Based on the growth of the mint (long and skinny), I'd say one of the big issues was lack of light. Our eyes do a very good job at adapting to different lighting conditions, so most people don't realize just how much of a difference there is in light levels indoors vs. outdoors, but the difference is HUGE. Plants certainly do feel the difference. If you want to grow non-shade plants like basil or oregano, you absolutely NEED a LOT of light. The other plants you have in your other tanks are mostly members of the araceae family, and they're adapted to very low light conditions. Another thing I'd recommend is spacing out the plants a lot more. The ones you got are essentially seedlings (especially the basil), and will grow much larger if given the proper conditions. The way you planted them doesn't allow them to fully grow out, they would be competing with each other for light.

Here is a tip that I use in aquaponics, use a net pot, cut a piece of shade netting, pop it into the net pot and put your plants into rockwool cubes. The net pot with shade netting will protect the majority of your root system and the nipping of the roots that grow through the netting will cause the plants to produce more finer roots (it acts like root pruning). This way you can keep the plants in any tank regardless of the size of fish AND it's a more stable base for your plants. All the best!

A tip from an (aquaponic)gardener for next time: don't buy plants that are already growing in soil. Transplanting them into a water system shocks them and causes them to die. This is probably what happened to the sage and oregano. If you start from seed, cuttings or plants that are already grown in an aquatic environment, you have a lot more chance of them surviving and thriving in your system. Usually in aquaponics they are grown in cups with glass wool or lecca while also allowing for space underneath for the roots to grow. It's just that the roots have to adapt from soil to water, and that only works well with really strong plants like basil and mint like you experienced.

Your videos are exceptional because all other creators would finish after setting up this herb garden. For you, it's only half of a video, followed up by a week, 2 weeks and a month (!) update. Good experiment, with a lot of info, very appreciated.

You don't need rooted plants to start. I just went to the grocery store, (you could try farmer's market), and bought fresh cut herbs. Re-cut the ends to get fresh growth, stuff them in the holes cut in the float, wait for them to grow. When they get too tall or spread out too much, cut the parts off, and replant in more holes in the float. Someone here can tell you about how to nip the buds, or other ways to get them to grow more bushy than tall.

As a teacher who uses KZfaq videos in my class I have to say this is the best use of music in the background I have come across. Good job. 👏🏻👏🏻 I’m going to have a couple aquariums like this in my maker space next year. Thanks. 💚

I like this idea, I have a ton of that corrugated plastic as well....to the shrimp room!!

Seems like I also need an aquarium in the kitchen if I get this to work 😄

Another thing u can do next try is to put the bubblers under the root systems, so the roots are having bubbles go up thru them, it should help to prevent them feeling too wet 😉 or u can look into something like aeroponics and basically put a bucket on top of the tank with plants attached to the bucket, and roots inside the bucket, have a pump spray/misting water onto the roots and then the water can fall back into the tanks, basically try to get the water flowing over the roots, rather than sitting in the water… great video, I haven’t done much aquaponics but I’ve researched it loads and one day will set something up myself 👊🥰👌

You might also try using netpots with some gravel to hold the plants instead of just drilling a hole and pushing roots through. Fish will still nibble on the roots but the netpot gives the plant a small space for roots that can't be eaten. I've grown all those plants successfully in an aquaponic setup but the plants and fish were separated. I would suspect the plants that failed either weren't getting enough light or the roots just got eaten up. Try basil just from cuttings. So easy. Plants grown in soil have fine feathery roots. When you take away the soil and move to water only those roots will die back while new (water loving) roots gets bigger. Great project and love the videos.

Nice video and experimental. Mint will grow fine from clippings. If you clip the mint and put the clipping in the water it will root and grow. You just have to make sure the end stays in the water.

I love how you dive right in and try things. The comments are very interesting on this one, I get the impression that with a few changes, you can make your herb garden work.

