"Feeding aquarium plants the natural way"

[RRG]

While browsing at my local library, I found and borrowed an interesting book called 500 Ways to Be a Better FRESHWATER FISHKEEPER by Mary Bailey, Sean Evans, etc…One of the many interesting tips I read is how to feed your plants. Here is the tip 137:

“Feeding aquarium plants the natural way

If you own a guinea pig, hamster, gerbil or rabbit you can use the droppings to feed your aquarium plants. Aquarists were using this fertilizer successfully long before expensive, manufactured fertilizer pellets were available. Simply push a dropping into the substrate close to the roots of each plant. Repeat at intervals of three to six months. Do not overdo it; three to four droppings per 26 gallons (100 L) of water will suffice. Add a dose of a mild bactericide to prevent any infections arising.”


Anyone here own rats, err, rodents? If you do, now you have an endless supply of fertilizer! :P

[timebomb]

Randall,

It so happens my daughter keeps and breeds rabbits. At one time, I had plenty of them running around the house. Here's a picture:



Aren't they just soooooooooo cute?

I don't know if I want to use their droppings as fertiliser though. It can be messy.

Loh K L

[|squee|]

That'll be adding ammonia man

The plants have to be fast growing stemmed ones then.

[FC]

Randall,

Not a bad idea - pet and aquarium...and doing recycle..

I guess the crucial difference is that commercial cooked fertilizer is easier and safer to administer. They are better nutreintly balanced for improving the success rate of the setup. The only think I missed about such product is a base fertilizer that take care of the water column too. Sounds like I am asking too much .

[RRG]

I'm Back--finally I can relax after drowning myself studying for my exams and projects and see what's going on in this forum.


Loh, those rabbits are really cute! They look like stuff animals. Except for that white rabbit with a weird red eyes...it seems that innocent rabbit is about to turn evil ,.........

That tip from the book is interesting, but I'm not tempted to try it...you guys are correct, it will probably create more problems and may make the aquarium smell stink, too.

[timebomb]

Loh, those rabbits are really cute! They look like stuff animals.

Oh, they're real rabbits, Rand. Glad to have you back with us. Going moss-collecting soon?

Loh K L

[RRG]

Going moss-collecting soon?

Loh K L

I would love to do that, but no one I personally know is interested. I'm hesitant going in the forest alone. I probably will be too absorbed looking for mosses that night will set upon me before I know it.

However I found a moss growing at the wooded beam next to a leaky rain gutter at my local library. It was growing with epiphytic ferns and the custodian has to remove all of it; so I took it home and placed a few moss fronds on my aquarium to see how it goes. The rest, including the fern, is put in the small garden under a tree where I occasionally water it. This was more than a week ago, and to my chagrin I’m now sure it is a purely terrestrial moss.

[TyroneGenade]

That'll be adding ammonia man

Urea actually...

Hmm... I will have to give this a go.

[RRG]

Hmm... I will have to give this a go.

Uhmm...are you going to try it? Well, if you do please give us the result after three or six months . It may work. And the book said only three of four droppings per 26 gallon, and the droppings is deep in the substrate, which may not affect the water.

[Green Baron]

Make sure you bury them deep in the substrate.
Recently I setup a new nano tank with Aquatic compost and an inch of Lapis sand on top and the result was disastrous. Within 2 days all the plants (Mini Pellia, Willow Moss, Vals) melted due to leakage. In the end I had to tear down the tank and change the substrate.