Duckweed Benefits

Duckweed Benefits
So, after you guys informing me of the green floating leaves I had in my tank were in fact duckweed; I did some research on them.

I found a site that listed benefits of duckweed that some of you may find useful.

I apologize if any of this information has been posted before.

Easy with a Capital "E." Can’t grow aquatic plants? Correction! You can grow duckweed. If you have several tanks, you will find it leaps from tank to tank on your net. Just a few starter leaves will soon carpet your tank’s surface.

Surface Plant. Floating at the top, duckweed gets first shot at your aquarium lights. It will screen and thus reduce the growth of rooted plants. Duckweed will usually out compete algae. You rarely get green water in a tank covered with duckweed.

Goldfish, too. Goldfish (and koi) also love duckweed. They inhale it like a Hoover. You will not keep duckweed in a goldfish tank.

Laxative Powers. Nothing gets a goldfish “moving” like duckweed. It cleans their intestines overnight. You’ll see a few remnants that tell you they love the taste of duckweed.

Other Health Benefits. Duckweed grows fast, therefore it needs lots of nutrition -- exactly the same things your fishes give off -- ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, and carbon dioxide. Oscars, and other lunkers, stay healthy when they live under a thin carpet of duckweed. We say “thin” because duckweed will grow an inch thick if you let it get out of hand. Too thick a layer makes it hard to see your fish. It darkens your tank.

Water Cleaner. Duckweed thrives in manure-rich waters and in excessively warm waters. It doubles in leaf area in three to four days. Duckweed grows incredibly fast.

Odd Benefit. Jumpers kept under a layer of duckweed are less likely to bail. They think it’s a solid ceiling. We still recommend solid lids. However, the duckweed makes them less likely to try to escape. You need more than duckweed to contain jaguar cichlids, pike cichlids, arowanas, rope fish and other likely leapers.

So I hope this may of helped anyone who was unsure about it. Just be warned, it is an invasive plant and will try to take over. But, find a friend with a goldfish and give them some free treats haha. [sarcasm]

 

Oh nice! I'll give put some in my tank with the yellow lab! Thanks for the tip!