Search results for query: duckweed index

I would be happy to have some fast growing plants. My concern is the plants that you cut are left with thick leafless stems

...testing away from the lab. Both were developed (entirely independently) to do away with a nitrate measurement requirement. I like the Duckweed Index, simply because the "plants can't lie". Since I started working with Ecologists I've been a lot more open to the advantages <"biotic...

Thank you I had bad experience with newly grown tissue culture of Anibias. Those plants melted. But grown up Anibias plants survived it, but based on my experience. I won't rush up with Anubias. Yes Buce Phelandra is bit sensitive so I will use it once the tank is fully cycled. What background...

...<"Cryptocoryne spp."> for that role. I'd recommend a quick growing plant for start-up, I'm a floating plant obsessive <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">, but there are other options - <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!">. Personally I wouldn't add the aroids...

Thanks Darrel. So no need to take into account water reports or add additional chemicals like some recipes here? Incidentally, I water change with RODI water and do not add any remineralization salts on the basis that I'm adding enough magnesium in my weekly ferts and my Seriu stone gives off...

...but is much more tolerant of lean dosing and soft water etc. <"Salvinia auriculata group"> would be equally suitable for the "Duckweed Index" if it had a <"leaf green"> frond, because of the hairs it is more difficult to judge the intensity of <"greeness">. Indian Fern (Ceratopteris spp.)...

...long ago. All you need to do is follow the recipe, and just change the volume of solution added dependent upon the size of your tank, so 10 ml for a 90 litre tank etc. You can dose a set amount (lean dose or EI etc.) or use the <"Duckweed Index">, it is infinitely flexible. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Iron (Fe) is definitely a <"two-edged sword">, and you just need to have a <"Goldilocks zone"> amount. One issue is that, if you have a large excess of iron ions in solution <"you can start to precipitate out"> phosphate (PO4---) etc. This is the<" mode of action"> of Phosban etc. The...

...growth in both high-tech and low-tech set-ups including with floating plants in the low-tech - in my case Salvinia minima What is the “Duckweed Index” all about? - and just because I could I boosted up the levels of iron further with super-high-tech Fe-EDDHSA. I'm pretty sure that was...

Will do. This may be a silly question but the Chempack Iron you mention says it is harmful to aquatic life - I assume that’s not strictly true if I’m able to add it to my tank? I have seen the Seachem Flourish Iron isn’t a chelate, is that no good?

Hi all, Thanks @Zeus. I know you are "the man that can" in these situations - <"TNC Complete Aquarium Plant Food & Nutrients 500ml">. That is the real problem, sorting out <"the wheat from the chaff">, particularly when there are lots of <"magic bullet vendors">, who are just after your money...

...is because iron isn't mobile within the plant and as soon as it becomes unavailable <"chlorotic new growth occurs">. Have a look at <"Duckweed Index says Nitrogen please?">. I probably would. Another other option is some FeEDDHA, which means you can use the <"pink tint method">. cheers Darrel

...happy with the scape now and hardware and I’ll add a pic to my journal at some point. I’m looking at getting some frogbit to start trying the Duckweed index but I’m going to have to find a way of keeping it out of the flow but still within the reach of the lighting. This is all fun and games!

...of the substrate begins to become exhausted. This is because iron forms a <"lot of insoluble compounds"> in harder, more alkaline water. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. Personally I just dose the water column, have a look at <"Root tab ingredients?">. cheers Darrel

Amazon Frogbit on order!

...tank relatively successfully and was thing of sticking with APT for the new tank. Question is should I start dosing now or should I have started already? And should I use APT Zero/1 or APT 3 Complete? I guess all of this depends on tap water etc? I'm also considering "The Duckweed Index". TIA

...the tank at the start of the week and then do some more research into the filter situation. Tank will be planted but not “heavily” but going for the duckweed index and dark start method as that’s served us well for our 3ft tank. Hope you all look after yourself and thank you once again 😊 Murray

...too try it, but I think it works. Try halving in it? And see what happens. I don't add a set amount of fertiliser, I just use the <"Duckweed Index">. The simple answer is "no" and "no". Whatever the test tells you, I can tell you (well really the plants can tell you) that you have...

Hi all, I wouldn't stop completely, in terms of their <"basic physiology and photosystems"> the green algae is a "plant", just one you don't want. Basically what is <"sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander">* and you can't starve out the green algae, without starving out your plants. I'd...

