Water Lettuce/ Water Hyacinth

[thatoldguy]

Dr. Joe Posted this in another thread:

"Arrange them so they have the maximum time possible in the sump's water flow. These plants are better suited to slow/low flow system since they don't have the hair roots like water lettuce/hyacinth, catails are even better but the water has to pass thru the sand.

Dr Joe"

My question....how well do water lettuce/hyacinth do indoors? My wife has a ton of hyacinth, water lettuce, and parrot feather for her pond. Will a grow light be sufficient?

 

[HarleyK]

Howdy,

You'll notice I moved this to the planted forum for you. You'll get better replies here from the pros

Water lettuce will inevitably develop into a dwarf form. At least under compact and power compact fluorscent lights. I haven't tried HQI and alike. But the dwarf form is also pretty.

I had hyacinths for exactly one day. Their roots are butt ugly.

You could try Hydrocotyle leucocephala, too. Those are my favorite floating plants

HarleyK

 

[Fishyfan]

I tried to grow water hyacinth in a ten gallon tank that is kept in a greenhouse and has plenty of exposure to sun. I don't know if the little power filter was too much flow for it or if the water was too clean or what but it eventually just rotted.

It grows fine in my pond which has no water movement at all...

 

[Dr Joe]

Dr. Joe Posted this in another thread:

"Arrange them so they have the maximum time possible in the sump's water flow. These plants are better suited to slow/low flow system since they don't have the hair roots like water lettuce/hyacinth, cattails are even better but the water has to pass thru the sand.

Dr Joe"

My question....how well do water lettuce/hyacinth do indoors? My wife has a ton of hyacinth, water lettuce, and parrot feather for her pond. Will a grow light be sufficient?

I kept the grow lights about 6"-8" above the plants and had good results in one of the aquaponic prototype systems I designed.

Liberate some of your wifes plants and give it a try. A 10' section of rain gutter sealed at both ends, cover with the leaf guard material and cut holes in it to place & support plants (plastic cover with holes in it to allow water to pass but stops leaves from getting in), a 30g sump (plastic tub) and a circulation pump piped into one end of the gutter with a return pipe to the sump from ther other end. Fill & refill the sump with water from every W/C (weekly?). Since this is a closed system you can experiment flow rates, light height and exposure (time lights are on). Keep a dedicated log of water chemistry from the start as your base line and then daily (same time every day).

Dr Joe

.

 

[Dr Joe]

I tried to grow water hyacinth in a ten gallon tank that is kept in a greenhouse and has plenty of exposure to sun. I don't know if the little power filter was too much flow for it or if the water was too clean or what but it eventually just rotted.

It grows fine in my pond which has no water movement at all...

They need a lot of nutrients, and water movement won't deter growth.

Dr Joe

.

 

[Dr Joe]

Howdy,

You'll notice I moved this to the planted forum for you. You'll get better replies here from the pros

Water lettuce will inevitably develop into a dwarf form. At least under compact and power compact fluorscent lights. I haven't tried HQI and alike. But the dwarf form is also pretty.

I had hyacinths for exactly one day. Their roots are butt ugly.

You could try Hydrocotyle leucocephala, too. Those are my favorite floating plants

HarleyK

Thanks for leaving the forward, otherwise I would have never seen it to respond.

Roots are what we want here...These are for filtering not admiring.

And let me get this straight... Your favorite floating plant is Pennywort.

(sorry)

Dr Joe

.

 

[thatoldguy]

Yup...that's really what I am looking for. These plants were just thrown in the pond...we never used any additives or anything. I like how they kept the water CLEAR, which is what I'm looking for in my 600 gal. Thanks.