Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Johnnie,

You got me really interested in azolla! I'm expecting some on tuesday and thought i'd do a litle research in the mean time.

Did you know that azolla has a symbiotic relationship with a strain of cyanobacteria (blue/green algae) ?

Its incredible, the cyano bacteria lives INSIDE the azolla, and converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, which the plant absorbs from the inside


No wonder there have been people that can grow repeated crops in buckets of normal tap water, it feeds itself
(just needs a bit of phosporus for ATP production which is used in the nitrogen fixing biology, most tap water has sufficient P for this )

Thanks for mentioning this wonderful plant

There is much info here if people are interested
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plnov98.htm

Yep .. It has a fairly high protein content. I just grab a handfull and mash it up it in my fingers and throw it in so that the babies get some. Some of my bigger mossambiques are now taking it whole! and they are not that big yet! In the summer you may have to hold some buckets of it in various environments, under shadecloth etc. etc so as it don't burn and so as you always have a culture somewhere. (covering it may also help keep the mozzies down.) maybe put some small fish in the azolla buckets
- but I am not sure what to put in there - a little fish that likes stagnant water and mosquito larvae) any thoughts?. Oh .. I feed with a little cow poop. and if you want some filamentatious algae - just add a little sugar.

Johnnie, what temps are you expecting in the holding buckets? Convict cichlids breed prolifically and tolerare horrible water conditions. Just gotta keep the temp at least 15C or so.

Steve

I keep the cichlids in the wheelie bin at 22 -28 C.

Koi and goldfish .. no heating.

No heating the duckweed or azolla trays and buckets. But I do have them in full sun at the moment.

Thanks for these posts on Azolla...I read through that link http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plnov98.htm Very interesting....... Is Azolla readily available from aquarium shops ?
If not, where could one obtain such a thing here in Brisbane ?
Very good info.
It would appear to be a very good addition to Duckweed

Murray,

Here in perth if you visit a few garden centres, ones with ponds, where they sell water plants, rushes and reeds, waterlillys etc and stuff, I am pretty sure that you will find it in QLD (also duckweed). Garden centres see it as a weed, so just ask if you can have a bag full. I bet ya get it for free!

Murray - they sell it on ebay. I'll have a look some time soon because it might be worth getting some myself (as you say, to supplement the duckweed).

Here is a link Azolla - ebay.

Also, it is probably all over the place in dams, creeks etc. Since I bought my duckweed, I have noticed it everywhere. Funny think is I can never recall seeing it until I became interested in it and knew exactly what it looked like. Funny how the human brain works like that.

I've got at least a couple of types of azolla, they look very different... I'll have to post some pics soon..

Strange how that happens isn't it VB, my girlfriend says she has never noticed bulba bins before, now she sees them everywhere.

VB, thats the guy thats going to express post me some monday!

Will let you all know what he is like as a seller.

I rand up my usualy aquariums store chasing duckweed and azolla (they are a big store). The girl told me that their don't keep either becasue its considered noxiuos, and while not illegal, they fisheries dept have "asked them" not to stock it. SHe said i'f be able to get it from other aquariums....... bugger the running around. ebay all the way