2 Gallon Tank Duck weed maintenance

[shrimpshrampshrump]

Hi,

Is there a way to keep duckweed from sticking to the walls of the aquarium? Maybe the flow of the water is doing this, but it keeps getting stuck on stuff instead of actually floating in the water.

 

[Fishfur]

Not really. Some thalli are always going to stick to any surface that it touches. (Technically, duckweeds don’t have leaves - they are thalli).

If anything breaks the water surface, including hands, arms, nets, filter intakes, decor that sticks up above water, then duckweeds will stick to it. But most of it should float and it can build up to a very substantial thickness.

 

[BPSabelhaus]

Hi,

Is there a way to keep duckweed from sticking to the walls of the aquarium? Maybe the flow of the water is doing this, but it keeps getting stuck on stuff instead of actually floating in the water.

Duckweed doesn't really like flowing water.

 

[shrimpshrampshrump]

Duckweed doesn't really like flowing water.

Oh...that makes a lot of sense. Do folks who have it in their aquariums usually not use air stones? It was fine until I added mine, but I also figured adding air might be nice for the shrimp.

 

[Fishfur]

Oh...that makes a lot of sense. Do folks who have it in their aquariums usually not use air stones? It was fine until I added mine, but I also figured adding air might be nice for the shrimp.

Duckweed doesn’t particularly care for being pushed underwater by filter returns or turbulence. Most floaters don’t like it but their degree of tolerance for it is variable.

Duckweeds don’t mind swirling around with water movement so long as the movement isn’t vigorous enough to push them underwater too often.

Compared to, say Red root floater, which absolutely hates having the surface of its leaves wet, duckweeds are really quite tolerant of submersion and it won’t kill them quickly. But if it happens repeatedly it becomes a problem.

 

[BPSabelhaus]

Oh...that makes a lot of sense. Do folks who have it in their aquariums usually not use air stones? It was fine until I added mine, but I also figured adding air might be nice for the shrimp.

Bubbles and bumpy water is fine. It just doesn't like hurricane force "wind" as an environment.

That's how it goes on vacation and ends up living somewhere else lol

 

[shrimpshrampshrump]

Bubbles and bumpy water is fine. It just doesn't like hurricane force "wind" as an environment.

That's how it goes on vacation and ends up living somewhere else lol

Ohh, okay. Should I take the airstone out then? If I had to pick between that and the duckweed, I think I'd pick duckweed...

 

[BPSabelhaus]

As long as you can turn the pressure down. If it's full force from the pump it can create a lot of turbulence.

 

[kansas]

Get a bleeder valve to slow it down.

 

[shrimpshrampshrump]

Get a bleeder valve to slow it down.

Is that something that can be used simultaneously with the check valve I already have?

 

[kansas]

Yes. Get a valve like the one in the link. Your airline goes on one valve, and you open and close the other to bleed off more or less air. Put it between the pump and the check valve, so that the check valve will stop water from backing up and leak thru the open bleeder valve.

Aquarium Fish Tank Air Pump Flow Splitter Tube Pipe Line Control Valve Multi Way | eBay

 

[shrimpshrampshrump]

Yes. Get a valve like the one in the link. Your airline goes on one valve, and you open and close the other to bleed off more or less air. Put it between the pump and the check valve, so that the check valve will stop water from backing up and leak thru the open bleeder valve.

Aquarium Fish Tank Air Pump Flow Splitter Tube Pipe Line Control Valve Multi Way | eBay

Thank you! The aquarium ended up only having a different kind of valve but I followed your advice for placement and it is so much less air now!