Since today there really wasn't much to report on the growth of my plants (they didn't sprout at all), I decided to do some research. I knew that most of the liquids I was using have their ingredients written on the side of the container -- all, except the aquarium water which is basically water and fish waste. After some research into the exciting topic of fish waste, I discovered that scientists are actually studying this stuff!
I found an article entitled, "Mud made of fish poop" that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The scientists concluded that "Fish are constantly drinking and filtering seawater, converting minerals such as calcium and magnesium into carbonates and excreting them as mucus-bound fecal pellets." This poop provides food for other organisms.
A second article was called "Aquaponics: Fish poop makes for good vegetables". In this very short article they provide a quote: "The vegetables and the fish work together in a sustainable loop. The fish waste provides fertilizer which is made accessible to the plants via bacteria that convert the ammonia to nitrates, which feed the plants."
Having read these two sources, I concluded that fish poop is good fertilizer that can help plants grow. So, I am optimistic that my aquarium-watered plants will do well. Three cheers for poop!
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