Basil grows insane in the back of a filter or rooted in a tank, it will even flower beautiful white fragrant flowers.

tips based on my experience so far with plants/hydroponics (and many fails): -designated lighting just for these plants would be dope (even 5k-6k LED flood bulbs, wont put out much heat). The mint for example week 2 is reaching for light and it's relatively shaded. Unlike most of your plant you're doing well with in here (many plants that do okay in low light), herbs/fruit/veg need/want FULL SUN (designated lighting) think Fluval Refugium light as an expensive option, 5k-6k flood bulbs cheap and work... (I use a Viparspectra p1000 for a similar project with lots of sun loving plants indoors). -roots can't be fully submerged because they need to absorb oxygen from the air too (most land-plants will suffocate and then rot if fully submerged) , leave 1/3 or so out of the water, and prevent the base of the plant (where root turns to plant) dry as well as 1/3 of roots, with just the bottoms in water to begin.

my favourite fish keeping channel....!!!!!

I agree with a lot of the comments here. Herbs need a lot more light then your indoor house plants. And I'd drill the holes bigger for net pots and use either clay pebbles or pumice as the grow media and only submerge the bottom 1/2 inch of the pot into the water. That way the roots have access to more oxygen as they transition. Second I'd take cuttings from the plants and root them in water first. This ensures they have the right kind of water roots that are better suited for an aquarium environment. Good luck next time! 👍

I grow potatoes, sweet potatoes, radishes, lettuce, cucumbers and devil's lettuce in my tanks. If it's a root veggie you won't get new tubers and if you do they will be small. If it's leafy and or fruits it will grow fantastic in water as long as the water has what they need in it. The two things I have found growing plants in an aquarium is you need decent light(either from the sun or a descent grow light) and you either keep 1/3 of the roots out of water(this has its own issue of keeping them shaded or dark) or putting a small airstone directly under the roots. You can put the airstone on the bottom of the tank or suspend it in the root clump/ball. If you have a cluster of plants you can put an airstone in the roots and gather a bunch of there roots together to make an airstone hammock of sorts. Otherwise try to give each plant their own airstone or dangle 2/3 of the roots in the water. That is what I've found works best for me. Other people probably do things different than I do but it's all trial and error until you find what works! Good luck and have fun

Check out some other (big leaf) varieties of mint. Mint goes crazy in tanks like this. Mint, lettuce and any of the choys.

I think they still need a substrate of sorts like lava rocks or leca balls so the roots aren't exposed, definitely will try this in my tanks seems like a fun experiment

protect the roots and add lights above them.

Go with seeds and root riot cubes. You want the roots to convert from the start, always used to hydro - not having them convert. I grow pick sallat from seed to plate in 9-10 days.

I've been doing non circulating hydroponics for a few years now, mostly in mason type jars to 25 gallon/95 ish liters. Basically, the plants in this video drown as they did not have enough space for and to produce air roots. Next round you try, only put 1/4 of the roots in the water. let 3/4 of the roots remain out of the water. I'd also suggest using netpots, drilling larger holes for them to sit in. This will help them be further out of the water and give space for the air roots to grow horizontally as well as the trunks to thicken without restriction. Large pebbles, marbles, leica to stabilize the plant and help air roots are all that's needed in the netpots. There is not enough bubbles in the water for the roots to be near fully submersed in this attempt. The fish shop is looking great!

I enjoy your curiosity and willingness to experiment. Good job. Soft-stemmed herbs like basil, oregano, mint, lemon balm, and stevia should work but probably need more light than you have to thrive.

Great idea, if you go to a hydroponic shop you can get the little basket pots and grow wool cubes , put the plants in them and make some holes with a hole saw the right size into the core flute, you will give them a better base and be able to change them out much easier, it will also make the plant base much stronger, you can also buy some of your aquatic plants in these already, some of the aquatics you buy like this are already grown by wholesalers like this emerged so they would work well to, if you get some of the herbs from the supermarkets that are already grown hydroponically they will also take easier as well.

I just got into the hobby a month ago and I've been looking at aquaponics. This is fantastic info. Thank you!

I would have predicted the mint to love it, as they like wet feet. Same for the sage, as they prefer dry soil. We have a bunch of sage growing in our dry garden here in Los Angeles and can get mint only to grow in the shade where it tends to stay damp. All the others, maybe they could make it in a tank with smaller fishes. If we never take chances, we'll never learn anything. Cheers!

Use a tiny pot with holes and stuff some rockwool. That will help the roots hold strong and avoid the fish nibbing the roots. it won't grow well if the roots are just hanging in there.

wow so cool , the beautiful site include with natural and some kind of gold fish

Your awesome!!!❤🐠 I love watching all your videos and I am lucky enough to of been to your shop!

