A new semi aquaponics system?

[Chris102]

So I've had a very hard time finding a good way to water my Vanda. We keep our house cold, so the AC dries everything out very quickly. I came up with this idea the other week that's roughly based on an aquaponics system. The Vanda is resting in a traditional plastic orchid pot with lots of little holes at the bottom. That pot is then sat inside a glass vase filled halfway with water. I then ran an air line tube and air stone directly under the plastic pot so the bubbles create a mist that waters roots and keeps the humidity high. Also a small goldfish lives below the plant to provide fertilizer in the former of fish waste. The Vanda was in terrible shape when I rescued it, and had very little roots. It's has since put out new roots and two leaves in a month of being in this system! The roots look a little brown in the photo, but it's just the lighting. I'm quite happy with how this is working out, I've never seen it done quite like this...so we'll see how it plays out long-term. Please comment and let me know what you all think about this!

[Chris102]

[Leafmite]

Everything looks good except the space for the goldfish. Goldfish are really pond fish and do better with about ten gallons per fish.

[estación seca]

The method of keeping the roots moist looks good. The roots do get a lot bigger with time.

I agree, unkind to the fish. Plus, that tiny amount of water would have to be changed almost daily to deal with the large amount of waste a goldfish produces.

When you say your house is cold, what do you mean? Most Vandas are warm growers.

Added lated: That's also too small for a betta. I know pet shops sell tiny little containers but they're really not big enough.

[Chris102]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Everything looks good except the space for the goldfish. Goldfish are really pond fish and do better with about ten gallons per fish.

Thanks for the comment! The goldfish is temporary, he was getting beat up by my other fish, so I put him in there to recover before he goes to my sisters pond.I'll move my betta fish in there once the goldfish is good to go.

[Chris102]

Originally Posted by estación seca

The method of keeping the roots moist looks good. The roots do get a lot bigger with time.

I agree, unkind to the fish. Plus, that tiny amount of water would have to be changed almost daily to deal with the large amount of waste a goldfish produces.

When you say your house is cold, what do you mean? Most Vandas are warm growers.

Added lated: That's also too small for a betta. I know pet shops sell tiny little containers but they're really not big enough.

Our house stays at about 70 degrees, but I keep my vents closed to keep my room a bit warmer. The window faces west, so it gets a lot of afternoon sun and the windowsill heats up a bit. I agree, Betta fish do need more room than Those tiny little cups. I've been raising and breeding fish (including Bettas) for over 10yrs. It doesn't look like it, but that's almost a half gallon of water in the vase, which is sufficient for a small female Betta. If the water quality goes south, or the Betta appears stressed I'll absolutely move her to a larger tank. I may just add a few ghost shrimp and see how they work out in the system. I just don't think inverts would appreciate the fertilizer. Copper and many other things will kill Invertebrates Quite quickly.

[wintergirl]

Bettas need more room, fresh water and warmth. Although they are sold in little bowls, it's not good for them either.

[flowerpower]

I don't mean to be rude but I agree with the others. It's a completely inappropriate volume of water for your fish to exist in, whether it's a betta fish or a gold fish.

Why not just use the cup for the vanda and put the fish in a fish tank...?

[snowflake3111]

As a fish keeper I have to say your plastic cup is no place for any type of fish. Get a 5 gal tank and set your plant up over that.

I just put 2 sad Phals in the back of my 80gal Planted aquarium with fish. The roots touch the aquarium water that is heated. After only a few weeks I have quicker growth I think that it is due to the water and area around the plants stays warm. Aquaponics can work it is hydroponics but with fish.

I remeber awhile back at PetCo they were selling a betta tank that had a little place at the top for an orchid to grow. They were selling orchids at PetCo to go with the tank. I picked up a sad orchids for $2 there. The problem was they were putting the plant in the tank with bark around the roots too. The plant needed to be bear root.

Anyways I like your idea but you need a better setup.

[Salixx]

I am also going to agree in regards to the fish. Cups, bowls and vases aren't appropriate housing for any fish. You'll find no shortage of people saying they've kept X fish in Y container for years, but they are vastly outnumbered by all the people that have killed fish within months of this treatment.

If you really want to stick with this kind of current set-up and want something alive, dwarf shrimp, like the cherry shrimp are better. You would still need a small sponge-like filter which you could easily DIY and attach it to your airline where your airstone is. It would also be better to upgrade to at least a .5g container.

Cherries max out at about 1'' for the females and a little less for the males. They tolerate cooler temps in the mid-60's just fine, are brightly colored and entertaining to watch. You could easily keep 3-5 in a .5g container and, if they breed too much you have fish food as well.