...It is crazy how much vines they send out in all directions searching for light. Some of them are very thick too. As you can see my duckweed index container has a bit of a duckweed problem... Some of these emersed plants are also sending out some long roots reaching towards the substrate...

...like TNC Complete would do the same job <"TNC Complete | The Nutrient Company"> (but for a lot more money). Have a look at the Duckweed Index pages, I'm pointing you towards them, partially because I'm absurdly proud <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> of it, but also because it...

Yeesh, I feel like Tropica would not be happy to see their products in such a state. I'm American, so humor me here - is Pets @ Home a big box pet store where quality is often a bit questionable?

Hi all, That was always going to be the potential issue <"with these sorts of plants">. They may have a long shelf life, but it isn't infinite. I'm going to say "not suitable", but <"who knows">? Cheers Darrel

Probs the same one I visited…wasn’t impressed. HA is class and the staff are very helpful.

Popped into Pets @ Home in sheer curiosity as was next door. Wonder how this plant fairs on the duckweed index? Going to Horizon Aquatics in around 1 week - Going to be so nice to be in a good store 😊

...That is why I don’t want to go down the route of trying to fix a problem I don’t even truly know exists. I like the idea of the duckweed index - Simple to identify and simple to resolve. Nice and simple! 😊 Probably some Pygmy and Sterbei - Not in massive numbers but I’m thinking the 30x...

...selling to me, but I offered it as an alternative. I really didn’t want to drop some cash on ukaps, but I was prepared to, for your duckweed index @dw1305 😅 I laid it all out quite openly but as I have said, time and time again a committee if transparent is great. As for my screenshot Ian...

Yes I will do so but am currently at work and going out after, so it may be this weekend

Can you post a full tank photo and one of your floating plants? Have you seen the duckweed index? That will help you gauge fertiliser need.

...UKAPS afloat in some very choppy seas, and we should applaud them for that. Again, purely selfishly, I have no wish to rehome the <"Duckweed Index"> (or <"groat">). I'd suggest that if people really are concerned they can go and look at their contributions to UKAPS, and again personally...

...= better. This will all come with time :) Chucking in the plants and some floaters early is really helpful, as you can use the duckweed index to physically see what ferts you need/what issues you may be experiencing! In my experience, it comes to a lot less guesswork than relying on test...

...UKAPS. It was the relationship between leaf growth & colour and fixed nitrogen levels that directly led to the development of the <"Duckweed Index"> and subsequently the "publication" of the <"Leaf Colour Chart"> that led me to write about the underlying concepts more widely. <"Ion...

...as well. I've personally started ignoring nitrate monitoring with liquid kits and have been utilizing plant deficiency charts. Your duckweed index is something I will be reading up on a little more in depth since I just skimmed it a while back and found it to be a neat concept. I would like...

...buying any more epiphytes. I may see what less sensitive plants are available to help keep things ticking over. My little go at the Duckweed index seems to be OK - Dosing 2ml per day of Tropica premium. Only other thing of note was seeing Copepods and nematodes on the glass which has a...

...misleading">. I'm guessing that this is, at least partially, a nutrient, <"rather than flow">, issue. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">, if it isn't PO4---, I'm guessing that iron (Fe) <"may be your problem">, purely because you have hard water. It should be OK...

Thanks @dw1305 for the feedback! I was actually thinking about floating plants to provide more shadowed area (some of the plants I currently have apparently do not need that much light). I have not seen much in my local shop, so I was going to try online (Dennerle or Aguarium Gardens?). Should...

...just plant the tank and let the plants grow in, but you need a reasonable plant mass. I'm obsessed with floating plants <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">, but <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!"> would also do. In terms of a "bacterial starter culture" this is what...

...plant mass to nutrient balance. I remove the stems as the other slower growing plants establish and the tank 'matures' . I found the "duckweed index" is a game changer. I also follow a water change regime at the start of any tank. I am sure you have seen this thread, however if you haven’t...

Hi all, I'm pleased you found it useful. I'm ridiculously proud of the "Duckweed Index". That may relate to the sand substrate, just purely <"because the processes"> that might make iron (Fe) plant available hadn't had time to develop. Do you know if you have hard alkaline tap water? I know...

...make decisions) upon test kit results <"that don't make any sense">. That is why I've pushed <"plant and wait"> for cycling and the <"Duckweed Index"> for tank management. They are simple and robust techniques that aren't reliant on a magic number, but <"just what your eyes can tell you">...

