A way to naturally get rid of duckweed?? Veronica beccabunga?

[WhistlingBadger]

We have speedwell around here, usually in irrigation ditches. A lot of people call it water forget-me-not. I didn't realize it was invasive. it's a very pretty plant, probably too coarse and tall for most aquariums. It would make a most excellent pond plant, especially if it is native to your area. An added benefit is that you would get to use the word "beccabunga" when talking about your pond. This alone would be enough reason for me to have this plant.

Diane Walstad talks alot about allelopathy. Plants release chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby plants. I'm not a biologist, but from what I've read, it is a proven fact that land plants do this, but even with land plants it is poorly understood. Water plants are a lot harder to nail down, chemically speaking. It seems reasonable to assume that water plants use allelochemicals, but we we really don't know for sure. Competition for nutrients does explain much, but not all, of what we see.

 

[StevenF]

Diane Walstad talks alot about allelopathy. Plants release chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby plants. I'm not a biologist, but from what I've read, it is a proven fact that land plants do this, but even with land plants it is poorly understood.

One plant was identified as having the allelopathy properties in the southwest desert of the US. No grass would grow around it. However later it was found that rodents were chewing up the grass to get to the seads released by the plant. When the plant was grown in the lab there was no evidence of Allopathy.

Todays modern lab equipment can detect chemicals at extremely small levels. The agriculture industry spent millions looking for Allopathy chemicals. They wanted to synthesis it and sell it to farmers. they never found the chemical. Most current research indicates that some plants can outcompete other plants by growing faster, consuming nutrients and water faster or by blocking the lights. IN short the plant the genetics best suited to the environment wins and dominates.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

One plant was identified as having the allelopathy properties in the southwest desert of the US. No grass would grow around it. However later it was found that rodents were chewing up the grass to get to the seads released by the plant. When the plant was grown in the lab there was no evidence of Allopathy.

Todays modern lab equipment can detect chemicals at extremely small levels. The agriculture industry spent millions looking for Allopathy chemicals. They wanted to synthesis it and sell it to farmers. they never found the chemical. Most current research indicates that some plants can outcompete other plants by growing faster, consuming nutrients and water faster or by blocking the lights. IN short the plant the genetics best suited to the environment wins and dominates.

Yeah, I've read about that study. It seems that there are a few proven examples of allelopathy, but only a few. It seems to be a suspected but largely unproven concept.

 

[StevenF]

'd go one step further. Each tank (or body of water) develops its own unique biology. I have thriving frogbit in 3 of my tanks and cannot keep it alive in the fourth (that one has salvinia). In 2 of my tanks I have spidergrass doing really well and I cannot get it to take in the other 2.

I do know that the pH is quite different in each of these tanks. For 3 of them there is no obvious explanation (I do raise the KH in the shrimp tank) and I am not going to try to find out why this is the case.

A PH difference is a good indication that the water chemistry and nutrient levels are different in your tanks.

 

[Alice B]

I'd go one step further. Each tank (or body of water) develops its own unique biology. I have thriving frogbit in 3 of my tanks and cannot keep it alive in the fourth (that one has salvinia). In 2 of my tanks I have spidergrass doing really well and I cannot get it to take in the other 2. Since my hobby is keeping fish,and the plants are only there for their benefit I don't stress about this or try to analyse why. If it works it stays, otherwise it doesn't.

I do know that the pH is quite different in each of these tanks. For 3 of them there is no obvious explanation (I do raise the KH in the shrimp tank) and I am not going to try to find out why this is the case.

Where frogbit is my only plant it does well in my tanks, granted I am medium to low light, but I have these giant anubias and when they take off competition seems limited to crypts that get pellet food by their roots. Frogbit vanishes

 

[Alice B]

Yeah, I've read about that study. It seems that there are a few proven examples of allelopathy, but only a few. It seems to be a suspected but largely unproven concept.

Is walnut tree allelopathy a real thing?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Is walnut tree allelopathy a real thing?

I've read that it is, but haven't researched it extensively.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

If you need to get rid of duckweed I recommend a WW II surplus flame thrower.

At my last club meeting I bought a bag of frogbit. I did not pay attention and the next day I discovered it was full of duck weed. I spent between 45 minutes and an hour removing every last piece f duckweed before I put the frogbit into tanks.

I refuse to do Java moss any more for similar reasons. I had a piece of that stuff root int a patch of algae on the side glass of a smaller tank.

U.S. WWII M2-2 Flamethrower Also Kills Duckweed​