[bulrush]

So I decided to look into using the plant fertilizer that fishes make in the fish tanks by floating some pink styrofoam on my fish tank. I seeded some lettuce seeds in some holes, held there by cotton balls, last week. They are now sprouting.

My fish room is a (relatively) constant temp, about 68-72F. The seeds have sprouted and already are looking leggy due to the high temps. I think this could work but I'm sure the lettuce will fall over. It's a leaf lettuce variety.

Anyway it took only 3 days to see roots coming out of the seeds after I planted them. I thought that was very quick. But this would be a good idea to have fresh lettuce in the winter. Since I already have lights on the tank for underwater plants, and the fish and filter make nitrates, I thought this would work well.

(Good lord my spelling was awful. Fixed some spelling errors.)

 

[Green Leaf Aquariums]

sounds like me, I crossed all hydro know how to planted tanks. You could use all sorts of plants for this project, as long as it doesn't hamper your tank inhabitants. Way cool. hydro is the future once people learn how we humans
are just a virus on this planet and have consumed every living thing.There will be nothing left but INDO.

 

[Boz]

Hey bul, do you have a photo of how you did this with the cups?

 

[Green Leaf Aquariums]

a slab of styrofoam small holes for net cups, rockwool. Thats it

 

[tpl*co]

We saw the same thing in the Disneyworld greenhouses when we went there in February (I think it was Epcot). They used a styrofoam floatation device on an aquarium to put plants on .

Tina

 

[JimmyYahoo]

Tilapinatoes @ the Yahoo ranch this year. Then maybe some INDO when the food runs out.:icon_wink

 

[Jubs]

That's funny I am setting up a hydro setup tonight I have been researching it for a week or two. Using the fish tank is actually called Aquaponics very cool concept!

I don't think I have a heavy enough fish load or the tank in the right area to set up mine like that yet as I am not going to rob my actual planted tank of ferts. I have a spawning tank for some peacock gudgeons and it has a bunch of plants floating ( java moss, najas, salvinia, etc. ) so I think with as low of a fish load I have in there those plants are sucking all the good stuff out of the water as it is.

I am going to be trying some Lettuce, Spinach, Green Onions, Cilantro, and Basil for now and see how it goes. I am using home made Ebb and Flow setups using 2L bottles and air pressure from an air pump to push the solution to the roots. I will post pics of the setup once I have everything situated. I have to redo my emersed setup as well tonight so I have a bit of work to get things going.

Anyone tried making their own hydro solution using the Greg Watson ferts ? I have come across a couple threads with recipes but I am missing Calcium Nitrate so I need to see how much my local hydro store sells it in dry form.

 

[bulrush]

Just drill 1 inch holes in the styro. Pack with a cotton ball. Place a few seeds in each cotton ball.

I had platys in there and I think they were pecking at the cotton, because I'm finding little cotton pieces collecting in the tank. But I also saw shrimp clinging to the cotton. Fish are now out of that tank so I'll see what happens.

 

[Gerald the Mouse]

I have some extra basil seeds laying around, so I'm going to try this.

 

[bulrush]

I have cancelled this project. The seedlings got way too leggy and I pulled the styrofoam out. Doing this indoors does not seem to work real well since the temperatures don't get cold.

 

[ruki]

Your idea is quite good. It's just that basil needs full sun.

You can do this with other plants. Any of the plants listed as bog plants in aquarium guides would work fine, as long as they match your light level. Pothos would be one of the easiest to start with.

Also, you can use one of those plastic breeding boxes that clip to the top of the tank and fill it with the fired clay hydroponic balls available at your local hydro shop. It won't float around the tank or tip over. (I'm really good at tipping things over )

 

[Gerald the Mouse]

(Sorry to thread-jack) The basil I planted a few days ago, on floating a peice of styrofoam that has some holes with cotton balls in it, its growing Pretty good. I already have 6 little plantlets under 15watt lighting.

 

[bulrush]

Actually I was using leaf lettuce, and the seedlings immediately got real leggy, tall and skinny.

 

[vidiots]

I have been growing chives in a pot on top of my 180gal tank under the hanging light fixture for the past 6 months or more. Watered with fish water. It's great to always have them handy for my baked potato...