Recycling fish poop with the help of plants

by Peppie
(Goodwood)

Hello Caroline,

thank you for the great work you are doing with your website. it is really a pleasure to come here and get inspired about the green lifestyle. I am a breeder of koi fish and gold fish for many years now and have always faced the problem to find a way to keep the water in my ponds and fish tanks clean for the fish. Like all us humans fish produce a lot of waste which they will add to the water they are living in. If this is not removed the feces will build up in the water till they turn it into a poisonous liquid that will kill the fish.

To avoid this build up of ammonia and nitrites in the water of my ponds I use large filters that are filled with a medium that can hold plants. The plants live inside the water and feed on the waste that the fish produce. This way they remove the poisonous compounds from the water and keep it clean for the fish.

Having the plants integrated with fish into the cycle with the same water is a win win situation. The fish can live in clean water, plants get food in the form of fish waste and the environment does not have to deal with fish waste from polluted water that needs to be replaced from time to time from the system.

Kind regards

Peppie Peppstock