Search results for query: duckweed index

...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

...from my understanding Masterline Gold is super light on N and P, I think only 1.0 NO3 and 0.15 PO4 weekly. My tester frogbits for the duckweed index are bright green and multiplying, and I only just added the fish less than a week ago. The Micros I've been able to find is Yaraterra Rexolin...

Unless cost is an absolute non-issue, I would definitely do my own fertilizers for a tank of that size (2400 L). Plenty of threads here on UKAPS on how to roll your own. Check out the IFC Calculator - mentioned above to play around with targets and compounds (dry salts). see above. I would...

Can anyone help me with my questions?

...<"quite a common finding">, but I'm going to say you are now in the right place now. When you have time read through: <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. In terms of plants have a look at the <"Tropica Easy"> range, they are likely to suitable plants for you. Start with a...

Oh damn — how come you're worried about the Otocinclus? Is there not enough biofilm etc for them to eat without extra food? I bought algae wafers for them, so can start feeding that

...plant health and not the algae. The test strips may or may not be right, but I wouldn't rely on them. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about - Testing for fixed nitrogen, the elephant in the room">?. I'd have let it grow in for, at least, another couple of weeks <"And so...

...being mostly slow growers, what is the best fertilizer for me to clone? APT, Tropica, Masterline or maybe EI Low? I'll look into the duckweed index for amount to dose, but which one should I base my mix on? 2. I am able to obtain Magnesium Sulphate for Mg, but for Ca and K it's easier for...

I haven't actually used them yet cause the tank is still cycling and hasn't been planted. I know it's pricey but for a 25L tank I can get around 300 days with the bottle I have, which I think is pretty decent. If it wasn't for the fact that I want to have red plants I would have just used my...

..."wrong" it <"is the cost"> and that is back to the <"World's most expensive water"> contest. This is <"Solufeed 2 : 1 : 4"> at £14 for a kilo of dry salts. In terms of how much fertiliser to add, have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> and <"subsequent posts">. cheers...

There are many misperceptions on CO2 due to the choice of unit. The atmospheric CO2 concentration is currently 422 ppm by volume. The pre industrial concentrations was 280 ppm by volume. The current atmosphere has roughly 21% O2, 79% N2 and merely 0.0422% of CO2 by volume...

...or @Andy Pierce are probably your best bet for a definitive answer. When you don't inject CO2 it is back to <"Henry' s law">, and the Duckweed Index was originally developed for low tech, before I knew that adding CO2 was a "thing". I can say definitively that low tech plants grow better...

426 ppm CO2 in air is expressed by volume. 1 to 30 ppm CO2 in water is expressed by weigh. Unit conversion from by volume to by weight is not simple. Parts Per Million (ppm) Converter. My calculation shows that 426 ppm CO2 by volume is equivalent to 826 mg /m3 or 0.826 mg/l by weight in...

Hi all, That is why I chose a floating plant for the <"Duckweed Index">, it removes one variable. Plants always have access to <"426 ppm of atmospheric CO2"> and it never runs out. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Exactly the same for me, the <"the coffee not the froth" >and that has <"cut straight to the chase"> and is also a perfect summary of the <"Duckweed Index">. cheers Darrel

...personal point of view one of the reasons I want to <"understand the chemistry"> is that it allows me to answer questions about the <"Duckweed Index">, <"fertilisers">, <"cycling and nitrification"> etc. with accuracy and without <"misleading any-one">. That is it really, <"KISS solutions">...

...way. All <"the measuring"> and <"heavy lifting"> is done by the plant / microbe biofiltration. I'm probably absurdly proud of the <"Duckweed Index">. I think it works by <"deskilling aquarium keeping">, and that is honestly a good thing, because it allows more people (including beginners) to...

Yes that would be a good idea. But it’s a balancing act between light intensity and fertz dosing. It's one you’ll get the hang of with experience. Once the tank has become established it is possible to slowly increase the photoperiod to 12 hours. For frets dosing take a look at Darrel’s Duck...

Hi all, That is one of the advantages of a fertiliser <"designed for hydroponics etc."> it has to "work", or the company that made it, and the growers who used it, would have gone out of business. Have a look at <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. cheers Darrel

Would you say now is a good time to trim the monte carlo or should I wait a couple weeks for it to grow a bit fuller? Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

...is potentially an <"order of magnitude"> more efficient than <"microbe only"> biofiltration. I actually started down the <"Duckweed Index"> route when we were doing work with <"waste water"> and it occurred to me that if you could <"use phytoremediation"> to vastly improve the water quality...

