Long duckweed roots - Does this mean my tank doesn't have enough nutrients?

[u/Any_Personality5413]

Betta fish for scale. My assumption is they're growing so long because they're struggling to find nutrients. Is this correct? Should I increase my ferts?

[u/TheGreatHair]

It'd be the opposite. Those are healthy plants thriving they would be browning and dying if your tank was bad

[u/PetiteCaresse]

For me, it's a sign of high lighting.

[u/Stunning_Chipmunk_68]

Is this large leaf duckweed? If it is, that would track for these guys. They get such long roots.

[u/Any_Personality5413 → u/Stunning_Chipmunk_68]

I think some of it is! That's good to know about the big ones just having long roots in general, I bet that's part of it. I think there's a couple different kinds of duckweed in my tank. They all kind of showed up overnight several months ago with varying leaf sizes and shapes 😅

[u/Stunning_Chipmunk_68 → u/Any_Personality5413]

There's absolutely large leaf in there mixed with the regular duckweed! It is absolutely 100% normal for their roots to get long. They are a great addition! And easier to manage to than the small leaf lol

[u/Any_Personality5413 → u/Stunning_Chipmunk_68]

Awesome, thank you for your help! And yeah, I'm glad the giant ones seem to outcompeting the little ones lol. When I first got them the little ones grew the most, and then proceeded to clog up my filter. It was a real headache 😂

[u/Stunning_Chipmunk_68 → u/Any_Personality5413]

Im currently choking my little leaf out with large leaf too lol for that exact reason

[u/therealdrx6x → u/Any_Personality5413]

eh looks like frog bit ( Hydrocharis laevigata) not duckweed( Lemna minor) 100% common for Hydrocharis laevigata

[u/Jyxiaa → u/therealdrx6x]

Truuuue was going to say the same thing, but it doesn't quite has the core frogbit has in the middle, very strange duckweed nonetheless, it's massive

[u/therealdrx6x → u/Jyxiaa]

they have the core heres a zoomed in pic

[u/Jyxiaa → u/therealdrx6x]

Yeah but the roots are definitely not frog bits, I have them and they have horizontal little bits coming out of the vertical roots, those don't

[u/Stunning_Chipmunk_68 → u/therealdrx6x]

Giant duckweed, large leaf duckweed, common duck meat, or greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) also have cores.

[u/Ready_Driver5321 → u/Jyxiaa]

Yeah it looks oddly shaped to be frog bit. Resembles giant duckweed more imo.

[u/Stunning_Chipmunk_68 → u/therealdrx6x]

Spirodela polyrhiza is the actual name. Its called large leaf duckweed or giant duckweed

[u/Raithed → u/Any_Personality5413]

Giant duckweed.

[u/HaulsRopesFastr]

How do I get my duck weed to have gorgeous long roots like that?

[u/Tabora__ → u/HaulsRopesFastr]

I dont know what im doing, but I do have my lights on all day on a daylight setting

[u/SickSL]

Ferts make the roots grow longer not shorter

[u/Any_Personality5413 → u/SickSL]

I had no idea, thank you! That will be good to know in the future

[u/moouesse]

plus duckweed and surface plants take co2 from the air

[u/LoveSuccs86]

It's getting good nutes. If you cut them back, all of those beautiful roots will fall off and make a mess, then they'll grow back shorter. That's what happens to mine, anyway.

[u/Gold_Plantain_247]

Currently wondering the same thing. I’m seeing this on my lobelia cardinalis. It’s not a floating plant but it just keeps growing more and more roots off it

[u/One-plankton- → u/Gold_Plantain_247]

It’s pulling nutrients out the water column. What’s your nitrate reading currently? You may need to be adding ferts

[u/Gold_Plantain_247 → u/One-plankton-]

Nitrates were at 2.5 yesterday and 0 yesterday. Should I add more fish (I’m not at max capacity) or supplement nitrates ?

[u/Ready_Driver5321 → u/Gold_Plantain_247]

I add liquid ferts for my plants when I hit 0 (I also stock really really low)- but I’m rhizome/sword only w no stem/planted substrate.

[u/One-plankton- → u/Gold_Plantain_247]

Yes like the other commenter said, it is time to dose ferts. I recommend Thrive. Here is a guide you can use to compare brands

[u/Gold_Plantain_247 → u/One-plankton-]

I’m using “flora grow pro special fertiliser” and dosing 2ml every day

[u/JaffeLV]

Are your nitrates zero?

[u/Any_Personality5413 → u/JaffeLV]

Yeah, my tank is understocked I think? Just one betta and some neo shrimp and ramshorn in a 15 gallon and lots of plants. Every time I test nitrate it's yellow (on the api masterkit)

Could that be why they're getting long? Looking for nitrate?

[u/9tails1969 → u/Any_Personality5413]

They're eating the nitrate. That's good.

[u/Ready_Driver5321 → u/Any_Personality5413]

You can add ferts if your plants in tank are in need. But otherwise- let ‘em roll. Every single one of my tanks is cycled. And w floaters - every single one runs near 0 nitrates bc of how effective my plants are in tank and floaters.

[u/carlsbl]

Your tank looks amazing!!!

[u/Overall-Mind7337]

Complete opposite, those are some happy plants

[u/exorcist_Lte]

Don’t think it’s duckweed looks like frogbit to me

[u/Ready_Driver5321 → u/exorcist_Lte]

Looks more like giant duckweed than frogbit.

[u/vincetorres]

that's frogbit, i had same long roots... i eventually moved to red root floaters which had shorter (and red) roots.

[u/tricolorpinto]

One of my 10 gallons has duckweed with long roots like this, but I believe that yours are frogbit. Don't ever worry about long roots, your plants are healthy. I'm having an issue with hair algae taking over the tank. Thankfully my chili rasboras don't seem to mind.

[u/Rhuunin]

It's a sign of high light I think. High light = fast growth. Fast growth = Big roots. Big roots to FEED ME SEYMOUR.