tobi

I have just bought two goldfish (Pat & Frank, don't know nuffink about fish so I thought I'd start easy) and I am into the idea of trying to suspend a net pot and grow something edible in the tank. My plan is to feed only the fish and rely on their excrement to feed the plant so I discussed this with the shopkeeper who recommended some lava-like rocks that encourage aerobic bacteria to act as a biological filter. She also told me that goldfish would be good as they are prodigious and fertile shitters but that I should keep them well fed as they were famous for eating peoples' expensive, ornamental aquatic plants and might eat the roots of whatever I was growing.

I've searched the internet for info but it is rudimentary at best. I thought I'd toss it up here for some ideas from the local experts (Mantids ) before searching Amazon for some reading matter. Watercress seems the obvious choice but can anybody recommend something equally fast growing but a little less boring? Maybe a strain of lettuce or spinach that would be suitable? If you can't eat it, I'm not interested!

Thanks

HydroSan

You could do an aquaponic carnivorous bug eating garden venus fly taps etc. they're all boggy plants not sure if any are edible tho there's that old guppy ponics thing on erowid somewhere, growing MJ in a tank full of guppys.

Rocket (lettuce) would be pretty quick, be good if you find a nice peppery cultivar. Saladin (lettuce) can get a bit peppery too. Celery don't like wet feet, but maybe ok well oxygenated. Celeriac would be easy if you can get hold of a root. What about Rubarb you'd have fun trying to force it, but you'd get some great looking plants letting it go

San

buzzmobile

I have grown water lilies and the giant amazon lilies in a pond with koi. The plants were potted in containers and we had to put wire mesh around the bases of the plants because of the fish and ducks snacking on them. There are all sorts of lilies available that will take cold temps.

Lilypons is a supplier that we ordered from with great success. They are nice people to talk with as well.

n_d_shadows

From what what I recall on aquaponics, 1 or 2 fish is not substantial enough to support a plant. a 5 gallon tank would need 10-15 gold fish in it, minimum, to provide adequate nutrition for 1-2 plants.
A Biofilter is a necessity when growing like that. Get an innoculant for the bio filter and it will be active alot sooner.
You'll also want to read on what to feed. Different foods come out with different nutrient concentrations. So you could tailor their poo to your needs

megatrich

I grow aquatic plants in a large tank with about 20 fish, and I regularly ADD KNO3 and other supplements that are akin to hydroponic fertilizers because even all those fish don't produce enough nutrients. Pretty hard to screw up the water quality as long as the plants are happy.