Duckweed and floating plants

[dino21]

Hi,

We all know that submerged plants give out O2 and Co2 into the water, but what about floaters ?
Do their roots or the underside of the plant that is in contact with the water put any meaningful O2/Co2 into the water or do they even extract it ? eg too many floaters could lead to O2 depletion during the day ?
( more a question relating to ponds but interested to know if it has any effect in a tank )

 

[MichaelJ]

Hi,

We all know that submerged plants give out O2 and Co2 into the water, but what about floaters ?
Do their roots or the underside of the plant that is in contact with the water put any meaningful O2/Co2 into the water or do they even extract it ? eg too many floaters could lead to O2 depletion during the day ?
( more a question relating to ponds but interested to know if it has any effect in a tank )

@dino21 Excellent question! Floaters are not CO2 limited because of their direct contact with the air and the roots will draw in nutritions from the water column which also gives you a direct indication of your nutrients/fertilizer situation, but no idea about underside of the leaves and the rest of the dynamics. Cant wait to learn more.
Cheers,
Michael