I have to do daily water changes for several months ?!. Damn I knew I should have been patient and continued the dark start Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

...of fixed nitrogen, via uncontrolled release from the controlled release fertiliser. You can see plant growth, and that is why the <"Duckweed Index"> works, the plants can't lie. * You are unlikely to have 1 mg / L (ppm) nitrite (NO2-) in your tap water as the <"regulatory limit is 0.5...

Hi all, Just an unknown really, that's why I recommend a visual method like the <"Pink Tint"> and / or <"Duckweed Index">. It doesn't tell you how much plant available iron (Fe) you have, but it tells you <"you have some">, and that is actually all you need to know. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, Mainly by visual and inferential methods <"What’s everyone’s thoughts on aquarium testing kits (Newbie)">- <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. A lot of the parameters, <"that we are interested in">, are difficult to <"measure accurately">, but where <"they aren't">? I try and...

Hi all, Yes, like a cross between a health supplement business and an <"unborn child sex prediction service"> - "you get your money back if we predict the wrong sex for your baby". The commercial issue with solutions like <"live food">, <"rain water">, using your <"tap water as a...

Hi all, That is one advantage of the <"Duckweed Index">, you just need a floating plant that grows happily in your tank <"Giant duckweed - Spirodella polyrhyza"> & <"Id on floating plant">. The actual plant isn't that important, just that it has floating leaves and grows happily under your...

Hi all, That is an advantage of a dry salt straight away, you aren't paying for any added water. I'm <"proud of it"> and it works. I want people to keep planted tanks, both because I like plants (I'm a botanist by training), but also because they make fish keeping a lot easier and more...

...: I will aim for 50µs. It will take several WCs but I don't want to shock my fish. I actually have read many of your posts on the duckweed index and it seems to be the smartest method when going lowtech. I have salvinia natans wich I understand is not the best to apply this method. I will...

...accurate nitrate (NO3-) levels <"that led to the development"> (independently) of both <"Duckweed"> and Estimative Indices. The great advantage of the Duckweed Index <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?"> is you just have to watch the plants and keep them in (limited) growth. cheers Darrel

...so I will probably exchange at some point. Week 22ish added floating plants to try to limit light in the mid ground and for the duckweed index when I start needing to dose. BBA is a thing, particularly on the lava rock near the inlet outlet and some crypt leaf edges and more annoyingly the...

...No, not at all, a floating plant takes CO2 out of the equation, but one of the great advantages of Amazon Frogbit is that it has a <"very flexible growth response to nutrients"> and you can use the <"Duckweed Index"> with both <"lean dosing"> or <"with EI"> type nutrient levels. cheers Darrel

How does the "duckweed" index account for nitrogen developing in nutrient soil? The soil may be rich in organic matter, but the test for nitrate and other nitrogenous compounds will show 0..So this index is only suitable for keeping a plant aquarium on neutral ground (not for soil)? If the...

Hi all, Red green colour blindness does add another <"layer of complexity">. I think so, they look paler green, that could just be a <"lesser need for chlorophyll"> or it could be the start of chlorosis (below). Certainly true, judging leaf colour is definitely easier with a larger leaf...

Hi all, I think that makes perfect sense. One of the advantages of my <"original duckweed (Lemna minor)"> was that its faster growth rate allowed a quicker diagnosis of nutrient deficiency (and their subsequent recovery). As you have both old and new "duckweeds", what does your Lemna look...

There is an interesting thing about the duckweed index though that I noticed. I always had fewer problems with the frogbit in my 900L tank than in the other ones. I suspected that it might be the different lighting intensity. On the 900l tank, I have much less light than on the 120 - and 160L...

Thanks for your answer Darrel! I just measured the concentration (Fe) and it's still 0.3 ppm. In my provided fertilizer the iron is dosed separately and it's DTPA. My water is soft at 1-2 KH and 7 GH with a Ph of 7.1 dropping to 6.0 after a day of CO2. Is just somewhat higher dosing a good...

Hi all, That definitely looks to be an iron (Fe) deficiency, small, pale (chlorotic), new leaves are <"pretty diagnostic">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS, hopefully we can offer you good advice. Have a look at the <"Duckweed Index thread">, linked in my signature, it separates the <"important bits"> from the less important bits. Cheers Darrel

...the optimal spectral distribution team... just as I joined the lean fertilizer team after being extremely skeptical initially, or the no bio filtermedia team or the duckweed index team... (those ones didn't take much persuasion though) ... well, as long as it works! right.. :) Cheers, Michael

...category wont require much light. Some stems absolutely prefer high light... if you plan for a good coverage of floating plants (see Duckweed index) you may need to run it higher even, so it really depends. Personally, I keep my lights fairly moderate to low.... it's really one of those...