[DavidB]

I have seen duckweed mentioned in connection with preparing a tank for spawning (bettas).

I am curious: what role does duckweed play in making a tank spawning-friendly? Do the fry eat it? Does the weed produce some chemicals that help the fry?

Also, where can I find duckweed? Island Pets and Petcetera are the two closest stores in my neighborhood, but I can't recall ever seeing it offered there. Any suggestions as to where I could get some?

 

[imtrippedup]

david, the benefits of duckweed for betta spawning:

male uses it to make a bubble nest under
produces little daphnia things for young fry to eat

im sure there are many members here that have duckweed and can give you a handful of it free

 

[Claudia]

I have some I am 4 blocks from Coquitlam center and 2 blocks from Mr Pets

 

[Morainy]

I have duckweed! I'm near Children's hospital.
Water lettuce could probably do the same thing, I have some of that too.

Duckweed multiplies rapidly, by the way.

 

[Scholz]

I found that the duck weed is awesome for the fry!

It harbours alot of infusoria and other good things... When the fry hatch they really are too small to eat BBS unless you have sanfransico bay brine shrimp and even then...

Also An indian almond leaf and some moss to java or otherwise... These all harbour and premote infusoria and paramecia and rotifers... All good things.... let the tank age with this stuff in there for a while.... I cycled my tank too which most breeders don't I'm glad I did.... It has a snad substrate, I placed a cd case under the nest so the eggs wouldn't be lost in the sand. I think the male would have found these even with out this step but just makes it easyer for him.

My fry didn't eat anything but what they found in the tank for at least 4 to 5 days.....

My fry live right under the duck weed and bearly ever swimto the depths of the tank. When I feed I find it helps keep the food from sinking to the bottom. Gently place drops on top of the duck weed.

Try to keep the duck weed out of the bubble nest if you can.

 

[DavidB]

Thanks for all the replies.

Duckweed is one of the items on my shopping list for creating a five-star Betta resort, the other items being Indian Almond Leaf, peat, live food, and an extremely small filter.

Too bad IPU doesn't carry some of these specialized items, although I don't use enough myself to justify a store stocking much of it. (They have been getting Blackworms, and I have gotten it a few times, but even the smallest portion is way more than enough for a couple weeks for my three tanks).

 

[davej]

I am in port Moody, if you want some duck weed come and get it. I have it in my shrimp tank and throw out 2 or 3 cups of it every month.