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Aquatic Plant Guide (5) - Duckweed Series

Complete guide to duckweed aquatic plants, introducing common varieties like Round Duckweed, Sesame Duckweed, and Water Lettuce, with care tips and difficulty ratings

君莫笑在养鱼April 9, 20264 min read
Duckweed-type aquatic plants are the "surface sprites" of aquariums. They float on the water surface, providing shade for fish, purifying water quality, absorbing nutrients, and suppressing algae growth - making them highly practical plants for ecological tanks.
Surface sprites duckweed
🟢Easy    🟡Medium    🔴Difficult
Difficulty rating considers lighting, water quality, reproduction speed, and maintenance requirements. This is subjective experience-based and for reference only.
🌿 1. True Duckweed Family Members     
🟢 Round Duckweed (Common Duckweed) ⭐
Medium LightReproduction: Very Fast
Round Duckweed
Top choice for beginners, extremely fast reproduction rate, effectively absorbs ammonia nitrogen and suppresses algae. A common staple in ecological tanks.
🟢 Sesame Duckweed ⭐
Low LightReproduction: Very Fast
Sesame Duckweed
Granular tiny leaf bodies with no obvious roots, rapid reproduction. Rich in protein, commonly used as natural live food for fish and shrimp.
🟢 Purple-back Duckweed
Medium LightReproduction: Fast
Purple-back Duckweed
Leaf back is purple-red, highly ornamental, strong cold resistance, can survive outdoors in winter in some regions, also has certain medicinal value.
🟡 Salvinia (Water Fern)
Medium LightReproduction: Medium
Salvinia
Three leaves grow in whorls, resembling locust tree leaves, strong cold resistance, can survive in outdoor water bodies in northern regions.
🟡 Bowl Duckweed
Medium LightReproduction: Fast
Bowl Duckweed
Leaves slightly curled into bowl shape, strong ammonia nitrogen absorption ability, fast growth, requires regular skimming to control density.
🟡 Rabbit Ear Duckweed
High LightReproduction: Medium
Rabbit Ear Duckweed
Leaf edges curl upward, resembling rabbit ears, highly ornamental, but requires higher lighting and water quality.
🟡 Azolla (Red Duckweed)
High LightReproduction: Fast
Azolla
Turns red under low temperature or strong light, forming a red "water surface carpet", has nitrogen fixation ability, strong purification ability.
🟡 Rambutan Duckweed
Medium LightReproduction: Fast
Rambutan Duckweed
Red-brown fine dense roots, highly ornamental, but long roots easily tangle in filters, requires regular trimming.
Colorful duckweed world
🌿 2. Other Floating Aquatic Plants     
🟢 Water Lettuce (Pistia) ⭐
Medium LightReproduction: Very Fast
Water Lettuce
Thick leaves with wavy edges, strong shading and purification ability, fast reproduction speed, needs population control.
⚠️ Note: Invasive species in some regions, do not release into natural water bodies
🟡 Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia)
High LightReproduction: Fast
Water Hyacinth
Swollen leaf stalks resembling hyacinth bulbs, produces purple flowers, highly ornamental.
⚠️ Note: National-level invasive plant, recommended only for closed environments, strictly prohibited from release
Broad leaf water lettuce
🌿 3. Plants Often Mistaken as "Duckweed"     
🔴 Water Snowflake (Nymphoides)
High LightCultivation: Needs Rooting
Water Snowflake
Single floating leaf with white flowers, easily mistaken as duckweed. But actually an emergent plant that needs to root in substrate, long-term floating leads to sinking and rotting.
Recommendation: Attach to driftwood/rooting stone for cultivation
🔴 Water Poppy (Limnobium)
High LightCultivation: Needs Rooting
Water Poppy
Tropical emergent plant, prefers hot humid environment, needs to root in mud or substrate, relatively difficult for long-term maintenance in regular aquariums.
🌿 4. Care Tips     
☀️ Lighting
Easy Types
Medium light 6–8 hours sufficient
High Light Types
Azolla, Rabbit Ear Duckweed need stronger light for better color and stable growth
💧 Water Quality
Duckweed prefers still water environments, strong water flow easily breaks apart leaves or causes rotting.
Recommended Parameters:
pH: 6.0–7.5 | Temperature: 20–28℃
🧹 Skimming Frequency
Bowl Duckweed, Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinth have faster reproduction rates.
Recommendation:
Remove about 1/3 weekly, control density, avoid complete surface coverage affecting dissolved oxygen
⚠️ Special Notes
•
Water Snowflake, Water Poppy need rooting points or substrate
•
Salvinia, Purple-back Duckweed tolerate low temperatures, suitable for outdoor or balcony ecological tanks
Beginner care routine
🌿 5. Top 3 Recommendations for Beginners     
🥇
Round Duckweed
Very fast reproduction, purifies water, top choice for beginners
🥈
Sesame Duckweed
Almost no maintenance needed, natural live food for fish and shrimp
🥉
Water Lettuce
Strong shading and purification ability, impressive aquascaping effect
📌 Next Issue Preview
Low-light Plant Series - Thriving without CO2 and strong lighting

Thanks for likes, comments, and recommendations
Any errors or omissions, please correct
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Article Source：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/yVtEKSXD5V-5FfGRkW-Tjw

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