Wow I haven’t checked in on your channel in a while and things have really transformed! All of those plants look so lovely! Great idea with the herb garden, I’ve always wanted to see more aquaponics/gardening out of tanks videos! Gardening and fishkeeping are my two passions and I love that they can be combined! One day I want to grow my own crawdads for food in a big aquaponics setup 🤔🦞🥬

Teriffic try not sure herbs like their feet that wet. I love your plants in your shop. I love fish and plants! Great vid.

I came to the shop yesterday and I always watch all of ur videos and I thought that it was really cool to be there and also thanks for all the shrimp and moss it made a very nice additive to the tank tysm

Love your vids hope you enjoy 2023 and best of luck

So cool 😍😍❤️ I’ve been absolutely LOVING the videos lately, so amazing keep up the good work! 🙏🔥

Nick you need a better light and use a rock wool fibre in a basket pot so the only the very tip of the pot is in the water or put an air stone underneath them they need a small amount of gas exchange at the root level

use some plant cups with pee gravel to protect the roots cut the hole in the lid using a hole saw

Maybe start with seedlings held in basket. Also leave some roots exposed to air for oxygenation and prevent rot.

If you have a tank that regularly goes up and down in volume; that would be the one to use for aquaponics. Sumps are interesting. If you could set it to fill slowly and then empty quickly or the like (see Murray Hallam for bell siphon concept). The root mass has the potential for taking over. Recommend you don't let the mint into a sump where the little gaps in the glass will be invaded.

Should try on those long hang on back filters best for growing small herb plants.

Would love to try this in our tank. Might try it with a net pot with leca or pumice stones. But the acrylic is a good idea to support and elevate the plants on the tank! Thanks for this! 😍

I just sent your video to my son. 😃 You are doing great things. Thank you for sharing. Best wishes from America🇺🇸

A large air stone bar below the roots in the tank will give the roots more oxygen.

What you are doing has a name... it is called the Kratky Method, believed to have been first introduced in 2009 by Bernard Kratky of the University of Hawaii in the States. The main issue is actually the light... closer to the light, the better they did... same with your chives planted in two different place... the one with the greater light did better. But, even the mint was actually getting "leggy" trying to reach for more light. Thanks. T4

great video! i've got to give this a try with herbs also, yum yum, i am drooling already!

Watch out with mint and basil. Basil needs a lot of light and mint doesn't like moist and the indoors. Very sensitive to mold after a few weeks/months. Hope everything works out. It's a great idea!

I'm not too surprised at your results. I grow all of those herbs outdoors, and we had a very bad drought this past summer in Texas (70 something days without rain). All the herbs that survived the drought were the ones that melted quickly in the tank, plus rosemary. Mint is just crazy hardy and considered invasive where I live. It will grow in almost any condition lol - wet, dry, it doesn't care. And all of them like a lot more light than what it appears they were getting in your tank. I wonder if they'd had a lot more light and fish weren't picking at them how they'd do. I don't think it'll ever work for sage and oregano, though. They just prefer drier conditions.

Tks for your recommendation to use a house plant. I have just started less than two weeks ago and my Pothos roots are growing very fast. I can see my Corydoras swimming around the long roots of the Pothos instead of at the bottom like in the past. One week ago, I place another mint plant stem cutting and two roots appear.

Great meeting you at the shop last weekend mate, your a genuinely nice guy and im more then happy to support locals. keep up the great videos, love your work!!

I’ve got an avocado in the top of my fresh water tank the roots are solid and have grown down to the aqua soil substrate

I really like that you the whole project and compiling it into one video instead of showing the building and planting and not following through with it because it failed and we are left with just the first part. thanks.

Great and simple aquaponic setup! I would do bigger holes and hold the plants in place with foam or pieces of "pool noodle". This will allow the plants steam to grow with less restriction. Keep the good work going!

Thank you for always showing full results I love your videos

I grow basil a lot indoors, especially right now. One thing I have learned, is that basil is very specific on its light. I highly recommend investing in a nice grow light, I use one from the horticulture lighting company! With your fish room and the temperature it’s at, you could easily keep herbs growing with a slightly more powerful grow light! Not sure if you’ll see this, but speaking of lighting, my neon tetras seem to be lingering around the bottom of my tank until I turn off my light. Should I try raising my aquarium light to keep it further away from the fish? I’m going to look into getting a black background as well as I think it would make the black water setup look a lot better. I wasn’t sure if that would also help to drown out some of the light

this is something ive contemplated doing a lot! definitly excited for an update!

