Can you keep fish in a hydroponic pothos? Read this and you will understand

Pothos is an evergreen vine plant with a powerful root system, so its stems and branches can grow very long, and its leaves are large and emerald green, giving it extremely high ornamental value. It is a very good indoor foliage plant, and it also does a good job of purifying the air. Besides the common soil culture form, pothos can also be grown in water. So, can you keep fish in hydroponic pothos?

Let us set aside for now whether fish can be kept in hydroponic pothos, and first look at the benefits of keeping fish in hydroponic plants! Because fish constantly produce waste in the water, and this waste mixed into the water is a very good nutrient solution, which is beneficial to plant growth. So, from this angle, we generally can keep fish in containers with hydroponic plants.

However, fish need to breathe in water, and the dissolved oxygen in the water will continuously decrease. Moreover, for a hydroponic environment like pothos with a massive root system, it is also not conducive to fish swimming around freely. Over time, either the fish die or the plant dies. So, from this angle, we generally cannot keep fish in containers with hydroponic plants.

It can be seen that keeping fish in the water culture environment of hydroponic pothos has both advantages and shortcomings. If we are to discuss whether fish can be kept in such an environment, we often need to decide based on the size of the container. If the container is large enough, the amount of water in it will naturally be greater, and the dissolved oxygen will be relatively greater as well, so keeping fish in it generally will not have much impact on the growth of pothos. On the contrary, because the fish continuously excrete, it will increase the nutrients in the water available for pothos to grow. However, if the container is too large, changing the water is also a troublesome matter.

But if the container itself is relatively small, the amount of water will naturally be relatively small, and the dissolved oxygen will also be relatively low, so it is not suitable for keeping fish. Moreover, the root system of pothos is relatively developed, which will cause fish to frequently shuttle among the roots, increasing the risk of breaking or damaging the pothos roots. In addition, if the container is too small, the water quality is also easily spoiled, and pothos relatively prefers a clean water culture environment, so it is not suitable for keeping fish in a small container.

Through the above analysis, if you want to keep fish in the water culture environment of pothos, first we need to prepare a large container; fish absolutely must not be kept in a small container. But even if you choose a large container to create a symbiotic environment for pothos and fish, changing the water is indeed a painful task. Not only does it need regular water changes, which consumes a large amount of water resources, but the water quality also cannot be guaranteed for a long time. So, hydroponic pothos can have fish kept in it, but it is not recommended.