...filter media"> etc. The <"internal storage of gases in plants">, CO2 from respiration during the dark period and oxygen from photosynthesis, is also an area that has been under-appreciated, and <"a rooted emergent plant"> would have been optimal for the <"Duckweed Index">. cheers Darrel

...hard to soft water. I'd go for that. I use rainwater in my tanks, but if I didn't have rainwater? I would use our (very hard) tap water. I change a small volume of water most days, but I use a combination of the <"Duckweed Index"> and <"tank conductivity"> for <"tank management">. cheers...

...pleased with that. You can use your Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) to monitor the nutrient status of your aquarium, via the <"Duckweed Index">. Have a look at @keef321 <"pictures">, iron (Fe) is the most likely deficiency to develop as your water becomes harder and more alkaline...

Thanks Darrel

Hi all, You could. Personally I don't feed the plants on a regular basis, so whether I added nutrients, or not, would depend entirely on where <"they sit on the Duckweed Index">. <"If I was in doubt">? I would feed them. cheers Darrel

This makes sense but I expect success is contingent on a dense covering of floating plants to soak up all that light. In the @Brad123 photo the bottom does not look like a dark and gloomy place so I wouldn't be surprised if turning the lighting all the way up led to a algae disaster in short...

...LCP is a <"variable I've discounted"> (a long with CO2 availability) for my floating plants and they are what I need for the <"Duckweed Index to work">. In the case of "no", if you put a plant with a lot of chlorophyll, like and Anubias barteri or Bolbitis heudelotii, directly <"in intense...

I have just started to grow some Guyana in my latest scape, from in-vitro / tissue culture and it brought back memories from my previous beginnings. With tissue culture Guyana, I find that the delicate baby plants really struggle at first, with lots of melting, and I have had to re-plant the...

Hi Darrel Thanks a lot for the reply and sorry for the delay. I have attached some pics of the pistia. The old Leaves become yellow and then gradually die off as I hope you can see in the pics attached. My nitrogen readings are now in the 30ppm. No sure what is the micro or macro missing that...

...on a floss cartridge- just pull the whole cartridge and replace with plain filter floss? I've got Colombo Flora Grow that came with the Scaper 45 kit which I'll use until I get full npk fert. I'll take a look for some in vitro floaters later today. I had read the duckweed index previously 👍🏻

...behavior. I use floating plants as a bit of an additional buffer. They help me both monitor the quality of the water using the duckweed index and suck up lots of nutrients if I overfeed. I use emergent plants for the same reason in the knowledge that the plants provide more stability as...

Hi all, There is just a little bit more: Josh's reply: and my reply: Josh's reply: and my reply: And that is where we've ended (at the moment). cheers Darrel

...dripwall tubing that was serving no purpose - thank you @ScareCrow for the idea. I am going to monitor plant growth (hooray for the duckweed index) before adding ferts back, however I am going to need to add ferts eventually. I'd also like to go back to adding tannins with each water...

Hi all, It could be <"iron (Fe) deficiency">. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> You can't as easily tell with <"Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)"> (because of the leaf hairs), but are the new leaves on the submerged plants pale and yellow? cheers Darrel

Hi all, That looks good, can I recommend a floating plant as well <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> and / or <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!">. Because <"you live in London"> you can only really lower pH and dKH levels with <"rain or RO water">. It is just an...

Sounds a load of rubbish to me! Firstly we have no reliable way to measure nitrate levels on our tank water that accurately, so in reality we'll never know our nitrate levels unless we send a sample off to a lab for testing. Secondly I don't think plants particularly care what the long term...

...growth response"> to increased nitrogen levels. It is the principal that underlies the <"Leaf colour Chart"> and, subsequently, the <"Duckweed Index">. <"Both Estimative and Duckweed Indices"> don't attempt to <"directly measure nitrate (NO3-) levels"> and this just reflects the practical...

Hi Darrel, thanks for your input, I was thinking that, however im not sure the water in my tank is completely absent of any minerals as last I checked my tds was showing 150ppm (But to be honest I think my TDS metre is pretty inaccurate). Also correct me if Im wrong but isnt it possible for...

...guess that at least one of the fourteen mineral nutrients required for plant growth is missing. There is a full list in <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> Plant growth is <"like a car assembly line">, one missing component and you don't get a "car", or in this case any algae...

I have myriophyllum Guyana which seems growing very slowly, just added it two weeks ago, hope it do well as yours. Will read more about duckweed index and def give that a go. Cheers, Meto

Thanks Darrel, I though about Fe when I tried to grow them 1 year ago and I added EDAT FE but ended up getting loads of staghorn alge which disappeared when I stopped dosing fe. My assumption after reading some of the posts you shared is the plants were not able to use the fe. And the alge took...

