House Plants in Aquariums

[KiwiGal77]

Firstly I just wanted to make sure the plants I've got are safe for fish, and secondly I'm looking for ideas on how to hold them in position through the top of the aquarium. Won't know yet what the lid set up will be, so keen to hear all ideas.

These are the plants I currently have in hydro:
- Pothos
- Anthurium
- Syngonium
- Tradescantia
- Spider Plant

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

@itiwhetu know his plants in tanks...

 

[Oblio]

I have Pothos along with Buenos Aries, Black Skirt Tertras and Corys with no issues.
Pothos have roots hanging between top lid and HOB outflow. I also have bamboo but I have moved them to root in the recirculate potion of my AC 110 filter, to increase water flow over the roots.

 

[Alice B]

spider plant - I never thought of that. And tradescantia - I have that outdoors...

 

[KiwiGal77]

Bumping for more ideas on how to hold the plants in the rank to ensure just their roots are in the water and stem out without collapsing.

Would love to see some photos of everyone's setup!

 

[itiwhetu]

Here are some photos of what I do, some plants I just attach by a wire over the back of the tank. Others I have sitting in pots at each end of the tank they sit on a shelf that is about 2 inches below the water line.

 

[itiwhetu]

 

[GaryE]

Firstly I just wanted to make sure the plants I've got are safe for fish, and secondly I'm looking for ideas on how to hold them in position through the top of the aquarium. Won't know yet what the lid set up will be, so keen to hear all ideas.

These are the plants I currently have in hydro:
- Pothos
- Anthurium
- Syngonium
- Tradescantia
- Spider Plant

This thread could become great.

Pothos and Monstera have thrived in my tanks for a decade, sending out vines all over the ceiling (I've had garage rooms so I could do that).

Anthurium - I will watch for answers. It does great in the humid fishroom, but directly in tanks I had one try and one fail. I would like to try again, as one I bought is going very well beside a tank.

Syngonium - it just so happens my wife was given one this week, and she is not a plant keeper. She has no green thumb and no interest. I have been eyeing it. ..

Tradescantia - haven't tried. I will go looking! I believe there are family members growing in my back yard, in southeastern Canada.

Spider plant - at one point before I moved, I was over-run by them, roots in tanks.

I just broke up a peace lily into 5 plants. They thrive and flower, roots in. I now have about 10 of them thriving in /on various tanks.

I am trying Coreopsis, the yellow and pink species, as I had the yellow ones flowering all winter one year. I want to see if it was a fluke.

Snake plants are doing well, growing in HOB filters between the wall of the filter and the sponge. Here, while I use Latin for fish, I am weak on the real names of plants. My interest is new.

I bought a small thing sold as a polka dot plant, and its roots extend very deeply into 2 tanks now. I like them as they stay low. A useful trick to keep them where they should be is gardening wire. It's the coated type I use, available in dollar stores around here - cheap junk stores.

 

[Stan510]

Another plant is the money tree Pachira aquatica. As by that last name it likes its root in water. Ficus..especially if you can get one to grow water roots..then you are in like Flynn. It also depends on how much light you give these plants. A small window might not be enough..or you have a light fixture bright enough.

 

[Stan510]

I would strongly recommend you add iron to the water. I promise you will see the difference in your houseplants in water because it makes a huge difference in the aquarium plants also.

 

[KiwiGal77]

This thread could become great.

Pothos and Monstera have thrived in my tanks for a decade, sending out vines all over the ceiling (I've had garage rooms so I could do that).

Anthurium - I will watch for answers. It does great in the humid fishroom, but directly in tanks I had one try and one fail. I would like to try again, as one I bought is going very well beside a tank.

Syngonium - it just so happens my wife was given one this week, and she is not a plant keeper. She has no green thumb and no interest. I have been eyeing it. ..

Tradescantia - haven't tried. I will go looking! I believe there are family members growing in my back yard, in southeastern Canada.

Spider plant - at one point before I moved, I was over-run by them, roots in tanks.

I just broke up a peace lily into 5 plants. They thrive and flower, roots in. I now have about 10 of them thriving in /on various tanks.

I am trying Coreopsis, the yellow and pink species, as I had the yellow ones flowering all winter one year. I want to see if it was a fluke.

Snake plants are doing well, growing in HOB filters between the wall of the filter and the sponge. Here, while I use Latin for fish, I am weak on the real names of plants. My interest is new.

I bought a small thing sold as a polka dot plant, and its roots extend very deeply into 2 tanks now. I like them as they stay low. A useful trick to keep them where they should be is gardening wire. It's the coated type I use, available in dollar stores around here - cheap junk stores.

Ohh, I never thought about my snake plants! Have you got a photo of it in your HOB?

I hydro a lot of plants anyway, and some that I'm propogating in water simply never leave their watered life because I'm too lazy to pot them up haha. So I know all these plants can thrive in water, and I imagine if they are doing so well in plain water then they would absolutely love some delicious tank water.

The Anthuriums look great hydro, they're like a colourful peave lily I reckon.
More people should use house plants in tanks I reckon, they looks great sticking out the top, provice excellent cover for fish and have huge root systems to house both fry and suck up every last drop of ammonia.

Sounds like gardening wire is an easy solution to keeping them in place

 

[KiwiGal77]

View attachment 164343

WOW!! That looks awesome, definitely makes me want to do this. The wire is a great idea