Invasive water lettuce

[Magnum Man]

1st off I love this stuff in my tank, & I've not had very good luck with many floaters, as most of my tanks have a high flow rate, but it's easy to see how this stuff can be so invasive… this patch has doubled in 2 weeks…. Perfect for the aquarium, with maintenance and if you wanted to sell some, but easy to see how it would choke up natural waterways if left unchecked

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello Magnum. This plant is very good for the water. It acts as a filter and the roots will extend to the bottom of the tank given enough time. A perfect hiding place for fry of any sort. I have this plant in a 50 gallon and it has taken over the tank. I just leave it. The Buenos Aires Tetras are happy in a lot of it.

10

 

[Alice B]

but if it got loose in a Texas waterway and a trail back to your pond was followed by Parks and Wildlife it might be one of those $1000 per plant fines

 

[Magnum Man]

Just a reminder, that pretty much any plant that we grow in an aquarium, will grow really well in the right ( or wrong ) natural environment... just like pond snails seem to come from no where, just one sprig of some of these plants if lost outside during cleaning or whatever, could end up plugging up a natural waterway in your neighborhood

 

[Magnum Man]

One might think... this won't grow here ( I live in Minnesota ) we have winters here... but common Duckweed thrives here in all our lakes... it sinks to the bottom during the winter, & in essence hibernates over the winter, to grow like crazy again in the spring & summer... one never knows what survival methods plants or fish are capable of

 

[Tacocat]

One might think... this won't grow here ( I live in Minnesota ) we have winters here... but common Duckweed thrives here in all our lakes... it sinks to the bottom during the winter, & in essence hibernates over the winter, to grow like crazy again in the spring & summer... one never knows what survival methods plants or fish are capable of

In Canada our harbours get chock full of all sorts of invasive plants from the aquarium industry. Also the people who release goldfish are really scumbags because those things damage the ecosystem and are really good at reproducing and staying there. There's a giant koi in the harbour that jumps every now and then and spooks us all.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello again. Here's the Water Lettuce in my outdoor tank a summer or so ago. It likes filtered light. The tank has a pergola above it, so the sun doesn't hit the plant directly for very long.

10