[SIZE=14.6667px]A while back I had asked advice of the forum concerning a couple of ideas I had. I received excellent though varied feedback so after a while I decided to run experiments myself.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Question #2: Would house plant Spider Plants ([/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]Chlorophytum comosum) [/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]grow hydroponically by dangling their roots in my Bettas’ Tanks? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Answer #2: Excellent healthy growth above and below water, no detrimental effect to fish or water chemistry .[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Experiment #2: I had googled growing house plants in tank water successfully and most of the sources I found used Pothos or Philodendrons. I had an excess of Spider Plants that propagate by creating small daughter plants on the hanging ends of flowering stalks. I removed one of these and inserted through the back plastic panel of my 3 panel glass cover of my 10 gallon Betta tank so that it was just touching the water. My den receives a lot of sunlight, though not directly on tanks. No other lighting was used. The spider plant grew many white roots into the water and the above water plant has grown significantly. The roots in the first tank are now mingling with the upgrowing dark green Java Moss and my Betta can often be found lounging in this two color tangle. I have since added Spiders to my other tanks and hope to have two per tank when the parent plant produces more daughters. My Betta Tank parameters for Ammonia= 0, Nitrite=0, Nitrate=0 to trace, pH 7.0-7.2, GH 75-150, KH 80 have not changed. Tanks are heavily planted with Java Ferns, Java Moss, Duckweed, Floating Water Sprite, Anubias Nana and a Marimo Moss Ball so I wasn’t expecting any benefits in water chemistry. In my single community 10 gallon, similarly planted but stocked with 6 Zebras, 4 Albino Cories and a Cherry Shrimp with currently one Spider, the weekly before water change nitrate has decreased from 20 to 5-10. Hopefully the spiders continue to grow both above and below the water (only the roots in water!)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Conclusion: Terrestrial Spider Plants may be helpful and have not shown to be harmful grown hydroponically above a Betta Tank.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Note: Only caveat to date is the “planting” of the spiders in the bottom tanks (my tanks are arranged in four 2-tank stands) makes the formerly safely hanging plants now tempting salad for my cat who is now banished from my den. Spider still growing with teeth pruned leaves. [/SIZE]
David
[SIZE=14.6667px]Question #2: Would house plant Spider Plants ([/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]Chlorophytum comosum) [/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]grow hydroponically by dangling their roots in my Bettas’ Tanks? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Answer #2: Excellent healthy growth above and below water, no detrimental effect to fish or water chemistry .[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Experiment #2: I had googled growing house plants in tank water successfully and most of the sources I found used Pothos or Philodendrons. I had an excess of Spider Plants that propagate by creating small daughter plants on the hanging ends of flowering stalks. I removed one of these and inserted through the back plastic panel of my 3 panel glass cover of my 10 gallon Betta tank so that it was just touching the water. My den receives a lot of sunlight, though not directly on tanks. No other lighting was used. The spider plant grew many white roots into the water and the above water plant has grown significantly. The roots in the first tank are now mingling with the upgrowing dark green Java Moss and my Betta can often be found lounging in this two color tangle. I have since added Spiders to my other tanks and hope to have two per tank when the parent plant produces more daughters. My Betta Tank parameters for Ammonia= 0, Nitrite=0, Nitrate=0 to trace, pH 7.0-7.2, GH 75-150, KH 80 have not changed. Tanks are heavily planted with Java Ferns, Java Moss, Duckweed, Floating Water Sprite, Anubias Nana and a Marimo Moss Ball so I wasn’t expecting any benefits in water chemistry. In my single community 10 gallon, similarly planted but stocked with 6 Zebras, 4 Albino Cories and a Cherry Shrimp with currently one Spider, the weekly before water change nitrate has decreased from 20 to 5-10. Hopefully the spiders continue to grow both above and below the water (only the roots in water!)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Conclusion: Terrestrial Spider Plants may be helpful and have not shown to be harmful grown hydroponically above a Betta Tank.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Note: Only caveat to date is the “planting” of the spiders in the bottom tanks (my tanks are arranged in four 2-tank stands) makes the formerly safely hanging plants now tempting salad for my cat who is now banished from my den. Spider still growing with teeth pruned leaves. [/SIZE]
David
