Growing plants indoors is a matter of balancing out lighting versus nutrients. Light levels (both intensity and duration) is what drives plant growth, and how quickly plants are growing is what determines their nutrient needs.
Aquatic/semiaquatic plants will require flourescent light indoors. For floating plants, cheap shoplights can work suspended up over tubs. Something like a 100gal rubbermaid tub with 2x shoplights that take these types of screw-in flourescent bulbs http://www.acehardware.com/product/...otlight&origkw=spotlight&searchId=49318304944 (look for bulbs in the 5000-10,000 kelvin range if possible) hanging a few feet up over the surface of the water might work well. 8-10 hours a day is average for most aquarium plants, though IDK if that would translate exactly when bringing plants in from outside?
You'd probably have to dose ferts on a weekly basis. But you can buy dry ferts in bulk from places like www.aquariumfertilizers.com and one package set there would probably last a few years if you're just overwintering plants inside. I'd definitely run at least a big airstone if not a full filter to keep the water moving and clean, though. A cheap power filter with nothing but some nylon scrubbie pads inside that you rinse out occasionally would do the trick.
As far as an African lake cichlid tank, it's POSSIBLE to do a planted tank with Africans, but challenging. You have to pick out the right cichlids and stick with super hardy plants like Java ferns, mosses, and Anubias. The super hard water you have to keep Africans in is just about as big a problem as the fish themselves. There's a few people that have put together some nice ones over on the planted tank forum I'm a member of- www.plantedtank.net.
Aquatic/semiaquatic plants will require flourescent light indoors. For floating plants, cheap shoplights can work suspended up over tubs. Something like a 100gal rubbermaid tub with 2x shoplights that take these types of screw-in flourescent bulbs http://www.acehardware.com/product/...otlight&origkw=spotlight&searchId=49318304944 (look for bulbs in the 5000-10,000 kelvin range if possible) hanging a few feet up over the surface of the water might work well. 8-10 hours a day is average for most aquarium plants, though IDK if that would translate exactly when bringing plants in from outside?
You'd probably have to dose ferts on a weekly basis. But you can buy dry ferts in bulk from places like www.aquariumfertilizers.com and one package set there would probably last a few years if you're just overwintering plants inside. I'd definitely run at least a big airstone if not a full filter to keep the water moving and clean, though. A cheap power filter with nothing but some nylon scrubbie pads inside that you rinse out occasionally would do the trick.
As far as an African lake cichlid tank, it's POSSIBLE to do a planted tank with Africans, but challenging. You have to pick out the right cichlids and stick with super hardy plants like Java ferns, mosses, and Anubias. The super hard water you have to keep Africans in is just about as big a problem as the fish themselves. There's a few people that have put together some nice ones over on the planted tank forum I'm a member of- www.plantedtank.net.
