# Duckweed and the end to my ultimate planted tank



## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

I left Mississauga in May of this year, handing the reigns of the aquarium to my father who was also an aquarium hobbyist. I couldn't figure out how to transport everything safely 6 hours away. I felt he was more than capable of feeding the fish and a weekly water change since everything is all setup.

I would visit Mississauga once a month, coming back to prune my plants and check the CO2 system while my father did weekly water changes when I wasn't there. Then for three months I wasn't able to visit Mississauga. Week after week, I ask my father how the aquarium is doing. A month ago he had been noticing for the past month the fish were at the surface gasping for air. I thought the CO2 is not adjusted properly and told him to shut the whole system off.

It was a sad day for me a few days ago when I paid a visit to my home in Mississauga. As I enter the house, I see the aquarium is extremely dark. Then I notice, a 2" thick layer of Duckweed on the surface. My father said he gave up when all the fish died. He had two planted pots sitting on the aquarium hood, giving sign he hadn't fed the fish in weeks or months.

The result, all plants and fish are dead with the exception of the Tiger Lotus (extremely huge now) and my 3 amazon swords.

My tank had about 20 livebearers, 8 peppered cories, 200 RCS and a whole bunch of miscellaneous plants I gathered from local breeders.

Upon cleaning out the whole tank, I uncovered 8 baby mollies.

I guess the moral of the story is folks, don't leave your system for someone else to care for. This has not prevented me from doing what I love. In fact, I am now starting a 10 gal dwarf puffer tank in apartment.

This is the last reminder I had of the aquarium just before I left. (video in thread)
http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14584


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

Damn mate. Any idea where the duckweed came from? I have heard of people that want to keep duckweed they use rings to contain the duckweed from spreading. Like say a tofu container with a string and the middle cut out. You put the duckweed in the middle and the stuff does not spread out. Or tape some plastic stripping on the top of the tank to keep the duckweed where it is supposed to.

I've heard of some people that used a plastic strip around the filter area to keep the fuckweed from getting sucked into the filter.


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## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

Tough lesson, sorry to hear that.


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## dp12345 (Sep 12, 2010)

what i do to contain my riccia floating plants is to construct a plastic ring slightly bigger than the airtube, depending on the size you want, then connect the 2 ends by putting a chopstick at both ends cut to size. Tie with rubber band with suction cup and stick it to the side of the aquarium, then put the riccia / duckweeds inside the ring. You have to move it from side to side to let the plants beneath it to get light. My cherry shrimps loves this.

Enjoy
dp


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## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

AquaNekoMobile said:


> Damn mate. Any idea where the duckweed came from? I have heard of people that want to keep duckweed they use rings to contain the duckweed from spreading. Like say a tofu container with a string and the middle cut out. You put the duckweed in the middle and the stuff does not spread out. Or tape some plastic stripping on the top of the tank to keep the duckweed where it is supposed to.
> 
> I've heard of some people that used a plastic strip around the filter area to keep the fuckweed from getting sucked into the filter.


Actually, the duckweed was from my first received plant. The owner even said himself there's a little duckweed in it. Being the novice that I was, I didn't really care much. The thing with duckweed is, there is no stopping it. It gets sucked into filter, attaches to the top trim, etc. As everyone knows, all you need is one little piece to affect your tank. There's only so much skimming you can do. I'll have to try the filter idea though.



dp12345 said:


> what i do to contain my riccia floating plants is to construct a plastic ring slightly bigger than the airtube, depending on the size you want, then connect the 2 ends by putting a chopstick at both ends cut to size. Tie with rubber band with suction cup and stick it to the side of the aquarium, then put the riccia / duckweeds inside the ring. You have to move it from side to side to let the plants beneath it to get light. My cherry shrimps loves this.
> 
> Enjoy
> dp


Sounds like a great idea. I love the DIY's. Thanks!


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

dp12345 said:


> what i do to contain my riccia floating plants is to construct a plastic ring slightly bigger than the airtube, depending on the size you want, then connect the 2 ends by putting a chopstick at both ends cut to size. Tie with rubber band with suction cup and stick it to the side of the aquarium, then put the riccia / duckweeds inside the ring. You have to move it from side to side to let the plants beneath it to get light. My cherry shrimps loves this.
> 
> Enjoy
> dp


This just gave me a brilliant idea. If you have spare air hose get something like this http://www.bcnorth.ca/NGS/shopexd.asp?id=79 which can be found at your local Home D/Lowes/Rona and like Can.T. I got mine from Home D as I know it'll be there even during the winter time.

Make your ring any size you want then attach the ends with that coupler. Attach a sting to the floating ring and tape it to the side of the tank or if you want get a suction cup from the same store you got the coupler from. IIRC you get like 4-5 of them in a package. It works with airline tubing and should you later get into gardening that can be used with 1/4 dripline tubing as well or for hydroponics so you're not limited by a single use. 

Same idea for protecting the filter. I keep my filters to the corners of the tank. Make your ring larger then the water outtake return by a few inches then do the string/suction method to hold it or if it is a HOB hoop it behind the intake tube. I should in theory stop any fuckweed from entering the HOB if you make it larger then the water exit by a few inches. Being on the surface floating you won't really see it unless you're looking top-down or kneeling looking down-up. 

Of course you could always have a goldie with a autofeeder and have the goldie nom nom on the duckweed when it wants to clear it out.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

I have used airline couplers with a piece of airline for that purpose a few times. Still, unless you really want it (have severums, say), duckweed is best avoided.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*planted tank*

sorry to hear about your tank , i understand the feeling i have not had that happen but something similar . 
good luck with the puffer tank they are fun to watch.
tom


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

Tried the 1/4" airline tubing ring DIY for floating plants. It so-so works if the roots are long it may keep the plants in the ring. Use a larger diameter tubing and connector for the added sidewall height so the small plants don't float out if the fish come up and think it's food and push it out of the ring like it did for the 1/4" tubing.


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