The aquaponics that i've seen has the plant's roots in a sort of clay ball substrate and the dirty fish water gets run through them, they're not actually sitting submerged in tank water.

Oregano does like very dry soil just like lavender. that said, I just put a big old oregano plant in my aquarium lol. they say that oregano helps stimulate the fish’s immune system. you may try lettuce or parsley because they like a bit more water.

Definitely a great idea mate! My wife will be very happy to hear about this idea! Thankyou for a very informative video. Thanks nick 😊

Absolutely loved this and loved the constant updates. I think I might try the mint in my tank because as you know planting mint in a garden in qld weather it turns into a weed.

This was really interesting! Thanks for sharing your experiment!

Other vegies (big leafies) to try: Spinach, kale, lettuce and silverbeet. To stop fish root munching, a root cage? Say 5cm deep, made of anything that prevents fish from pushing their mouths inside to eat the roots.

Mint for mojitos 🤣 Love it!

They need more light :)

I've been growing weeds in my tanks, and they work well because the roots grow large. I have milkweed, clovers, and something else. Nothing that looks ugly, like crabgrass. Maybe I'll try mint. I also had problems with the fish eating the roots when I put smaller plants in, but the weeds I threw in there already had huge roots. So maybe the herbs might do well if the roots are already established.

Love your videos. Hello from las Vegas NV USA

THANK FOR WHAT YOU DO. Good on you, mate

Great video. One thing I came across in hydroponics is some plants do not like tropical temperatures, some prefer cooler water temps. Keep up the fantastic work.

My next project I want to do jnvolves setting up a plastic grating as an aquarium lid, and placing herbs in small fabric pots, filled with soil, on the top of the grating. My hope is that the roots will grow through the pot and down into the aquarium below. This is supposed to help with some nutrient deficiencies, root structure, and give somewhere in the root zone oxygen can get in easily. It's also a bit of roots that your fish won't be nipping at. It's a setup called dual root zone aquaponics.

had a friend asking about herbs in tanks and this answered a few questions we both had great video, thx for making this video :)

It's a cool idea but to do it right you should get cups made for hydroponics that hold the plants in a medium like rock wool. The rock wool would support the plants since the roots can't do that in water. The rock wool has nothing in it that's good for the plants, all the nutrients would come from the fish tank, and the fish wouldn't be harmed. I also agree with David Onfim, you need a grow light, but that might add too much algae build-up.

you should raise them an inch or so above the water, when the plants were small they were probably fine, but i think, since you think they "realized" they were in water, they probably starting running out of room for their air roots, and drowned. I think this is possible, but plants need air as well. I've planted basil in my tank, and i start clones in the HoB as well, I have a topfin bar light, it's really old and i paid way to much for it, but it grows pothos like mad, and i'm just starting to realize that i could be saving money by just shoving some plants in the lid. Can always try again :3 I'll watch and like that video too! x3

All of these plants will grow in aqua/hydroponics (with good leaf lighting), but most don't get on well with a lot of light around the roots, also the nibbling won't help, but the mail issue I had was going from soil to water. If they are grown in water to start with (from a cutting) they also grow the right balance of air/nutrient roots. What I got working in the end was only 3 per 60l tank and use a netcup, but mostly some netting or tights to protectthe rooots (Maybe a 3D printed shell to give thingssome space) to give the roots a little darkerness and protection from nibbling. If you want to get into it, get a 1" netcup and a rockwool cube. Take a cutting, dip in root hormone if you like and slide it into the rockwool. Keep moist, and once you get roots outside the rockwool, you can transplant to your tank (with the tights root protection) The water should come up to the bottom of the rockwool. There is a fair bit, but it's fun playing :)

Great project! I made a similar video a couple of years ago, and had similar outcomes to you. Didn't try mint tho, so might revisit this. You might want to try my technique of installing the plastic aquarium plant pots with some clay balls. Also, with plants in general - I have been attaching houseplants to suction cups and it works really well. Been loving your channel recently, keep up the great work!

