Mint Plant Tank Growing Experiment

I saw someone post about growing mint in an aquarium, so today I went to the local garden store, bought a plant, took a cutting from it, removed the lower leaves, and stuck it in my shrimp tank. There's about 4" of stem, with two nodes, in the water. I had saved some foam and lead weights from plants I bought, so I wrapped the stem with the foam first, and then one of the weights, and used another lead strip to make a hook to hang it on the rim.

If the shrimp are all dead tomorrow I'll know it was a bad idea.

 

This captures the true essence of impulsively acting upon an online stranger's suggestion with little consideration for how it might end up. I love it.

 

I saw someone post about growing mint in an aquarium, so today I went to the local garden store, bought a plant, took a cutting from it, removed the lower leaves, and stuck it in my shrimp tank. There's about 4" of stem, with two nodes, in the water. I had saved some foam and lead weights from plants I bought, so I wrapped the stem with the foam first, and then one of the weights, and used another lead strip to make a hook to hang it on the room.

If the shrimp are all dead tomorrow I'll know it was a bad idea.

View attachment 670613

Lets hope they are ok!

 

It’s like a giant mojito, but seriously, it would be very cool if it grows

 

This captures the true essence of impulsively acting upon an online stranger's suggestion with little consideration for how it might end up. I love it.

The part about "if the shrimp are all dead tomorrow" wasn't serious. I suppose it's possible, but I figured the chances of an edible plant poisoning shrimp are pretty small.

 

Lets hope they are ok!

I agree, but I'm not too worried.

 

We'll keep us posted and let us know how it goes

 

We'll keep us posted and let us know how it goes

I will.

 

I'm happy to report that the shrimp don't seem to be suffering any ill effects from the mint. I'll try to remember to post again about root growth, or lack of.

 

Let us know if the shrimp taste like mint or if the mint tastes like shrimp.

 

Let us know if the shrimp taste like mint or if the mint tastes like shrimp.

Do you happen to have a good recipe for mint cherry shrimp?

 

Do you happen to have a good recipe for mint cherry shrimp?

Either way it will taste good in a bloody Mary.

 

I think this will go well.
I have mint in my yard and it is almost invasive .
Once the roots start to grow you'll have a little mint factory ...

 

I too have been experimenting with such things JettsPapa!

I tried this with several different herbs a few months back. Peppermint, Rosemary, and Thyme I believe. They all slowly melted away sadly. Lasted for awhile, but none made it longterm. I have done hours upon hours of reading online on what you can grow out of a tank and I know one of the popular things to grow is herbs, and many people have done so successfully.

I'm not sure why my first attempts did not work, but I took the liberty of going about it again with the mint about 2 months ago. This time instead of buying a plant from the store and putting it in the back of my filter I cut a few sprigs from a plant I have outside and tried rooting them in the filter again. Melted. Blah.

Using the third time is a charm theory I ended up with a package of organic mint from Sprouts or something a week ago. Instead of putting it straight in the tank I put all of the sprigs in a glass with some tap water, removing all of the lower leaves. After 3 days I changed out the water and replaced it with tank water. Now over the last few days it has began to take root. I have them on my plant shelf where I have a grow light on some of my house plants. Now that it is taking root and remains strong and healthy, I will take these rooted stems and put them in my tanks with varying light and flow and see if I am more successful this time. Though I am hoping by slowly integrating them into the tanks I will have better luck. Here are my photos from today and the roots that have formed over the last week. : )

I hope your experiment works out! I have no idea why I have been so unsuccessful. Though I do have Pothos and Chinese Evergreen in my tanks. Every time I get a bouquet of flowers I put them in my filter once they start to wilt. I have actually kept a mixed bouquet alive for over a month using this technique! I have also tried random flowers, clippings of weeds, and other things.

 

Rosemary is impossible to grow, it like to get it's water from the air not the roots.

 

smee82 may have a few recipes for mint shrimp.

 

Good to know. Better late than never, lol.

 

Either a bloody mary or some Ceviche would work. Personally I can't stand ceviche but mint shrimp sounds like a very ceviche thing. Crazy south american recipes Probably more crunch than meat on it though. Aha! Popcorn shrimp!

 

smee82 may have a few recipes for mint shrimp.

I can think of one chinese dish from the top of my mind that might work.

You could try infusing some vodka with your mint leaves and making drunk shrimp with mint vodka instead of chinese rice wine.

Or you could do a fried rice with the shrimp and mint in a pineapple sliced in half to make a bowl.

 

In all seriousness... I saw a hang-on acrylic box online the other day (Amazon I think) with a little pump, then four or five divided chambers, and then the last chamber had the spillway/return. I don't see why someone couldn't set up a little hydroponic herb garden with something like this on their aquarium.
I found it when I was searching for a filter for my porch pond tub.
Here it is:
Acrylic hang on filter box

 

Oh man, I want to grow herbs in my tank now! I might just have to get some mint....

 

Oh man, I want to grow herbs in my tank now! I might just have to get some mint....

I think I'll try another cutting, with much less top growth, and try it too. I'm concerned the first one may have too much. And that way I can compare and see which one does best (assuming either one of them stay alive).

 

Mentha aquatica - Wikipedia

Also, peppermint is a hybrid of aquatic mint and spearmint. So maybe peppermint would be a better bet than spearmint if you can't find aquatic mint.

 

JettsPapa, I think the more ways you experiment, the more successful you will be. I used something called "Sweet Mint" sold in grocery stores or Home Depot as potted herbs the other times. Both clipping and full plants. This last time I literally used the stuff out of the fridge section that was already packaged. Lol. It did better than the potted plants.

I have also seen people use the breeder boxes as a place to grow plants as well. Back of the filters is the most popular, or right out of the tank if you have a way to attach it. I once set up the top of my tanks with plastic crate diffuser and grew houseplants out of the tank that way. But my water level evaporated too quickly, and I wasn't able to keep that up for long, though it did work well and looked great.

If you are willing to experiment the possibilities are endless as to how you can grow things out of the tank. Herbs are even better because you can use them in the tank and out of the tank. : ) These pictures are very old, and before I did live plants inside of this particular tank, but it gives you an idea of how the crate diffuser works to hold up the plants above the water.



Top View



Original way that I did plants out of the tank. Front View with Plants on the top, you can see the roots in the water.



Same tank, newer photo. Simply attaching the plants inside of the tank and holding them above the water with a bit of wire on the side of the tank. This is what I do now, plus utilizing the filter, and I have Pothos growing in and out of my tank all over the place. Among other plants. Herbs, depending on the starting size would be just as easy, you just need a way to keep the leaves out of the water.


Same tank, newer photo without using anything except the filter and clipping the plants to the side of the tank.




What I got to take root most recently. Working brilliant. Lol. It came with a dozen stems with leaves, very robust and strong.

I hope this gives you some ideas! I'm sure you will do great! Experimenting with this kind of stuff is always fun, and you can never learn too many new things. : )