# getting duckweed without the snails?



## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

i've always loved duckweed (ive never actually had live plants in my tank, i just like the way it looks) and i saw some in my mothers pond. she said i could take some but there are 2 problems. first i'm pretty sure there are snails in there (there was a few years ago, found out the hard way when my sister took some plants for her aquarium) and second her pond is what i would consider "aids water" it has a filter but there is no maintenance done on it at all (there isn't anything alive in there except for possibly snails, my mom just likes it to grow aquatic plants).

so how do i get the duckweed without getting snails or without getting the aids water in my tank?


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

You can quarantine the duckweed before adding it your tank. Rinse in fresh water and put it in a bucket/tub/whatever filled with clean chlorinated water. Keep an eye on it for a couple weeks and check daily for snails. Remove any you find.


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

SplashyBetta said:


> You can quarantine the duckweed before adding it your tank. Rinse in fresh water and put it in a bucket/tub/whatever filled with clean chlorinated water. Keep an eye on it for a couple weeks and check daily for snails. Remove any you find.


oh i should have mentioned this, i don't have a colander or strainer, so i'm not sure how to rinse it?


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

Alum is supposed to kill snail eggs that is one solution. I've also rinsed duckweed in a very mild diluted bleach solution and then rinsed it well, use Prime and quarantined for two weeks. Plants should be quarantined anyway. You don't have to put duckweed in a special container btw. I've grown it in clear food containers in window.


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

thank you!


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Do you know what kind of snails they are? Theres a few snail species that are common in ponds that are beneficial to have in aquariums.


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

AquaPlayz said:


> Do you know what kind of snails they are? Theres a few snail species that are common in ponds that are beneficial to have in aquariums.


i can't remember, it was probably about 5 years ago. i don't know if the snails are even alive anymore though. i wouldn't be that upset if i got snails in my tank though, but i really want a nerite for algae control.


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Ok, if they look like trumpet snails or mystery snails they are good but still need to be quarantined.


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

AquaPlayz said:


> Ok, if they look like trumpet snails or mystery snails they are good but still need to be quarantined.


i love trumpet snails! but i would be a little surprised if those were in my moms pond. she doesn't have a heater or anything so i don't think they would survive the winters.


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## TerriGtoo (Jul 2, 2013)

A safer alternative would be to check themarketplace on this site. Someone may have clean duckweed from their maintained tanks that you could get inexpensively. Maybe just paying shippng even. Just a thought.


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

I have wild trumpet snails, I don't know there exact name but are exactly like mts but get alittle bigger


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

AquaPlayz said:


> I have wild trumpet snails, I don't know there exact name but are exactly like mts but get alittle bigger


i didn't know there was such a thing! what kind of environment do they prefer?


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

TerriGtoo said:


> A safer alternative would be to check themarketplace on this site. Someone may have clean duckweed from their maintained tanks that you could get inexpensively. Maybe just paying shippng even. Just a thought.


i did think about that but i don't have a ton of extra money right now, and i was debating about using the marketplace for some other things. thank you for the suggestion though


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

I find them in swamp, springs and lakes alot of vegetation and a sand substrate is best, they burrow in substrate which helps alot with gas bubbles and uneaten food.


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

AquaPlayz said:


> I find them in swamp, springs and lakes alot of vegetation and a sand substrate is best, they burrow in substrate which helps alot with gas bubbles and uneaten food.


i will have to try that sometime!


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Cool, they also do eat some alga but not much


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## wildmountainthyme (Jul 13, 2015)

I bought some hornwort online and the seller said there may be hitchhikers. I put it in a spare container with water and some salt for about 5-10 minutes. Then I took it out and put back in the container with fresh water.

After the first rinse 2 tiny snails fell out. The 2nd rinse was just to double check. I've since added it to my tanks with no hitchhikers along for the ride.


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## Strawberry12 (Mar 6, 2015)

charliegill110 said:


> oh i should have mentioned this, i don't have a colander or strainer, so i'm not sure how to rinse it?



dollar store strainer?


I have some duckweed I could send you for a couple bucks, there may be snails but they're normal ramshorn or trumpet snails in my healthy tank.


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

Strawberry12 said:


> dollar store strainer?
> 
> 
> I have some duckweed I could send you for a couple bucks, there may be snails but they're normal ramshorn or trumpet snails in my healthy tank.


i actually used a fish net from my tank, no idea why i didn't think of that sooner haha. and thank you but no thank you.


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