DuckWeed or Water Lettuce

[new fish lover]

I am trying to find a plant to put into my African Cichlid Tank (Lake Malawi, Mbuna's). I want something to help control the nitrates and something that my Mbuna's will like to eat. Someone suggested Duckweed or Water Lettuce. I am unsure what they are.

 

[Da_Oz]

This is just IMO. Duckweed is not a good plant for tanks, or even ponds for that matter. It spreads very fast and is very hard to kill off when you get it started unlike 99% of other plants. Water Lettuce is a larger free floating plant. Most ponds have them and are good for water filtering. They free float around the tank and if your hood sets low on the water it will not work in a tank.

If you just want it for filtering I would look into hornwort it is a fast grower and uses alot of nitrate to grow. It also releases a anti algae chemical. But the fish normaly don't eat on it.

I am not sure why you want plants that your fish will eat. I know it is nice to have a back up food for them but some plants get ate by fish in one day, and if your paying 1 what ever for plants and .05 whatever for food isn't this a high cost food. For ex a 9 inch pacu can eat a med size sword plant to death in 24 hours and where I live that is a $3.50 plant. And will eat one a day till all gone.

 

[Silly me]

Duck weed is a free floating plant that is found in almost every pond I know of.. I have some in every tank I have and it spread so easy I cant seem to get rid of it..

I also know it controls algae by releasing something in the water, that is also limiting other plant growth so weekly water changes is a must if you want to add these to a planted tank..

 

[Lateral Line]

The very hard alkali conditions of Lake Malawi are quite harsh. The vast majority of commonly available aquarium plants will not grow in those conditions. Those that will, will not grow quickly enough to use nitrates in a really useful quantity.

The only aquatic plant I saw growing in Lake Malawi when I was there was Potamogeton schweinfurthii. I have seen other Potamogeton species growing in temperate chalk streams. Java Fern will tolerate the conditions. For a fast grower in these conditions, under good light, try Egeria densa.