We learn by doing, good job. Most Mediterranean herbs are used to struggling for water and not used to having fish Feeding on the roots! (It was an irresistibly tasty fish Buffet)

Thank you very much. Videonya sangat menginspirasi kami dan bisa menggali banyak ilmu dari Anda.

I keep an air stone under the roots it seems to help

This was super interesting to watch. I've been wondering about which edible plants would work. I have heard that lettuces do well & I have thought about trying some in my tanks eventually. I just finally put some pothos starts in one of my tiny jarariums - we'll see how it goes, I only have snails in there so I'm not sure there will be enough nutrients for the plant starts. Thanks for sharing!

Lovvvwe itt!🔥

Oregano grows in the mountain tops were there is heaps of sunlight & only small amounts of rain, so to much water is definitely not good. I also noticed the yellowing in the chives which is due to stress usually from over watering. I grow herbs at home

Mint is awesome….but it takes over your regular garden, so grow it in a pot or your fish tank. When you cut mint and put it with flowers it smells so good. Or just make a mojito, with your mint and just chill and watch your fish.

Hi, thanks for your very nice videos, I'm doing aquaponics and I think you should also think to the food you give to your fishes if you eat what goes out of your tanks. Fortunately here in switzerland I can find Trout bio food, which I use for my fish/shrimps (with some other complements).

im gonna go to ur shop tomorrow:)

First thing to do is make an attempt. I've been thinking about attempting aquaponics too. Feel like it'd be worthwhile to try to make more use of my aquariums and make an attempt at least. I appreciate your experiment. Can expect it to be trial and error at first.

Some plants have light sensitive roots ... They turn brown and die.. always a thing to keep in mind

It might not only be the roots. Each plant also has their own preferences for pH, temperature and amout of light. Searching for herbs in aquaponics gives some interesting pointers toward what plants might be compatible with which fishtanks. I'd definitely be interested to watch another episode if you keep experimenting ;)

I used to be successful growing Basil, and I took cuttings all the time and found the same thing you did in this. when I took cuttings I would leave them in water for the roots to grow, once the roots showed up enough your supposed to plant them but sometimes I forgot and others I was just like “let’s see what happens!” Every time they lasted about a month once the roots showed up. At first my cuttings would seem to thrive but they would then suddenly melt and die.

fascinating. Not a failure if you learned something! for round 2 maybe either put in a tank without fish that will eat it, or put a barrier like a net around the roots, and try with plants with less or no roots established so that it is less liekly to be shocked by the changing environment

I have Avocado and mango saplings growing in my tanks!

This is awesome!

The roots dont like to be wet all the time other than mint. Mint is normally found near water so it is perfect for your setup. Other plants just need times when the roots are not wet. This is normally done with a pump and a container above the tank so the water can drain after the pump is off.

I'd use net pot and bigger hole. Beside keeping the root safe from getting nipped by fish, larger hole will prevent the plants got choked when growing. Also, better chance to survive if grow (germinate) from seeds (+damp tissue). Transplanting from soil to water not always result in a success.

from what I remember the "woody" plants don't always go well aquaponic. hydroponic I think they did a bit better, but needed a" dry" spell. my dad was right into it. can't ask him now unfortunately. keen to see results!!

super cool Nick

The basil and mint are a good experiment but maybe not the chives. That’s onion family. Bulbs. I would have started from seed since you have the lights already. Cleaner and adapted from sprouts. Hydroponic support media, net cups. Will be interesting to watch. Some herbs prefer to be dry.

Grow the roots stronger and longer in a tank with no fish or even in a little bucket/bin else wise everything else you did was spot on

I’ve started tomato seeds in the sponge of my filter.

i had an issu ewith fish and snails eating the roots, if you cut a bigger whole and put a pot in the whole and the plant in the pot it stops fish and snails getting to the roots

I floated some plants above my goldfish (basil, mint, watercress). For the plants that I didn't float in 'pond' type baskets, and used a raft system, I zip-tied those little plant baskets under the plants, so that a root ball would form away from goldfish aggression towards the plants. My problem was too much direct light, which burned/dried up the plants. Shade cloth, or off season planting is needed for some of those not tolerant to direct light. You could plant them in fry tanks for them to hide in the roots and take out the excess nutrients.

Great video mate very interesting thanks

Thanks for this

Спасибо от всей души! 🇺🇿