Reptile & Amphibian Forums

With the false bottoms and drainage areas that we often change or sump out from dart frog tanks, there are a lot of nutrients that one doesn't need to waste down the drain. Fresh water aquarium tanks might be another source. Whenever I do a water change, I water house plants with the drained water.

Here is a photo of a couple of African violets I purchased many years ago. They are now in about 8 inch pots. I have never fertilized them with any commercial fertilizers and they have bloomed constantly without cease for at least 6 years. They have been repotted of course from the original small pots, but at this point, they are totally pot-bound and virtually without much soil left at all. I water them exclusively with the drainage water from the frog tanks, and have never fed them any "African violet fertilizers" or other nutrients. Water changes from tropical fish tanks also go into the other foliage type house plants, which are vigorous.

While the African violets do bloom continually and enthusiastically with only the water from the frog tanks, they do also have great indirect lighting all year from two windows oriented east and west and skylights mid day. This wouldn't work without the long day, rather intensive indirect lighting they also require for blooming. But low-light requiring foliage plants also grow like crazy with no other additives than what's left over from vivariums and fish tank water changes.

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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

D. auratus blue
D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
D. imitator
D. leucomelas
D. pumilio Bastimentos
D. fantasticus
P. terribilis mint and organe
D. reticulatus
D. castaneoticus
D. azureus
P vittatus
P. lugubris

That's what I do whenever I drain out the extra water from my tanks... I water the plants with it. No sense in wasting water!
Steve

I do the same thing and also if I have water left over after the house plants I take it outside to my flower bed.

My African Violets are just now starting to bloom. Do yours bloom year round or are they seasonal?

Where they are situated with the strong light, they have never quit blooming for years, nor do they appear to need a rest period. Those in the picture are obviously hybrids of some sort--I've lost the original names, so may have a greater propensity for year long blooming than some of the old standard singles. But I wanted to show them off as having no other fertilizers except for the excess drainage from the dart frog tanks, as something to do with it other than tossing it down the drain.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

D. auratus blue
D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
D. imitator
D. leucomelas
D. pumilio Bastimentos
D. fantasticus
P. terribilis mint and organe
D. reticulatus
D. castaneoticus
D. azureus
P vittatus
P. lugubris

Whenever I do a cleaning/dissassembling of my invertebrate tanks I always use the old soil in my garden or houseplants. Cockroach and millipede frass does wonders for plants! Waste not, want not.