Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Looking at adding under water plants like seaweed to one of my tanks, because its one that i have gotten to look really nice.

Any thoughts of what plants i should add into the tank itself and if there is anything i could even harvest. THANKS!

Common pond/tank plant is Vallisneria (google it for details, pretty common).

Grows quickly via runners, and I simply pot in rock media.
Have it in my goldfish half-IBC tank as some cover for the fish and they can hide beneath it and nibble algae off it. (larger fish will tear at it and I guess eat it).

Add a bit of duckweed or similar to go with it.

photo below. Bottom is some pots with Vallisneria I have just divided up and top ones are density prior to. They grow pretty quickly.

Mine have water snails on them - they munch away at algae on leaves and sides of tank - I guess the purists dont like them as they can get in pump etc, but I tend to keep plants away from the pump anyway.

Guess Vallisneria and Duckweed are fish food sources - handy if you miss a few days or have to go away. I only have goldfish so guess may not apply to plate fish.


Darren

ah~ I always love aquascape plants too much and they'll compete with your vegetables though
@dlf_perth your plants look reaaaally nice!!

Wow, very nice..

ah~ I always love aquascape plants too much and they'll compete with your vegetables though
@dlf_perth your plants look reaaaally nice!!


>> they'll compete with your vegetables <<

yep there is always a price to pay. And also technically some (minor) oxygen.
I did go the bare tank but felt sorry for the little goldies.

In my AP FT's I put 2-3 small pots in and it becomes like the main square of the FT where they all hang out (typical teenagers). Somewhere to hide from the huge monster looking down at them.

guess if nutrient theft is a real worry could always buy some plastic ones
But suspect there is enough to go around.



photo was just an IBC which I am setting up like a patio corner pond and actually thinking about running flowers in the GB. I know that is sacrilege to AP-vegie garden purists but gets pretty hot here in Perth and always nice to have some colour on the patio, to go with the splashing of the pump (that drowns out neighbours pool pump on other side fence) and it keeps the better half with a smile on the dial.......
so I can do nasty and ugly AP things around the side [justified a new pump !!]

Some DIY and cladding etc to go - I had literally just got that going when took photo to show what plants look like (light from side of IBC = good for photo but bad for algae !!).

Limnophila aromatica is an edible herb that can be grown submerged
http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl= ... CMQMygEMAQ
There are a large number of other aquatic plants that are also edible so if you can harvest them then loosing some growth from your other veges isn't such a loss over all.

Many water lillies have edible bulbs, and many marsh plants (which are those grown submerged in aquascapes, as there are limited plants which have an entire lifecycle submerged) are edible and can be easily grown submersed, or in a marginal way whereas complete submersion may not be possible without CO2 injection....

Heaps would be edible, you will just need to do some extensive research to find out and make sure you get a 100% positive ID as a lot of them will look the same to an untrained eye.

Some really effective plants as nutrient filters (think of constructed wetlands for storm water treatment) utilise plants which are edible. Some of the native Typha spp. are used often. They have edible rhizomes, which are really nice once roasted, preferably on the coals of a fire. Water chestnuts... There are many more. Looking up research literature on traditional indigenous diets of peoples around the world will reveal heaps of species which modern western society has ignored/forgotten about.

As a start...

http://www.ozwatergardens.com.au/edible-aquatic-plants

A list of some plants, by not exhaustive. No affiliation by the way...

thanks for that Ninegrain - useful link.

to follow on from Ninegrain, here is another.....

http://www.fishandlily.com.au/water_pla ... er_plants/

Be aware that many fish species will demolish plants when in the fish tank, especially silver perch.