Giant Duckweed vs Micro Sword

They do not overlap much in exact placement, which is why this comparison is more about adjacent options than true one-for-one replacements.

Giant Duckweed is a floating plant that usually reaches about 3 cm tall by 1 cm wide. Micro Sword is a stolon / runner plant that usually reaches about 7 cm tall by 15 cm wide.

They also share practical benefits such as fry refuge, shrimp refuge, and grazing surfaces, so the decision is not only about looks.

The strongest overlap signals are practical: they offer many of the same practical benefits, including good refuge for fry and good refuge for shrimp and good grazing surface.

Choose Giant Duckweed when its exact growth habit fits the open space you have and you want the finished scape to lean toward its shape, texture, or spread.

Giant Duckweed is the easier keep when you want the simpler option.

Giant Duckweed makes more sense in lower-light scapes.

Giant Duckweed is the tidier fit when space is limited.

Giant Duckweed also suits keepers who want low light and no added CO2, with fast growth, high maintenance, and beginner difficulty.

Choose Micro Sword when its shape, mature size, or planting style gives the scape a cleaner finish than forcing Giant Duckweed into the same role.

Micro Sword is the better pick when you prefer its exact shape and placement style.

Micro Sword fits a routine built around moderate light and recommended added CO2, with slow growth, moderate maintenance, and intermediate difficulty.

Role overlap lands at 24/100 and care similarity lands at 76/100. Treat those numbers as a shortcut for the decision, not as a replacement for looking at mature size and placement.

Giant Duckweed is free-floating with no substrate required and feeds mainly as a water column feeder. Micro Sword is rooted in substrate with nutrient-rich substrate preferred and feeds mainly as a root feeder.

One of them casts noticeably more shade, so the effect on the tank feels different.

If the tank already has several demanding plants, the easier choice is the one that matches your existing light, CO2, and trimming routine.

Do not buy them as interchangeable plants. Use this comparison to decide which tradeoff matters less in your tank: care demand, mature size, placement, or visual density.

A practical way to decide is to imagine the tank six months from now. The better plant is the one that still fits the same space after several trims, not the one that only looks right on planting day.