what plants can feed fish? and what plants can keep the tank clean?

Question

so at my school in one of the bio rooms
they have a 40 gal talk filled with plants and guppies maybe 30 or 40 of them
they have a SMALL filter compared top the size of the tank
and a medium size bubble disk on the bottom

what i want to know is how does it stay so clean?
even the water IN the tank SMELLS clean
oh also there is some kind of plants living on top of the water too
its covering most of the surface
i asked my teacher how often he feeds them and he says maybe once a week because they feed off the plants
and i guess its true because at least once a month
there are always babies

so question is
what plants will be good with what fish?
which ones will NOT ROT or have a good chance they wont
what plants will help clean the tank
and even possibly feed the fish

i have a 30 gallon tank so what and how many can i put in this?
thanks

Answer 1

Don't know what fish ya talkin about. seeweed, thats about how much iknow. but get a snail clans tanks like a pro.

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Answer 2

It would really help if you could have posted photos of the plants in your classroom's tank. Some possibilities I can think of that would be the floating plants are duckweed: http://www.hlasek.com/foto/lemna_minor_6537.jpg (note- leaflet are generally under 1/4 inch) , azolla/mosquito fern: http://www.botanik.uni-karlsruhe.de/garten/fotos-knoch/Azolla%20filiculoides%20Azollaceae%20Grosser%20Algenfarn%201.jpg , riccia: http://www.zoon.lt/augalai/riccia_fluitans.jpg , frogbit: http://www.pondkoi.com/plant_pictures/frogbit.jpg (note - leaves about 3/4 inch), or salvinia: http://fichas.infojardin.com/foto-acuaticas/salvinia-natans-2.jpg

Another option is to but anacharis/elodea/egeria (all names for the same plant): http://www.petfish.net/pix/arts1/anacharis_KimmyM.jpg and allow it to float, rather than trying to root it.

With floating plants, especially if they cover nearly all the surface, you want rooted plants that will survive in low light levels. Try Java fern, anubias, or banana plants for the bottom.

Any plant will help remove nitrate from the water. But any can also rot, if you don't provide good enough lighting. Full spectrum bulbs/tubes or ones specifically for plant growth are the best. And most plants prefer to have some supplemental iron, as aquaria and aquatic environments tend to be deficient in this. If you see the leaves start to turn yellow, it may be an iron deficiency.

What plant your fish might eat will depend on the size of the plants and the size of your fish. Most will happily nibble the anacharis, but if your fish are large enough, they might swallow duckweed whole. It's also possible that the fish aren't so much eating the plants, but the micoorganisms that live among the roots (these are the infusoria that are cultured for fry, small worms, daphnia, and ostracods). The roots prevent the fish from getting all of the microorganisms, so they continue to reproduce. Just be careful to isolate your plants in a quarantine container for about a week first, otherwise you might be getting a lot of baby snails in your tank!

The amount you put in the tank is really up to you. If you get the anacharis, I would get 1-2 bunches to cover at least 1/2 of the surface. For other floaters like azolla and duckweed, you can often buy this in little cups, but if you have good lighting, it will cover your tank's surface in a few weeks. Just be aware that the small floating plants don't do well if you have a Hang-on filter - the movement of the water from the return dunks the plants, then they get caught in the intake. It's better to go with larger plants, or a submersible filter or undergravel filter (not good for rooted plants) for the small ones.

If these aren't the plants in your classroom tank, and you can post or email me a photo, I'll try to identify what they are.

Answer 3

AMAZON SWORD
JAVA FERN
BARCOPA
CAROLIA CAMBODIA
STRAIGHT VALLIS
DWARF ANUBIS
ONION PLANT
AFRICAN WATER FERN
TIGER LOTUS
DWARF HYGROPHILA
TROPICAL HORNWORT
JAVA MOSS
GREEN MILFOIL
WATER STARGRASS
LIZARDS TAIL
WATER HEDGE
MADAGASGAR LACE PLANT
CREEPING JENNY
RICCIA
BROAD LEAF INDIAN FERN
ALMOND LEAF(good for toughening betta scales)
HERES a few,i gave you their common names(more info-get in touch)