{"product_id":"lesser-duckweed","title":"Lesser Duckweed | Lemna minor","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eLesser Duckweed is the tiny, free-floating plant that carpets the surface of ponds the world over. Each plant is barely a few millimetres across, yet together they form a living green blanket that soaks up nutrients, shades the tank and gives fry and shy fish cover. Easy to the point of being unstoppable – and honestly, hard to get rid of once it settles in.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNatural Habitat\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eLemna minor is found across temperate and tropical regions worldwide, including Australia, drifting on the still and slow-moving surfaces of ponds, ditches, dams and backwaters. It thrives wherever the water is nutrient-rich and the surface calm. In the aquarium it simply floats, needing no substrate and no attachment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach plant is a single flat, oval green frond 2–5 mm across, with one fine root trailing beneath. En masse they form a bright green surface film. There is no real height to speak of – it is a surface plant – and the portion supplied is a starter clump that multiplies rapidly to cover the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePlacement and Aquascaping\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA floating plant for the water surface. Simply scatter it on top; it needs no planting. Bear in mind it spreads fast and can block light to plants below and interfere with surface gas exchange, so thin it regularly and keep it away from tanks where you are growing demanding carpets. Surface flow will push it into drifts, which some aquarists use to keep one area clear.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePlanting and Propagation\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo planting – just float it. Propagation happens on its own: each frond buds off new fronds, doubling its numbers in days under good light. To manage it, simply scoop out the excess with a net; the removed plants make excellent food for goldfish, cichlids and poultry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCare Requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eUndemanding – it grows under low to high light, though brighter light drives faster spread, and needs no CO2. It feeds heavily on nutrients in the water, which makes it a useful tool against algae and excess nitrate. Comfortable across a wide temperature range of roughly 15–28 °C and most pH and hardness levels. Growth is fast, so the main task is thinning it, not feeding it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpecies Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLemna minor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLesser Duckweed, Common Duckweed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCosmopolitan (including Australia)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Height\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSurface plant (fronds 2–5 mm)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGrowth Rate\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFast\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBeginner\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlacement\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFloating\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLighting\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLow to High\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCO2 Requirement\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot required\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFertilisation\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFeeds from the water column (no dosing needed)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater Temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e15–28 °C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e6.0–8.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2–20 dGH\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePropagation\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBudding (vegetative division)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSalinity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable (freshwater)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuitable For\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNutrient control, fry cover, shade for shy fish, live food\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSuitable Tank Mates\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eLoved by fry and surface-dwellers for cover, and safe with virtually all fish and shrimp. Goldfish, cichlids and many other fish will happily graze it, which can be a feature rather than a fault.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAvoid Keeping With\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot a fish problem so much as a management one: avoid it over demanding carpet plants and in tanks with strong surface agitation where it drifts and clogs. Never release it into ponds or waterways – it spreads aggressively, so bin or compost excess. Fish that eat it, like goldfish, will simply keep it in check.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAustralian-grown aquarium plants for in-store collection or local delivery. Sold sizes\/portions reflect what we stock; anything shown as sold out will return as we restock.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick's Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55234106753315,"sku":"BA9057","price":5.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/lesser-duckweed-43078124011811-v2.webp?v=1790321588","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/lesser-duckweed","provider":"Nicks AOT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}