Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So. You know how can have years of knowledge about something? ...But that knowledge is sort of boxed in one area of application? ...and then suddenly it clicks... and you feel pretty dense for not thinking of it sooner... Yeah. Duh... So red alder trees are nitrogen fixers... and so are clovers... They have nitrogen fixing bacteria living symbiotically in their roots. Putting them in the aquaponic system should speed up the process of getting the system up to its happy balance, I hope.

Has anyone else tried this?

I don't think this will help. Nitrogen fixation will help the plants grow by bringing in atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to the system which can be used by the plants once converted to a different form but it doesn't help with breaking down the ammonia created by the fish and food breakdown process. When the plant dies if the roots are left to break down in the system the nitrogen may become available to other plants and bacteria though so who knows .

I'm not sure, either If I wind up with more spare time than I expect over the next few weekends, I'll try to do a documentable experiment.

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Hi.. my only thought is that you are suggesting plants that will just use up nitrogen etc.!
That is likely good for reducing nutrients, but not great for practicing food production.. I would wonder about duckweed ..
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Actually, I'm hoping the nodes of nitrating bacteria on the roots of these will happily share their little wonders in the planting media. Just a hope, really.

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