can i use mollies in aquaponics?
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Question by Brenda h: can i use mollies in aquaponics?
i have a 10 gallon tank with 9 adult mollies and 3 baby’s and im looking to start a aquaponics system using the mollies im going to have a grow bed above the tank with a drip system i plan on growing peppers and tomatoes any info would be great
im not going to use dirt im using hydroton grow medium
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2 Responses to can i use mollies in aquaponics?
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Not a good idea at all, any soil you buy from a store will have some sort of fertilizer in it and fertilizer is VERY toxic to fish. Also, it would be impossible to keep the tank cycled properly with new water constantly coming through. The fish will not live for so many reasons. Same yourself the time, money and disappointment… Fish keeping and gardening are two hobby’s best kept separate 🙂
Edit – There are still a lot of reasons this won’t work
♥♥♥
October 25, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Most vegetables need much higher nutrient levels than fish can survive, well if you want them to grow properly and fruit well anyway.
It is possible to grow some plants in the setup you are describing, but mostly leafy plants or herbs, maybe ornamentals like ferns or some orchids etc. But you need plants that can survive with a lower nutrient level.
Basically you will be wanting to use the fish as your source of nutrients, and the plant bed as your filter system to remove their waste, but it’s a balancing act. Plants LIKE nutrients in the water, fish prefer clean water, so you need to get conditions in the middle, and that means choosing your plants with care.
Ian
Ianab
October 25, 2011 at 6:47 pm