The Ultimate Riparium Plant List For Plant Lovers & Fish Keepers

A list of plants that will thrive in a Walstad Method fish tank to help soak up excess fish waste and balance your low tech aquarium.

When your Walstad Method dirted tank needs a little extra something to give it balance, are not particularly fond of floating plants, or otherwise need to remove a lot of nutrients from the water column of your fish tank, these edible and house plants will get it done and you might even get a harvest. This plants are great for low-tech fish tank set-ups in need of some natural filtering using the mock-wetland/bog of a plant riparium. 
Pothos & Joy Pothos Vining Houseplant in Leca Hanging in Planter
Pothos & Joy Pothos Vining Houseplant in Leca Hanging in Planter

1Pothos

A popular house plant that comes in many different color variations and leaf sizes, pothos is an easy-to-grow vining plant that will do well even in lower light situations. Though, of course, the more light is has to photosynthesize, the better it will be at keeping your fish tank clean. 

2Tree Collards

Turn that fish waste into healthy greens if you're looking to grow some food while keeping your fish aquarium in balance.
Purple Tree Collard Cutting Growing Leaves in Worm Castings and Planter
Purple Tree Collard Cutting Growing Leaves in Worm Castings and Planter
Dogtail Cactus Hanging in Bedroom Window in Kokedama Moss Ball
Dogtail Cactus Hanging in Bedroom Window in Kokedama Moss Ball

3Dogtail Cactus

4Taro

Taro is an edible type of the plant commonly known as elephant ear, so when you're looking to thin out your riparium plants, you can do so by pulling out some of these edible tubers and cooking them for a healthy meal. The leaves are also edible but must be cooked first. It's fast-growing and does fabulously well in a bog/riparium set-up for the fish tank. 
Taro, Edible Elephant Ear growing in the permaculture food forest
Taro, Edible Elephant Ear growing in the permaculture food forest
Home is a Jungle where we grow food forests, house plants, keep cats, and raise ducks

5Sugar Cane

Sugar Cane is an edible grass that does well with a lot of sunlight. It is also fast-growing and comes in a lot of different colors and flavors so trying out a couple will certainly be a lot healthier than processed sugar, plus, you can keep the plant in check by harvesting after several months to make your own (sugar) cane juice, which is packed with nutrients. 

6Curly Cactus

Home is a Jungle where we grow food forests, house plants, keep cats, and raise ducks
Home is a Jungle where we grow food forests, house plants, keep cats, and raise ducks

7Raindrop Peperomia

Isn't it wholly appropiate to add something called "raindrop" to your aquarium setup?

8Rhipsalis

Rhipsalis is a tropical, jungle cactus that is super fast growing, appreciates plenty of moisture and will look absolutely stunning draping over the side of your fish tank. Grow it in leca clay substrate clipped to the top of your aquarium to get it started and stabalized because this plant also can get massive or even try a large, in tank planter that sits on the floor of your fish aquarium, for an easy and inexpensive way to add the power of house plants to your Walstad Method fish waste cleaning system. 
Home is a Jungle where we grow food forests, house plants, keep cats, and raise ducks
Huge Sweet Potatoes Harvested From Companion Planting with Tomatoes
Huge Sweet Potatoes Harvested From Companion Planting with Tomatoes

9Sweet Potato

Did you know sweet potato vines are not only super easy to grow but have several fabulous ornamental varieties? The vine is easy to keep up with with just a monthly trim, or you can train it up a trellis and overtop of a bed canopy.   

10Elephant Ears

For those who are not focused on growing food but simply need something fabulous and fast-growing to balance out their fish aquariums, elephant ears come in many beautiful colors with lots of differing varigations. Since they are heavy feeding and fast-growing, elephant ears might be just the plant you're looking for to add balance to your filter-less, low-tech fish tank set-up quickly. 
Home is a Jungle where we grow food forests, house plants, keep cats, and raise ducks

11Bamboo

No worries, though most people know bamboo to be a very...large...plant, bamboo also comes in dwarf varieties that are perfect for smaller ripariums on fish tanks. Grown in a riparium planter at the top of a fish tank, bamboo does well in leca, which will make the maintenance of your plant a lot cleaner and easier, while also allowing the bamboo full access to the nutrients in the water column of your Walstad Method fish tank. 

Your bamboo plants will also appreciate the additional humidity created by the water evaporating from fish aquarium, which it will need to grow properly and thrive. 
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