New Member with Duckweed problem

[John Watson]

First of all, let me say that I am a new member,soon to be 65, with 2 (or 3) ponds of small size. I have one pond about 50 gallons just outside my back door. It has a small waterfall to supply the bubbling sound that calms us as we com and go. It has 8 or 10 fantail goldfish.

My second pond is really 2 ponds in one. The first pond is in a self-made "hill" surrounded by decorator blocks that flows down into the larger pond below. The upper pond has only goldfish while the lower pond has Koi and Goldfish. These two ponds are infested with duckweed.

I have had ponds most of my life, and have never had this problem before. How can I eliminate the duckweed without harming my fish? Any ideas would be most appreciated.

John W.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

My goldfish usually eat the duckweed so it never gets a chance to take over the pond. I actually grow it in aquariums in the house and bring it out to feed the pond fish.

Have your tried netting some of it out?

 

[Becky]

Sorry to hear you've been having troubles but welcome aboard!

 

[John Watson]

My goldfish usually eat the duckweed so it never gets a chance to take over the pond. I actually grow it in aquariums in the house and bring it out to feed the pond fish.

Have your tried netting some of it out?

I have been trying to net it out, but it appears to be similar to sweeping back the tide with a broom. Maybe I can start packaging it and selling it as fish food. <g> But if my fish are eating it, I don't see any evidence of it.

 

[John Watson]

Sorry to hear you've been having troubles but welcome aboard!

Well, Thank You! It's good to be here.

 

[shakaho]

It sells for a good price. Are you sure it is duckweed and not some other small floating plant? Have you tried feeding it to the goldfish in the other pond?

You might try not feeding for a day or two. It won't hurt your fish, but it might get them to try the duckweed.

 

[John Watson]

I am sure it is duckweed. And I am definitely NOT going to try feeding it to my other pond! <g> They are duckweed free at the moment.

 

[shakaho]

Would you be willing to do this? Pull a goldfish from the duckweed pond. Put it in a tub with duckweed and don't feed it. Once the fish is eating the duckweed, put it back in its pond. Goldfish play follow the leader when it comes to feeding. If one fish eats duckweed, the other just have to try it.

 

[CometKeith]

Welcome John! My fish gobble up duckweed the few times I have bought it. That would be weird to have so much of it that I couldn't get rid of it! Can you post a picture of the 2 ponds with the problem? That might be helpful.

 

[addy1]

My fish inhale it, I had some at one time, it disappeared quickly

 

[Mmathis]

I can't keep duckweed -- it gets eaten like crazy! I like Shakaho's suggestion -- couldn't hurt, as you wouldn't be transferring any DW, just the fish.

Would you be willing to do this? Pull a goldfish from the duckweed pond. Put it in a tub with duckweed and don't feed it. Once the fish is eating the duckweed, put it back in its pond. Goldfish play follow the leader when it comes to feeding. If one fish eats duckweed, the other just have to try it.

 

[j.w]

John

My fish are duckweed hogs. I have to ration it to them from a tub where I let it multiply.

 

[JohnHuff]

How can I eliminate the duckweed without harming my fish? Any ideas would be most appreciated.

I've found this to be very useful:

When I first inherited my pond, I had loads of duckweed like floating plants. They multiplied so much that I had to put feeding rings in the summer. They literally covered up the pond and worse, they seemed to shed. So one day, I just netted them all out and surprisingly, despite me missing some here and there, they never came back.