Floating plants for aquariums

[Beastie]

Hi everyone, I'm curious about something I've never tried before.

I've got a tank with floating riccia, limnobium, and duckweed all together. Is this too much for the tank to handle? Should I remove one of them to ensure there are enough nutrients for the plants to thrive?
I still have floating algae, but I suppose that's a separate issue.

[bronze_shield]

Beastie, you're certainly in for a treat. I think you'll find that you'll need to trim back some of that duckweed and possibly a bit of the riccia as well, especially if you don't have multiple tanks to relocate them to. It's essential to keep their growth in check to avoid nutrient deficiencies. Just be sure to dispose of the excess properly, rather than letting it escape into natural waterways where it can cause problems.

[Beastie]

No worries about contamination here, duckweed is native, but I wouldn't dump it anyway, so we're on the same page.

Initially, I considered removing the riccia to make it more compact, as it started out with separate, individual leaves, but it surprisingly compacted on its own within a few weeks. I'm now thinking of taking out the frogbit instead, as the frogs don't seem to appreciate the roots. My concern is that the duckweed might choke out the riccia, or vice versa - can they cross-contaminate each other?

[bronze_shield]

Hi everyone, I'm curious about something I've never tried before.

I've got a tank with floating riccia, limnobium, and duckweed all together. Is this too much for the tank to handle? Should I remove one of them to ensure there are enough nutrients for the plants to thrive?
I still have floating algae, but I suppose that's a separate issue.

I've never actually seen them go head-to-head, but I'm guessing duckweed might have the upper hand. Its growth rate is pretty impressive. On the other hand, frogbit does provide some great shade, which is a double-edged sword.

[coltin]

I'd personally remove the Riccia to prevent it getting tangled up with the duckweed once that starts spreading rapidly.