Getting rid of unwanted surface plants

[mirko]

I've got this tiny surface plant that came in on a fish about seven years ago. It's got leaves around 1-2mm in diameter and it just won't quit. I've tried to manually remove it, but it grows back way too fast - if I'm not careful, it'll be a centimeter deep on the water's surface in no time. I'd really like to get rid of it and introduce a different plant, but I'm not sure how to go about it.

[barnicle]

I feel your pain, I've been there too. Duckweed's a nightmare to get rid of, it's like it has a mind of its own. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, hoping someone's got a magic solution to share.

[sSjey]

That sounds like duckweed to me. Eradicating it from my tanks was a real challenge, and it was time-consuming. Having other floating plants made it even more difficult. I had to net all the floaters from my tank and transfer them to a bucket of warm, dechlorinated water. Removing every speck of duckweed from the tank was a painstaking process, and I had to use tweezers to get to the ones stuck in corners and around cables. I then carefully removed each piece of the floating plants I wanted to keep, washing them in a separate bucket of water before transferring them to a third bucket to rinse again. Once I'd done that, I could return the floaters to the tank. For a couple of weeks, I checked the surface daily, picking out any stray duckweed I found hiding between the other plants. It took some dedication, but eventually, I managed to get rid of it all.

[willie32]

I've come to accept it as a part of my tank's ecosystem. I recently got some cherry shrimp from a fellow hobbyist and initially thought I'd managed to remove the few specks of duckweed that came in with them, but a week later I spotted one floating on the surface - it was gone an hour later, courtesy of my trusty net. I've made it a habit to scoop out any stray bits weekly. While it can be a nuisance, I've found that duckweed does serve as a useful indicator of water quality - longer roots generally mean the water is in good condition, while shorter roots suggest there might be an issue.

[Avalon]

Eradicating duckweed is indeed a challenge, as others have noted. Having multiple tanks makes it even more difficult, as a single infested tank can spread the problem. To succeed in removing duckweed, one needs a strong commitment to the task and a significant investment of time. The process involves thoroughly cleaning the surface and walls of the tank, followed by daily checks to catch any new growth. It's a labor-intensive process, but with persistence, it's possible to keep duckweed under control.

[coltin]

Use a fine mesh net to scoop out the duckweed. I've found it's effective in removing the plant without harming the fish. Goldfish and rainbowfish seem to enjoy it, so it's not all bad.