Lemna minor (Duckweed)
Tiny aquarium plant with a big personality.
Duckweed is one of those plants people either absolutely love or spend months trying to remove. It spreads across the surface, creates a beautiful natural canopy, and provides shade, shelter, and a constant snack for many fish.
Just know what you're signing up for.
🌿 Why you want it
- Creates a beautiful natural surface cover
- Helps absorb excess nutrients
- Provides shade and security for fish
- Fantastic for breeding tanks and fry
🍃 The unstoppable floater
Duckweed doesn't do things by halves.
Give it good conditions and it'll happily cover your tank before you know it. Luckily, it's just as easy to scoop out (but not eliminate) as it is to grow.
📍 Where it fits
- Floating freely on the water surface
- Looks best when allowed to cover part of the tank, leaving open areas for feeding and gas exchange
💡 Care
- Light: low to high
- CO₂: not required
- Growth: very fast
- Propagation: continuously reproduces by itself
💧 Water tolerance
Extremely adaptable. Thrives in almost any freshwater aquarium, from low tech setups to heavily planted high tech tanks.
💬 TBC take
Duckweed has started more arguments in the aquarium hobby than almost any other plant.
We love it. Some people call it green glitter.
Either way, once you've got it, don't expect to ever completely get rid of it.