras that took a few days to eat the initial clump I got, I saved a few to propogate more.

 

Sheesh I have tons of it in the lake in my back yard as well as water lettuce, hyacinth, and all kinds of other florida and feral plants.. hell I even have 4 foot tall common sword plants growing on the fringe...

Weeds, all of them.

Did I mention the billion frogs that are so loud I can not open my windows at night?

 

I don't hate duckweed, per se. If my tank didn't have emergent growth and it was my only floating plant then I'd continue to keep it.

But in my tank I have emergent Bacopa and floating Hydrocotlye; this makes maintaining it a complete pain. And since it propagates so darn quickly it just isn't a good fit.

I think it just depends on your specific tank, really.

In a gold fish tank it would be awesome because they'll help keep in check with their nom nom munching on it.

 

I didn't hate duckweed until I found mini water lettuce and RRF to replace them. I have to admit that the people that claim you can't get rid of it are wrong. My 125 gallon has been duckweed free for a couple of months now. I don't even see the occasional single piece anymore.

I did love the green tint it put on the lighting of the tank though. It would make my water look the most beautiful and natural I think it could.

I will agree with the sticking to the arm, the side of the glass, and getting shoved under the water though. These traits are all very annoying.