Using Chinese evergreen in a fish tank

[Endlersendlers]

Ok. Then is it just a matter of rinsing the soil off and positioning them so only the roots are in water?

 

[10 Tanks]

Ok. Then is it just a matter of rinsing the soil off and positioning them so only the roots are in water?

Exactly. You don't want to leave any soil on the roots. That type of potting soil will likely have chemicals that would hurt your fish. You'll need an air stone positioned under the plant roots. The roots get oxygen in a potted enviornment, so we're just providing oxygen to the roots by using the air stone and air pump. Also, I kept just a few hardy fish in this tank at first, mostly female Guppies and some Platys When setting up my tank, you can't overload the system. I tested the tank water pretty often to make sure the roots were removing the nitrogen from the fish waste. There was no mechanical filtration in my tank. The "Ag" plant was the filter. That's why you need large plants with substantial root systems. The more plants, the cleaner the tank water.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[10 Tanks]

Is there stuff to do before the baby evergreens get here?

Well, you could get your air stone and air pump together. What are you going to use to support the plant? The plant won't just float. A plastic, mesh basket would work well. You support the basket with some plastic or wooden sticks. Just attach the sticks to the basket with some air tubing and place the sticks across the sides of the tank. Remember, this tank is open to allow the leaves to grow. The plant will only need room light. I hung a four bulb strip light above my tank and allowed enough space for the leaves to grow and with the plant receiving fertilizers 24/7 from the dissolving fish waste, the "Ag" plant will get huge!

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[GaryE]

You can do this with a lot of plants. I've never been sold on them as filters, but as supplements to filters with regular water changes, using these is a fine old trick people have probably been doing since before filters. I have a number of tanks right now where 'roots in' peace lilies are flowering, and it's a cheerful sight when you enter the fishroom.
"Chinese evergreens", pothos, peace lilies, Canna lilies...

One thing I've noticed is that these set ups do best in places with a little humidity in the air.

 

[Endlersendlers]

We definitely have humidity, about 80%

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello Gary. Good point. There's a significant difference in the "Ag" plant compared to other land plants used in an attempt to remove the nitrogen in the tank water. You'd never want to use a Peace Lily as the only filtration in a fish tank. The "Ag" plant has this ability. We need a plant that can remove ammonia quickly. So quickly that there isn't time for the bacteria to change it to nitrite. Most of the ammonia is going to come from urine dumped into the water from the fishes' gills. A large "Ag" plant will remove the ammonia before it's converted to another form of nitrogen. Since most of the ammonia is removed immediately on contact with the plant roots, there's no time for ammonia to be converted into nitrite, so there's going to be less nitrate. In my tank, the nitrate level was less than 25 ppm.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[10 Tanks]

We definitely have humidity, about 80%

Yes. Since the tank is open, there's a lot more humidity in the air. I used a dehumidifier in the room where I kept the tank. I had to dump the tank in the dehumidifier two or three times a day.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[Endlersendlers]

Yes. Since the tank is open, there's a lot more humidity in the air. I used a dehumidifier in the room where I kept the tank. I had to dump the tank in the dehumidifier two or three times a day.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

It’s a south Florida thing, this 80%. The Florida room where this is has plastic windows and an aluminum roof so lots of heat and moisture. It’s where things go to rust. I use a/c out there 6 hours straight for the worst part of the day, plus 2 other 15 minute spurts morning and evening, to keep it livable for the fish and for me to go out there.

 

[Naughts]

In my tank, the nitrate level was less than 25 ppm.

That's setting a low bar.

 

[Trying Again]

Exactly. You don't want to leave any soil on the roots. That type of potting soil will likely have chemicals that would hurt your fish. You'll need an air stone positioned under the plant roots. The roots get oxygen in a potted enviornment, so we're just providing oxygen to the roots by using the air stone and air pump. Also, I kept just a few hardy fish in this tank at first, mostly female Guppies and some Platys When setting up my tank, you can't overload the system. I tested the tank water pretty often to make sure the roots were removing the nitrogen from the fish waste. There was no mechanical filtration in my tank. The "Ag" plant was the filter. That's why you need large plants with substantial root systems. The more plants, the cleaner the tank water.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

Hi, I realize this is an old conversation. I hope you get some kind of notification of my reply. Have you had any problem with Chinese Evergreen being toxic to fish? Shrimp? I know they have toxic sap, but it sounds like it hasn't hurt your guppies and platys?? Is this correct?

Also, I have a memory of a video (which of course I cannot find again), where the Chinese Evergreens were grown completely underwater. I'd like to know if that is a real thing or whether I dreamed it, lol.

 

[GaryE]

I grow them with only the roots in - with Chinese evergreen, I actually now have the roots in a box filter as that gives them access to more light, with the tank placement.

Some people put them in totally submersed, where they function as floodzone plants. I don't know how long they last. They were big sellers in the 1970s, when stores often sold bog plants as aquatic plants. They would last a few months and then die off, and you'd need more. Hobbyists caught on to this and a lot of above water plants vanished from the aquarium world. I don't know if they died or were collateral damage in that process - I could never afford them back then.

10tanks hasn't been around for a while.

 

[Magnum Man]

I had talked to 10 tanks about submerged, but never did it myself... I always did them, plants above the tanks, and bare roots in hang on pots in the aquariums, or in the box section of a hang on back filter, in place of the bio media ( I still use the foam, but be aware the roots of the plants will grow into the foam, so plan on replacing that maybe a couple times a year ) ... I had been really happy with them...

but truth be told, I have a group of open topped tanks, & found the Chinese Evergreen most susceptible to mold an insect infestation in higher humidity set ups... I have several tanks that I grow Terrestrial plants out of... among them, peace lilies, which I found do everything my Chinese Evergreen did, but is much more resistant to the humid conditions, & more pest resistant... however... I can't say enough good, about the Pothos Vines they are the best thing since sliced bread... ( Philodendrons, also work ) but it's the rapid growth of plants, that pull byproducts out of the water, & not much beats a Pothos vine...

one plant I'm just trying, with high hopes, is Hawaiian Hoya plants... so far the results are promising...

 

[Trying Again]

I had talked to 10 tanks about submerged, but never did it myself... I always did them, plants above the tanks, and bare roots in hang on pots in the aquariums, or in the box section of a hang on back filter, in place of the bio media ( I still use the foam, but be aware the roots of the plants will grow into the foam, so plan on replacing that maybe a couple times a year ) ... I had been really happy with them...

but truth be told, I have a group of open topped tanks, & found the Chinese Evergreen most susceptible to mold an insect infestation in higher humidity set ups... I have several tanks that I grow Terrestrial plants out of... among them, peace lilies, which I found do everything my Chinese Evergreen did, but is much more resistant to the humid conditions, & more pest resistant... however... I can't say enough good, about the Pothos Vines they are the best thing since sliced bread... ( Philodendrons, also work ) but it's the rapid growth of plants, that pull byproducts out of the water, & not much beats a Pothos vine...

one plant I'm just trying, with high hopes, is Hawaiian Hoya plants... so far the results are promising...

Are you saying 10 Tanks did them completely underwater? That's what I'm wanting to do. But I'm not wanting to kill the plant or the fish, lol.

 

[Magnum Man]

yes, we talked about, but the forum doesn't seem to save private conversations for very long... I was going to tell you his method, but I no longer have it...

 

[gwand]

Can I place porthos directly into the tank water?