...pearl weed would die. I would follow the good advice of @dw1305 : Drop checker very useful (you can see one in my photo, middle top). Duckweed index, very useful to identify if the issue is fertiliser (it's what I used to diagnose my issues). I also agree that the tips of some of your...

...with iron (Fe) availability, something most often seen in hard water and <"common with Rotala spp">. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. removing CO2 deficiency from the equation was one reason for <"using a floating plant"> in the Duckweed Index. <"Problematic">...

...keep the plants alive a little bit longer... I've been a voracious lurker on UKAPS until now, enjoying journals, learning about the duckweed index, filters and different start up techniques. I hope the journal will not only help me to more crowd-source wisdom, but also be of some use to...

Plus the deficiency can be a side effect of the real issue esp in a CO2 injected tank, where growth is increased to the extra abundance of Carbon. Most deficiencies in CO2 injected tanks are due to poor implementation of the CO2 injection, with fluctuating [CO2] esp during the first 4 to 5hrs of...

@dw1305 Can elaborate on this better than I can, but I beleive deficiencies are "easier" to diagnose on terrestrial plants.

I'd take that further and say that many plant issues are tricky to work out, especially for new people. There's a tendency to assume the problem is nutrition, but there are so many other things that lead to stunted growth and algae. Starting with full tank information can stop us from barking up...

...(except alkalinity for funzies because I'm interested in the chemistry) and very little or no testing at all seems a common approach at least on this forum. Lots of people like the duckweed index although I haven't really found that necessary with EI dosing (which is the whole point of EI...

Hi all, Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. Iron (Fe) deficiency is easy to diagnose from a photo. Just call it a "bioassay" if it doesn't seem very scientific. Freshwater doesn't have a datum value in the way that marine does, and it makes water testing lot more...

I am also a "pest" snail fan. They are very efficient algae eaters and I love that you will have extra small ones to get in the smallest areas. I added some to my duckweed index container that used to grow a lot of GDA, and within hours they cleaned it all up.

...all, Males tend to be a lot more active. Good advice, I'm a <"floating plant fanatic"> and have them in all my tanks- <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. I'm also a tank janitor fan <"ADA Pro Razor money saving tip"> <"This is quite important">, so <"TNC complete">, <"or...

...all, You don't need to use CO2, a lot of us don't use it. We have a forum - <"El Natural & Low Tech">. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. You can stop, these sorts of products don't <"serve any useful purpose">. <"Tetra suggest"> that it stabilises pH, by...

...things slightly more complicated. You could try floating and/or epiphytic (like your Anubias) plants. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">, <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!"> & <"High phosphate">. <"It isn't ideal">, most people will use sand or...

...No, it should be fine, you don't need to add anything. If you wanted "belt and braces" you could add a floating plant <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> and / or <"Using stem plants as a filtering aid at Start Up!"> It really <"makes you despair">. Why would <"denitrifying...

The duckweed index container has water flow connected to it from the display. They're both in the same water just different distances from the light.

That’s virtually the case for all plants. Not sure I undertsand here. Are they in the same tank or in a separate container? In any case the redness of this plant if a function of how much N there is available. One can have RRF at full sunlight and it could still remain mostly green if the...

I think the lighting intensity does have a significant impact on the RRF demand for nitrogen. Below you can see RRF grown in the same tank. Only difference is the red ones are in my duckweed index container which has access to a lot of light and the green ones are in the tank in a dimmer area.

Hi all, It should say what the chelator is on the label? FeEDTA is the "normal one", but it may not be effective in harder water. FeEDDHA, or FeDTPA, would be better than FeEDTA. You can buy a chelate blend for home gardeners as <"Chempak (or Vitax) Soluble Iron">. All plants (including...

Hi all, and I'm going to guess that most long term planted tank keepers have. I just think the <"multifactorial nature"> of <"what makes a planted tank successful?"> means that most water testing doesn't really help sort out <"cause and effect">. You might be able to use <"modelling...

Hi all, This is in the tank, the same fertiliser mix, but a lower dosing, and no extra nutrients. Using the Duckweed Index the Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) is still fine, but the RRF really isn't enjoying itself. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Good question, I'm getting to that. The reasons was that I wondered if it might offer an <"extension to the Duckweed Index">. <"VIMI"> and the <"2 hour aquarist"> have been experimenting with the leaf colour in "Red root floater (RRF)" and whether you can make <"the plants redder">...

