# How do you keep floating plants away from your filter?



## ashleigheperry

Do you block the plants or baffle the filter?
My 20G community is planted with a baffled filter but when I added duckweed it turned into a snowglobe. The current is still too strong and circulates the plants, pushing them under the water. I love the look of tanks with floating plants but I'm getting disheartened - nothing I'm doing is working. Any suggestions?


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## mersf559

maybe not stick with floating plants?
possibly adjust the filter flow or filter settings on your filter, depending on what filter you may have.


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## ashleigheperry

Well I have plenty of other plants I just really wanted to add floating ones because they're lovely to look at. I don't think my filter is adjustable but I'll have to double check. It's fairly new so I can't remember. Thanks for the suggestion!


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## lilyth88

My sponge filter just pushes my duckweed aside.


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## colorxmexravyne

I've found that with common duckweed, it's just nearly impossible to keep it away from the filter. that's actually how I "got rid" of it - it all got sucked into the filter and I found it when I decided to rinse the filter media.

I think most floating plants like still water. a combination of turning your filter down on the lowest setting and baffling it should help tremendously. I did the same thing and now the entire surface of my 5 gallon is covered in salvinia minima and my 2.5 gallons are almost completely covered in amazon frogbit & giant duckweed that came from that very same tank.

also, if at all possibly, try to physically keep your floating plant in the area of your tank that's furthest from the current produced by your filter. that should help out as well.


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## Gallium

Take a bit of airline tubing and seal it in a large circle or oval and place that around the filter outlets. Floaters like duckweed, frogbit, DWL, etc won't be able to pass the airline tubing on the surface. This is what I do in most of my tanks with surface floaters. 

If you mean floating like anachris getting sucked into the filter intake, I sewed a hairband into a clean, cut pantyhose and I slip it over my intake. It prevents baby shrimp and fish from getting sucked up as well, I just peel mine off weekly and replace with a new one.


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