Determining the Usage Properties of Some Natural Substrate Materials in submerged macrophyte Vallisneria sp. culture

Abstract

In this research, which targets removing nutrients resulting from the metabolic wastes of fish and unconsumed feed from the environment in aquarium systems where fish, plants, and ground material are used in the same environment and use them as plant nutrients, it was aimed to determine the usage properties of zeolite, leonardite and diatomite materials on the growth parameters of the Vallisneria sp. plant. 
 The study was conducted in three stages for 8 months. The first step of the study was planned as the plant adaptation phase, and no fish were added to the environment. In the second step, fish was introduced. The third step was designed to determine the adsorbent mixture's plant nutrient storage capacity (effective usage period). In the experimental aquariums, no plant nutrient or fertiliser other than fish food was used at all stages. The effects and using duration on the growth of the Vallisneria sp plant of adsorbed nutrients from unconsumed feed by leonardite and zeolite mixture were investigated in three stages in aquarium condition. Trial groups were formed by adding the adsorbent mixture of the feed having a 40% protein value to the first group (G1), the adsorbent mixture of the feed having a 33% protein value to the second group (G2), and the adsorbent mixture without feed to the third group (G3).
 When the SGR values at the end of the experiment were compared, there was no statistical difference between the G1 and G2 groups, which contained 40% and 33% protein (P>0.05). On the other hand, both groups (G1, G2) showed significantly higher (P