Duckweed Project

So I've been looking for Duckweed for sometime , by fluke I got some stuck onto to a Water Hyancinth I purchased. I read and heard that Duckweed spreads like crazy. So here's my journal of farming duckweed. I want to grow as much as possible not only for decor but food supply for cichlids , turtles and smails.

----------------------------


day 1. May 31: You can see this was the pond plant I bought , and it came with some little duck weed. Probably 15-20 at the most. I didnt even recognize it as duckweed at first.. I actually thought it was baby water hyancinth caz those spread like crazy too. Afer researching I realized I got duckweed!!




Sept 20: Basically the summer.. one season later. I have one tub completely full with my softshell turtle. I am filling a another tub and I have a little in my Apple snail tank too.





sept: Tub 2. 28" long styrocooler.. I sporadically will add a cup from tub #1. Its slowly filling up.

--------------------------------------------
UPDATE Oct.20 2009

Full to the max now. I finally got to the point of having too much.




Im actually bailing cups full out every couple weeks now. My Map turtle apparently likes to dine on it as do my african cichlids. I have way too much now.

Java Moss

Name : Java Moss

scientific name: Vesicularia dubyana

care level : Easiest of all. You have to be a moron to screw this up.

pest level: none. It can grow lots and spread but but doesnt leave dead stems nor clog your filters. It doesnt "weed" your tank. Very controllable.

Pricing: Very common so its very affordable. Though its very common it can be hard to find at LFS. Your best bet is to purchase from private sale off Craigslist of classifieds. $5-10 for a fist sized clump. With patience you will have tanks full of it , you can sell it off and make your money back.

5G Redux

Started as a Panther Crab tank , then a Apple Snail tank , Betta tank , and now a Cherry shrimp holding tank.

Here's how it looked in May.



Here's how it looks now. I emptied all the substrate and keeping it simple for the shrimp. Added a calcium stick.



I keep losing cherries in my cherry tank so Im moving them into this 5 , and see how they do in this basic set up. I cant seem to get them to breed and hatch so hopefully I figure this shit out , its pissing me off.

Profile: Leopard Ctenopoma

Leopard Ctenopoma , Leopard Gourami , African Bush Fish , Climbing Perch

Scientific name: Ctenopoma acutirostre

purchase size: 2" (6") price: $14 each

comments:
Distant relatives to the Betta , they too prefer still calm waters. They are ambush hunters. They will eat anything that they can swallow (there is a joke somewhere in this sentence). They can be good community fish as long as the tankmates cant be eaten nor roomed with bullies.