Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Is the amount of duckweed that can grow on the surface of a tank in full sunlight, enough to sustain a lightly stocked fish tank?

This is mostly hypothetical, but would the amount of surface duckweed be in theory enough to feed it's inhabitants, not enough or not nearly enough?

I'm not talking about heavily farmed fish here, more the amount of space you'd give to your fish if they were pets.

From what I have heard. Duckweed by itself is not a complete diet for a fish. They need other nutrients also. As to your other questions that would likely depend on the type of fish you were referring to. The surface area of the tank in question. Stocking density and size of said fish. The given amount of sunlight on the tank. Then you would have to remember that the duckweed would sap all of the nutrients from the system so growing anything else in your system would likely result in nutrient deficiencies.

Seems like Duckweed has all the essential amino acids for fish but is slightly deficient in Taurine. Some researcher chap found that combining vegetable pellets with Taurine proved a complete food for carnivorous fish.

Duckweed and Redbulls all round!

You might be interested in some of these articles...
http://www.meatupdate.csiro.au/infoshee ... 0Diets.pdf

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-11/c ... od/5384678

http://phys.org/news/2012-11-fish-susta ... lture.html

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-0 ... riped-bass

One of the biggest issues is getting carnivorous fish to want to eat their vegies - a bit like teenagers

Thank you very much, the last article is the one I was referring to and is particularly interesting. Fishes just need veggies and taurine it seems.

I'm going to try feeding them on duckweed and micro crustaceans like freshwater amphipods. Gonna plants a load of java moss at the bottom of the tank and effectively build some "insect hotels" to make habitats for them. Hopefully with a fertile substrate and occasional fertilising, the duckweed and amphipods can sustain my little eco-system.

Let us know how it turns out

Hi,well ive a 4ft tank with six small and one large tilapia in it .
IF I cover the tank with duck weed they will finish the lot in three to four days all gone,but they do get bored with it,so I will give them couple of days on fish food/then duckweed.
so I would say you will need extra containers to grow duckweed to keep them feed,if only using duckweed...