# Light & floating plants



## zzz (Sep 18, 2013)

How do you guys keep enough light in the depth when you have some floating plants?
Do you run some lights from the side or do you just prune floaters often and keep only certain part of the surface covered?


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## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

only reason why i would have floaters is to cover light due to excessive light and algae bloom, or to suck up excessive nutrients. But if you want to grow it all together, then ya side lighting would work well but the plants will def grow towards the light.


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## Atom (Sep 17, 2014)

I've seen some people make rings out of airline tubing to create areas of water that are floater-free. You can try that for a quick, cheap fix. Here's an example posted below. I've even seen someone use a set of straws as a floating fence near the intake and waterfall of a HOB filter to stop his duckweed from being pushed down and sucked up into the filter.


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## JNSN (Nov 4, 2013)

Atom said:


> I've seen some people make rings out of airline tubing to create areas of water that are floater-free. You can try that for a quick, cheap fix. Here's an example posted below. I've even seen someone use a set of straws as a floating fence near the intake and waterfall of a HOB filter to stop his duckweed from being pushed down and sucked up into the filter.


I use drinking straws myself but downside is it's annoying to manage, especially when water level falls. I'd do the ring idea if the HOB filter is not a factor.


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## default (May 28, 2011)

Depending what kind of floater it is, just throwing them out/selling/giving them away usually solves this issue! I have Red Root Floaters and Salvinia Minima growing in my tanks, I usually remove some every two weeks or so. The quicker floaters spread, the more nutrients is being absorbed, keeps your water in better quality that's for sure.
I wouldn't run lights on the side of the tank, the light would be very strong on the glass, thus leading to a lot of algae especially on that panel. just remove the extra floaters, if you don't want to reduce light, just keep the floaters to a minimum.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I like this idea and will have to remember it



Atom said:


> I've seen some people make rings out of airline tubing to create areas of water that are floater-free. You can try that for a quick, cheap fix. Here's an example posted below. I've even seen someone use a set of straws as a floating fence near the intake and waterfall of a HOB filter to stop his duckweed from being pushed down and sucked up into the filter.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I made one of air tubing, used one of those plastic connector things to join the ends. It worked, more or less, but if it floats near the filter output, it will get pushed under and the plants escape. And if one of my snails got onto it, the weight was enough to sink it so the floaters, er, floated out of it. In the end, I find it easier to get rid of excess floaters. I sold about 200 young frogbits to one of the stores recently, so that made a big dent !


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