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Thread: Water lettuce size

  1. #1
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    Water lettuce size

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    I bought about 6 large water lettuce the size of my out-stretched palm in June/July. I have observed that the original 6 water lettuce reproduced extremely fast and I now have over 20 water lettuce though they are all small about the half the size of the adult plant. Even the 6 original plants have shed their leaves to the half its size. Below are some pictures to compare.





    Is it nutrient deficient or is it natural? I kept them outside my house with 10 hours of light and they also get some sunlight for about 3-4 hours. The person who sold me the plants kept them in a fibre glass tub with goldfish and hydrophilla difformis with sunlight. He mentioned that it needs sunlight and I do have a UVB bulb running thought its 2 years old and probably need to be changed. Anyone experienced this before?
    Yours Truly, Avan

    I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

    ~ Henry David Thoreau

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    Probably the Watter Lettuce came from outdoors where there's lots of sun and plenty of nutrients. So they grew big. In our tanks, it is different.

    See some similar experience of mine with other floating plants:

    Frogbits: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ead.php?t=5743
    Salvinia: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ead.php?t=5745
    koah fong
    Juggler's tanks

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    I have the same problem with Amazon frogbits. I got some (on 2 occasions) from a generous forumer. Gradually they shrink in size but strangely increase in numbers. They go from say 10 fairly large ones to lots of small bits floating around until I sccop the bits up with a net and give up. I use a hang-on filter and there is a lot of surface disturbance so that could be one reason. The long roots break up. Another reason is fertilising. I have shrimps so I do not fertilise but the giver/forumer recommends it.

    The sun could be another reason as juggler suggests. The giver/forumer has a still tank exposed to the sun while mine bubbles away indoor.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by fisherw View Post
    I have the same problem with Amazon frogbits. I got some (on 2 occasions) from a generous forumer. Gradually they shrink in size but strangely increase in numbers. They go from say 10 fairly large ones to lots of small bits floating around until I sccop the bits up with a net and give up. I use a hang-on filter and there is a lot of surface disturbance so that could be one reason. The long roots break up. Another reason is fertilising. I have shrimps so I do not fertilise but the giver/forumer recommends it.

    The sun could be another reason as juggler suggests. The giver/forumer has a still tank exposed to the sun while mine bubbles away indoor.
    Strange...I have Amazon Frogbits and Salvinia Natans in the same tank with water lettuce and they have multiplied and gotten big, the reverse of your case. If the frogbits are growing big which should mean that nutrients and light should be adequate but strangely my water lettuce multiplies but remain relatively small. The physiology of floating plants is puzzling and I can't seem to find much info on them except those websites portraying them as invasive weeds.

    On a side note my frogbits in a separate tank with much higher light has the same brown tiger stripes as those in Juggler's tanks and the one with lesser light do not have the stripes. Think the reason is either high lights causing the frogbits to show nutrient deficiency or the frogbits is exhibiting protective measure to reduce light intake.
    Yours Truly, Avan

    I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

    ~ Henry David Thoreau

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    As I said, mine just get smaller and smaller till they are not much bigger than the nail on my pinky finger and I get fed up and scoop up the bunch and throw them away.

    I thought it might be the disturbance on the surface and/or insufficient fert. Do you have the same conditions or one of them?

    Never noticed the stripes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by fisherw View Post
    I have the same problem with Amazon frogbits. I got some (on 2 occasions) from a generous forumer. Gradually they shrink in size but strangely increase in numbers. They go from say 10 fairly large ones to lots of small bits floating around until I sccop the bits up with a net and give up. I use a hang-on filter and there is a lot of surface disturbance so that could be one reason. The long roots break up. Another reason is fertilising. I have shrimps so I do not fertilise but the giver/forumer recommends it.

    The sun could be another reason as juggler suggests. The giver/forumer has a still tank exposed to the sun while mine bubbles away indoor.
    Could also be that the shrimps chewing on the plant? My Yamatos chew on the Salvinia.

    BTW - check out some Frogbits I once had. Very long roots!
    http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=10132
    koah fong
    Juggler's tanks

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    Could be. The cherries seem to hang unside down on it. Also hardly any roots to speak of.

    I had a little too many the last time and "fostered" out some to a friend with an outdoor pond. Just returned from there. The frogbits are thriving (more and still large) and took some back. Will be using that as future supply

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    Quote Originally Posted by juggler View Post
    Could also be that the shrimps chewing on the plant? My Yamatos chew on the Salvinia.

    BTW - check out some Frogbits I once had. Very long roots!
    http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=10132
    That is some roots...New breed of frogbits? Monster root frogbits! Interesting to see the flowers too and I hope to see mine flower! I go up my NO3 to see if I can get them to grow faster and flower. No air-con though.
    Yours Truly, Avan

    I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

    ~ Henry David Thoreau

  9. #9
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    Think I found the answer to the water lettuce problem...sodium...

    I have been dosing urine as fert to my tank and forgot that it contains sodium. Water lettuce is sensitive to sodium and think it is reacting to the sodium in my tank water. I have also dosed salt some time back when I suspected fish parasite infection. Think the combination is damaging my plants. I will now stop dosing salt and continue weekly water change and see what happens.
    Yours Truly, Avan

    I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

    ~ Henry David Thoreau

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