Amazon Frogbit and Dwarf Water Lettuce are a good shout. They have the added bonus of What is the “Duckweed Index” all about? I'd probably go with 4 Amanos in that size tank. Good idea to make sure there's nowhere they can climb out!

...or even 25% of the dose of a All in One fertiliser. You will need to increase the dosing as plant mass increases. Purchase some floating plants and use the What is the "Duckweed Index" all about to help monitor plant health! You will find Duckweed Index in the Articles/Tutorial forum! hoggie

...in their subject area, so maybe it is meant to imply expertise in fertiliser formulation? This gets a mention in <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> - <"How to make red root floaters (Phyllanthus fluitans) redder?"> It isn't an <"attempt to mislead">, agricultural fertiliser are...

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, What @castle says. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> it is a long thread, but it will repay reading. You don't actually need to worry about the cycle "crashing", in some ways "cycling" is an <"entirely artificial construct">. Where we...

Hi all, Looks like it may be magnesium (Mg) deficiency, which causes <"interveinal chlorosis"> on older leaves. Has anything changed recently, like a <"different water supply"> or fertiliser regime? If it has? I'd go back to what you were doing before. Because these are mobile nutrients (any...

Which chelates are you using now and how many ppm of iron are you dosing?

...I eventually got to the point where I was only dosing DTPA iron and half level EI levels. The plants were healthy, but my frogbit (duckweed index) although healthy, was not as vibrant and healthy as it was with 50% RODI mix and all Iron Chelates, demonstrating some slight deficiency. I am...

Hi all, That just shows that <"you have lots of nutrients">. In a floating plant growth (and <"leaf colour">) are usually closely correlated to the nutrient supply. We may have a thread for you <"Removing Duckweed (Lemna minuta) - any natural solutions?">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, that is it, a floating plant has access to <"atmospheric gases"> and will never be carbon limited. It is also nearest the light, so again lack of light shouldn't ever be an issue. The third thing is that they are <"plants adapted to very bright light">, so leaf scorch shouldn't be...

Hi all, reading along in this forum quite some time. This is an interesting thread. Duckweed is not my thing. Tried Limnobium more than 20 years ago, but never survived. Back than I believed NO3 and PO4 was root of all algae bloom I had in my tank. Until in 2008 the approach of Estimative Index...

Hi all, Have a look at <"FE EDDHA"> and <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. I suppose there are similarities. It won't mean much to younger readers, but I used to spend endless hours mucking about with the timing and mix ratio on cars with SU carburettors (and before anyone asks, alas...

...be seen. Especially as it promotes an accelerated growth of plants, which I'll want to slow down a bit as the tank gets established. The Duckweed Index is an interesting take on the balancing act in the tank and reminds me of the old fashioned tuning of the timing of a car. By ear!! Best, Brian

...really need the map. Yes and no. I like to know <"how things work">, but it doesn't necessarily <"make you a better aquarist">. The rationale for the <"Duckweed Index"> was to <"de-skill fish keeping"> by concentrating on the <"important bits">, the <"coffee not the froth">. cheers Darrel

...where <"facts"> are endlessly recycled, <"we've talked to scientists"> and we've <"developed techniques"> that make planted tank (and fish keeping) easier. I'm obviously not an <"unbiased observer">, but I'm as proud of the <"Duckweed Index"> as anything else I've ever written. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It definitely isn't disrespectful, and I don't actually see them as mutually exclusive approaches. They had some initial similarities, particularly in that both were developed partially due to the difficulties in getting <"accurate values for some water parameters">, but after that...

...tank. I don't have problems with algae in either tank. I like EI because it takes the guesswork out. No disrespect to the duckweed index, but I'd rather prevent inorganic fert problems than have to identify them after they have occurred. I suspect algae is a result of a combination of...

...pros and cons">. I'd have to start by saying I've never been an EI user, but I have borrowed from the EI concept in the <"Hybrid Duckweed Index">. I was, initially, very much an <"Estimative Index sceptic">, but <"I'm convinced it can work">, but I still <"don't know how"> or why. If I...

...at a low rate">. Yes, as long as they haven't formed an insoluble precipitate? They are good for <"all of eternity">. I think the Duckweed Index / RRF method <"What is the future for the Duckweed Index II, is it a mix of floaters?"> is a good way forward, more details are in @BuffBall 's...

Hi all, I'd go with the combined "all in one" and just use lean dosing. I don't actually use a set fertiliser addition, I just use the <"visual aspect"> of the <"Duckweed Index">. cheers Darrel