duckweed and goldfish

[vegas2k]

I am still establishing my 55 gallon goldfish tank, but once established, it'll be a 5 goldfish tank. I want to give the goldies duckweed...both as a benefit snackwise for the fish, but also as a good remover of nitrate etc.

Will the goldies eat it till it's gone, or will the duckweed keep up with the fish eating it.

will goldfish get too fat from the duckweed being there since they like it so much?

and will I need to do the snail dip with duckweed that I buy from the pet store?

[vegas2k]

bump for some answers =D thanks! :22:

[Northernguy]

Any plant coming from an lfs needs to be desnailed!Its almost guaranteed that are carrying!
Your fish will likely eat all the duckweed.If you have another tank you can grow it in you would have a constant stock to feed them.

[vegas2k]

yah i might just have to grow it in a bucket. maybe give it some water from water changes to feed it. Another fish's waste is a plant's gold:hmm3grin2orange:

edit : can't you just put the plant in its own tank..let it grow...and if snails don't appear, you are good? Say leave it there to grow for a week..look for snails..

[Cristoff]

edit : can't you just put the plant in its own tank..let it grow...and if snails don't appear, you are good? Say leave it there to grow for a week..look for snails..

I managed to get a snail in my tank even though I have NO live plants, NO real wood, and NO tank additions since my initial stocking was finished 4 months ago. I found him rummaging through my gravel on my last major substrate cleaning. I wouldn't put ANYTHING past these little buggers. :hmm3grin2orange:

The theory is sound though...

[vegas2k]

I managed to get a snail in my tank even though I have NO live plants, NO real wood, and NO tank additions since my initial stocking was finished 4 months ago. I found him rummaging through my gravel on my last major substrate cleaning. I wouldn't put ANYTHING past these little buggers. :hmm3grin2orange:

The theory is sound though...


lol..damn!

[vegas2k]

well let's see what other people think of my theory. I'll get duckweed. put it into a bucket and just use water from my tank changes. should feed them well :) Then just give them time, and see if snails appear. when they do appear, how big are they, and where do you usually find them? easy to spot?

[vegas2k]

well let's see what other people think of my theory. I'll get duckweed. put it into a bucket and just use water from my tank changes. should feed them well :) Then just give them time, and see if snails appear. when they do appear, how big are they, and where do you usually find them? easy to spot?


ok small problem here. I don't know where to get duckweed from lol. PetCo doesnt have it..and i dont want to get it from the wild..i can just see something nasty killing off my fish....any suggestions on a good place to get it from, hopefully locally? with how quickly it propagates, i should imagine you should get it free somewhere lol.

[Northernguy]

Keep searching different fish stores.Petsmart usually has it up here.
I just phone the store and ask before going anywhere.

[vegas2k]

Keep searching different fish stores.Petsmart usually has it up here.
I just phone the store and ask before going anywhere.


ok thanks. I called Petco, but I guess I should also have asked petsmart. thanks!

[rich311k]

How much do you want? Send me a PM you can have as much as you want no snail free guarantee though.

[vegas2k]

How much do you want? Send me a PM you can have as much as you want no snail free guarantee though.

I just need enough to get started. NP on the snail free thing. I'm gonna quarantine the plant for quite a while and see if snails show up...and once it grows a bunch, probably also try taking parts of it to another container and giving it a dip etc. pming you now :)

[vegas2k]

got my Duckweed today, thanks Rich! Now, I am curious...anyone know, if I take some of the duckweed, grow it in a separate container, and no snails show up for say a few weeks..could I be confident that there are no eggs in there?

[Scrup]

after a few weeks it is likely there are not snails...but you can never be 100%. Could always get a dojo loach to go with the goldfish..they make QUICK work of pest snails, and are coldwater fish.

[knitnett]

Hey there!
How did you make out with your duckweed experiment?

[dishsnthings]

It's not the same plant, but I just love the hornwort. I had a TON of it. I had a rescue gold fish and he ate it relentlessly. I had to re-home the hornwort. He has now passed on, and I put the hornwort back, what little was left and is doing great now again. My point is just that if the goldfish likes it, all he will do is eat and poop duckweed (when its not feeding time that is)!

[Trillianne]

This post is rather old. You will probably want to start a new one rather than bump an old post. :22:

[dishsnthings]

So it is, sorry I never looked at the date! (blush)