You know, I wouldn't use it on my violets because I'd be afraid of other bacteria or something else. Maybe it's a groundless fear.

I don't think it would be a complete fertilizer, any more than manure is for outdoor plants. JMO.

If something is thriving with it, I'm not suggesting you quit. I do things to my coleus that I don't with the violets.

Hello, I'm just a novice caretaker of a medium collection of AVS but playing around with fishwater is something I did a few years ago. I had several inside aquariums and outside a big garden pool. I always used fish water on my AVs...with much success. But I think it was the sunwarmed soft conditioned quality about the water the AVs liked.

I would use other fertilizers per the recommended strength. Only if you were using water siphoned off the bottom of an inside tank would this water have much strength as a fertilizer IMHO Welcome to African Violets and to this forum; there are a great many experts here that can help you. junebabe, Smiles, Linda

After thinking this over and reading Linda's post, I think one issue is that you have no idea as to the strength, etc., you are giving them. I assume it might vary quite a bit.

Diana

You could try it on one of your AV's as a test. Then post your results here for the rest of us.
Thanks

Just to try and clarify myself :) - If this seems beneficial, go for it. However, you would just never know the strength, nutritional value of it so I don't think it would be complete. You know, the big pleco dies and things change ;). You clean the tank, it changes.

It's probably not likely to hurt them although I was thinking of the various times tanks had to be treated, etc. I'm surprised no one ever analyzed this but I've been going through old AVMs and didn't see this one yet.

Diana in PA

One of my best friend's parents have a huge aquarium in their living room. It has to be at least 500 gallons. It's heated, has live plants and all sorts of expensive fish in it. Her dad is really into fish, and has probably 15 aquariums in their house, and breeds fish, and all sorts of stuff.

Anyway, I don't live near them (12 hours away), and I had mentioned to my friend that I was growing African Violets. My friend told me that her mom has always watered her violets with water from the fish tank. She said fish poop works wonders. When I visited her in August, I saw the violets sitting on a window seat. They were all gorgeous, huge violets..all looking quite spectacular. My friend told me I should get some betas and use the water from their aquariums to water my violets. I personally haven't done so, but her mom has been watering her violets that way for years, and they are quite beautiful.

The only caveat I would have about using aquarium water is if it had been medicated for fish disease or algae or if the water had been treated to amend the parameters (PH etc.) I think it's perfectly safe and good but some will differ.

Yes, aquarium water is excellent for AVs. We often use fish emulstion, which is similar. We don't know the exact ingredients of fish emulsion, but it does help the plant to "green up".

Fish emulsion or aquarium water could be used once per month, using other fertilizers the other three weeks.

Nancy

Here's an old thread on this site that seems to cover it pretty well.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/aquarium/msg0410485631938.html

(I thought I'd do a search).

Diana