Can Water Hyacinth be used to purify aquarium water?

Question

I understand that Water Hyacinth has purifying characteristics. If kept in an aquarium, will it absorb the fish waste and ammonia and whatever, from the water making it more healthy for fish to live in? I also know that it absorbs a lot of oxygen from water, so adding a good aeration system in the aquarium should provide enough oxygen for the fish and the plant to breathe. Is that correct?

I am hoping this is the ultimate solution to aquarium maintainance where water changes arn't necessary. I brought this topic up, since I don't find people talking much about this plant.

Answer 1

A self-cleaning aquarium sounds like a great idea, but it's not very realistic. Plants will remove nitrate, phosphate, and some other chemicals from the water (which is one of the reasins we have to do water changes), but using the plants doesn't replenish the minerals (calcium, magnesium) in the water that the plant and fish need to have. That's part of why water changes are done as well.

Another thing you'd have to consider is that you have to provide the lighting that these plants need. Water hyacinth grows in full sunlight, so would need to have very intense lighting to match this. I keep ponds and have water hyacinth plants in these, but when I bring them indoors for the winter, They barely survive in the tanks, and I use a compact fluorescent lighting system made for saltwater.

That's not to say using plants in an aquarium is a bad idea - they will use some of the nitrate in the tank, and that keeps it healthier for the fish, and helps prevent algae (the plants compete for the same nutrients). If you have a lot of aquatic (underwater) plants, then you need to look at providing CO2 for photosynthesis, to keep them growing, otherwise the growth is slowed by having to rely on the CO2 produced by the fish. If any of the plants (or their leaves) die, they add the nutrients back to the water, so you have to do some maintenence in this respect as well.

And actually, water hyacinth wouldn't use oxygen in the water - they absorb gasses through their leaves, which are out of the water. And they, or underwater plants only take in oxygen to use at night - they give it off during the day. But they can use up oxygen if they die as part of the decomposition process.

Answer 2

Water Hyacinth Aquarium

Answer 3

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RE:
Can Water Hyacinth be used to purify aquarium water?
I understand that Water Hyacinth has purifying characteristics. If kept in an aquarium, will it absorb the fish waste and ammonia and whatever, from the water making it more healthy for fish to live in? I also know that it absorbs a lot of oxygen from water, so adding a good aeration system in the...

Answer 4

water hyacinth is very good at removing nitrites from your aquarium so if you are cycling a new tank water hyacinth is a great help. it is also very good at removing excess nutrients and will slow or stop the growth of algae. plants don't use that much oxygen so you don't have to worry about adding extra oxygen to the tank.

there is no such thing as an ultimate solution to not cleaning. plants will actually increase your nitrates which is why a 25% water change weekly will be more necessary.

part of the reason people don't discuss water hyacynth is there are 2 of them -- one is a noxious weed that is illegal to ship, sell, harvest or trade. also growing thick coverage on the top of your tank eliminates light at the bottom of your tank unless you have a really good light system its not feasable.

a friend of mine has a large outdoor tank that is self sustaining. my thinking is the direct sun burns off nitrates maybe. it is a school of minnows and a lot of algae. not very attractive but it is self sustaining.

Answer 5

NO they don't purify the water in your aquarium. All plants to an extent can "rid the water of certain nasties but none purify the water. If this were the case, there would be water Hyacinth in every water source. Also, your Hyacinths will not survive in your aquarium. Lighting not to mention you would have to drop the water level in the tank by 4". Water hyacinths are plants, they do not absorb dissolved oxygen in the tank. I tried to bring in my water Hyacinths and water lettuce over the winter in a fresh water aquarium. they die off slowly and will not winter well.

There is not ultimate solution for aquarium maintenance. It is something you need to do. I tell everyone to use the Hyacinths in their out door ponds to control algae and they are very good at doing so.

If you are concerned with maintenance, perhaps you should go salt water. I only need to do a water change in my large tank once every 3-4 months, sometimes more. (other than testing and dumping the protein skimmer)

Good luck finding your Ultimate solution to aquarium maintenance and if you find it, PLEASE let the rest of us know.

Answer 6

All plants have beneficial properties. I've never heard that Hyacinth is better or worse at purification.

Aquariums MUST be cleaned. There is no "ultimate" solution. It's a tank where waste builds up and needs to be maintained. Plants add to the waste.

Cheers.

Answer 7

Water hyacinth have been proven in scientific research to remove nitrate and phosphate quite well. They must be provided strong lighting to survive well

Answer 8

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Terrestrial: * Golden pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum, syn. Scindapsus aureus) * Umbrella papyrus (Cyperus alternifolius) * Climbing fig (Ficus pumila) * Split-leaf Philodendron (Monstera deliciosa) * Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) * Syngonium species Aquatic: Anacharis # Anacharis is a submerged water plant and is also known as elodea or Brazilian waterweed. It is an oxygenating plant and its main role is to provide oxygen absorb all those nutrients that create algae in the water and make it murky. The plant is a small, fern-like leafy perennial with white flowers at the ends of its thin stems. Anacharis can also be grown in fish tanks, ponds or barrel gardens. They are easy to grow, do not require fertilizer and like to be placed in areas of water receiving full sun. They are usual sold in bunches of stems. Plant by pressing them into containers of soil before placing them in ponds or barrel gardens that do not have sandy bottoms. Water Hyacinth # The water hyacinth is a floating aquatic plant with attractive foliage and spires of orchid-like flowers. Its main purpose is for purification and the plant is often referred to as the "cleanup crew" of water. It grows rapidly and is specifically used in polluted water for its ability to remove pollutants, including sewage, from the water. Many countries use it to clean up waste matter from tanneries, paper mills and from factories producing rubber, photographic chemicals, explosives, and palm oil. The plants also clean out heavy metals from the water as well as chemicals such as chlorine, sodium, cyanide, sulphur, phosphates, ammonia and nitrates. Water Lettuce # The water lettuce has water clean-up properties that closely match the water hyacinth. Botanical name Pistia stratiotes, water lettuce is a floating plant that has bunches of foliage rosettes that resemble loose, 4-inch lettuce heads. The trailing roots of the plant hang several inches below water surface. Water lettuce is also used as a high-level water purification plant given its readiness in absorbing metals, including mercury. However its capacity to absorb nitrates is lower than that of the water hyacinth. Check the sites below for more information: