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Water hyacinth

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By wraith, Section Diaries
Posted on Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 01:10:16 PM PST
Tags: (all tags)
I am wondering how water hyacinth would be in my tank?



Is there anything about it that would be harmful to my fish? I just really like the thick roots, I think they would make great hiding places for fry.
I know that it grows like mad because it is basically a weed. Other that this, what would any other downfalls be?
Currently I have water sprite, java moss, and najas.

Cheers

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Water hyacinth | 7 comments (7 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: Water hyacinth (none / 0) (#5)
by wraith on Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 06:18:32 AM PST

well, I don't think I have enough light for this plant. I brought it home from my aunts little deck pond, just a small sprig of it.
I think I will try it and see how it does, it has been washed and readied for my tank. I have nothing to lose really! As long as it won't hurt my fish I'll put it in there and see what happens!
thanks for the input and info,

cheers!



Did you look up cleansing plants in IH? (none / 0) (#6)
by unclescott on Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 06:47:27 AM PST

There is less danger from a deck pond. One never can be too careful though. :)

Please do let us know how it does.

Leave the light on as long as you can.

atb!

[ Parent ]



Re: Did you look up cleansing plants in IH? (none / 0) (#7)
by wraith on Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 07:59:38 AM PST

I did read through IH on cleansing plants yes. I didn't have alum or potassium permanganate, so I had to settle for a really good rinsing, and then it sat in untreated water for a few days, and then rinsed again.
I really liked her deck pond idea. She has an enormous pot, has filled it with water, and has a solar operated pump that stirs the water a little and adds a little air. Then she just added plants! I wonder how fish would do in something like that? I guess if they were meant for out door ponds they would do ok as long as you didn't overpopulate it.

[ Parent ]


The part of the world you are in, water hyacinth (none / 0) (#1)
by unclescott on Fri Aug 11, 2006 at 10:36:25 PM PST

is legal in BC. It is legal here in Illinois too, but illegal to ship across state lines. Don't know the Canadian rules.

Water Hyacinth needs a lot of light and is a heavy feeder. Those who try to over winter it indoors usually either starve it in terms of light (they get long and spindly while reaching for the light - guess how I know) or they may even starve in terms of food. One pond guy I know, leaves them in a well lit bucket. The roots extend down into some well seasoned manure.

If you could hand a light over your tank, on a 16-18 hour time, producing 3-4 watts per gallon or more, your hyacinth might male it. The light would have to be just far enough away to not burn it. If it worked, they are such "heavy feeders" you might be amused by your ammonia, nitrate and nitrite readings. :)

Many plants dwarf indoors and survive. I don't think WH dwarves very well.

A couple of similar plants (in many ways) are water lettuce and Salvina. They will dwarf. I have used them to starve out hair algae via their shade and ability to take nutrients out of the water.
For instance, outdoors Salvinia natans, in the sun, could be 5cm wide and 15 cm long. Indoors, any distance from the light, the whole plant is likely less than 2 cm wide and each leaf may be less than a cm across. Water lettuce, which can be 23 cm across outside, seldom is more than 4 cm across in my tanks. They still hang quite a few roots.

I was hoping that Angelhologram would tackle this question. I think her experience with WH is far greater than mine.

Another interesting idea would be to set up a plant filter (maybe in a large tub) with those plants under a couple of powerful lights. Water could be run from a tank or tanks to the plant filter and back.

Good luck and all the best.
unc



Re: The part of the world you are in (none / 0) (#2)
by angelhologram on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 11:48:03 AM PST

I thought about posting but I have no inddor hyacinth. Mine are in a pond outside in full sun with a few goldfish and some gambusia and lots of greenwater. They are rather spindly and wilted looking. On the other hand the ones that I have in my neighbors pond are in mostly shade with several goldfish and a few gambusia and they are doing great! Seems like they didn't read the memo on liking lots of light. Actually I think it's the heat rather than the light that is causing the ones at my house to not do so well. Anyway as far as the fish go they seem to love the stuff and can often be found swimming through the roots and picking at the roots/leaves. I highly suggest it for outdoor partially shaded ponds but have no experience with it indoors. All of the ones I have here and at the neighbors came from one small plant that I got last year and thought had died off during the winter otuside.
*BEFORE you buy fish make sure you understand what "Cycling" a tank means <- quoted from miskaral* ~Trying to make a difference one fish at a time~
[ Parent ]


I wonder if the greenwater is so efficiently (none / 0) (#3)
by unclescott on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 02:14:13 PM PST

using the fish wastes that the heavy-feeding hyacinth are hurting. You may not want to, but if you put a canister filter or Vortec diatom filter on there and took the green water out, the water hyacinth might do better.

So effective is greenwater at locking up ammonia, that at least one article on it claimed there was no free ammonia in the greenwater tank. That may be why old-timers were able to use green tanks as hospital tanks.

[ Parent ]



Re: I wonder if the greenwater is so efficiently (none / 0) (#4)
by angelhologram on Sun Aug 13, 2006 at 02:54:47 PM PST

I'm afraid to get rid of the greenwater because I'm waiting for cooler weather when someone can send some daphnia to me. Once I get them I can think about allowing my bettas to breed.
*BEFORE you buy fish make sure you understand what "Cycling" a tank means <- quoted from miskaral* ~Trying to make a difference one fish at a time~
[ Parent ]


Water hyacinth | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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