When you do a water change to your aquarium, you are throwing out a large chunk of dirty water. The same filthy water does have some uses, however, as it is full with nutrients that plants like.
We at Aquarium Blueprints have compiled a list below of the best air purifying house plants that you can irrigate with your used fish tank water.
1. Aloe Vera
Although Aloe Vera is best known for its medicinal purposes, this house plant will also help clean up the air in your house by removing the formaldehyde toxin. It requires bright lights to grow and only needs to be watered moderately every few weeks. Once the top 2 inches of the soil is dried, you can then water the plant again.
You can purchase the Aloe Vera on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: A. Barbadensis, Barbados Aloe, Burn Aloe, Chinese Aloe, First Aid Plant, Indian Aloe and True Aloe
- Toxins Purified: Formaldehyde
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 55°F to 80°F (or 13°C to 27°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water moderately. Wait until the top 2 inches of the soil is dried out before watering again.
2. Areca Palm
One of the better air purifying house plant that you can grow with used aquarium water is the Areca Palm. This species, which can grow to up to 10 feet high, will be able to remove Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene and Xylene. You can grow Areca Palm with indirect sunlight and you only need to water when you noticed that the soil has dried out.
You might also have to mist the plant if you have dry air. If you have a fish room with a lot of aquariums with open tops, then the resulting high humidity is perfect for this plant.
You can find the Areca Palm on Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Butterfly Palm, Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens, Golden Cane Palm and Yellow Palm
- Toxins Purified: Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Indirect Sunlight
- Temperature Requirements: 59°F to 70°F (or 15°C to 25°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water once or twice a week. Wait until the soil is dried out in between waterings.
3. Bamboo Palm
Another big plant that is great at keeping your air clean is the Bamboo Palm. This species can grow up to 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide in bright indirect lighting. You will need to water just enough to keep the soil consistently moist but not damp as overwatering will cause issues. It will remove Benzene, Formaldehyde and Trichloroethylene from the surround atmosphere.
You can buy the Bamboo Palm here. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Cane Palm, Chamaedorea Seifrizii, Clustered Parlor Palm and Reed Palm
- Toxins Purified: Benzene, Formaldehyde and Trichloroethylene
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 55°F to 75°F (or 13°C to 24°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water moderately until the soil became damp but not moist.
4. Boston Fern
The Boston Fern is great at removing Formaldehyde and Xylene from the air. You will need to put this plant in bright indirect sunlight and keep the soil damped at all times. If you have a lot of opened tanks in your fish room, you can grow Boston Fern just fine in the high humidity. If you have low humidity, you need to mist the leaves.
The Boston Fern is available for purchase on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Boston Blue Bell Fern, Boston Swordfern, Fishbone Fern, Nephrolepis Exaltata V. Bostoniesis, Sword Fern, Tuber Ladder Fern and Wild Boston Fern
- Toxins Purified: Formaldehyde and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 68°F to 78°F (or 20°C to 26°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water until soil is damped. The soil must be kept damped while the leaves may require misting in a low humid environment.
5. Chinese Evergreen
Another great plant that will do very well in with the high humidity of a fish room is the Chinese Evergreen, which will get rid of Formaldehyde and Xylene from the atmosphere. This particular species only requires low to medium lights to grow. You should water it moderately as overwatering can cause problems. Once the soil has been completely dried, you can water again.
The Chinese Evergreen is available for purchase with this link. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Aglaonema
- Toxins Purified: Formaldehyde and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 60°F to 72°F (or 16°C to 22°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water moderately and wait until soil is completely dried out before watering again.
6. Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is a hard to grow plant that is rewarding as it can combat against Ammonia, Benzene, Formaldehyde and Xylene in the air. We recommend placing this plant near the window as it requires bright lights as well as need good air circulation in order to grow healthily. You should also keep the soil constantly wet with your tank water to prevent fungal development.
You can buy Chrysanthemum with here. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Chrysanthemum Morifolium, Chrysanths, Disbuds and Mums
- Toxins Purified: Ammonia, Benzene, Formaldehyde and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight
- Temperature Requirements: 50°F to 85°F (or 10°C to 28°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water the plant until the soil is wet. Water again once the soil has dried out.
7. Dwarf Date Palm
This “dwarf” palm is still massive as it can grow to 10 feet tall. Fortunately, The Dwarf Date Palm is still worth growing as it can absorb Formaldehyde and Xylene. It requires indirect sunlight to grow. You also have to keep the soil moist with your used tank water. Make sure you don’t water too much as it can be detrimental. You should water again once the soil has dried out.
You can purchase the Dwarf Date Palm on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Miniature Date Palm, Phoenix Roebelenii, Pygmy Date Palm and Robellini
- Toxins Purified: Formaldehyde and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 50°F to 75°F (or 10°C to 24°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water enough to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Water again once the soil became dried.
8. English Ivy
According to NASA, English Ivy is the best plant at purifying air. It is capable of absorbing both Benzene and Formaldehyd. You need indirect bright lights in order for this vining plant to grow healthily. English Ivy prefer soil on a dried side, so you shouldn’t use too much of your fish tank water. You should also keep the leaves clean by misting them.
You can purchase the English Ivy with this link. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Common Ivy, European Ivy, Hedera Helix and Ivy
- Toxins Purified: Benzene and Formaldehyd
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 50°F to 65°F (or 10°C to 18°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water very lightly. Only water again once the top inch layer of soil has completely dried.
9. Flamingo Lily
If you want to add more colors to your fish room, then you can try the Flamingo Lily as the red flowering plant loves to be in a high humidity environment. If you have dry air, we recommend misting the plant. You should also keep it in bright lights at a warm temperature (at least 70 degrees). Last but not least, you should water enough to keep the soil moist and don’t water again until the top layer has dried out. This species will get rid of Ammonia, Formaldehyde, Toluene and Xylene.
If you are interested, you can buy the Flamingo Lily here. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Anthurium Andraeanum, Flamingo Flower, Oil Cloth Flower and Painter’s Palette
- Toxins Purified: Ammonia, Formaldehyde, Toluene and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 70°F to 90°F (or 21°C to 32°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water moderately to moist the soil. Don’t water again until the top inch of the soil is completely dried. You can water less during the winter.
10. Janet Craig Plant
The Janet Craig Plant can grow up to 15 feet tall. If you have the room for it, this plant will help clear out Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene and Xylene from the air. It requires moderate humidity and bright lights. You should use water, with your used tank water, moderately and wait until the top layer of soil has dried before watering again. For winter, you can reduce the frequency of hydrating this plant.
You can purchase the Janet Craig Plant on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Dracaena Deremensis
- Toxins Purified: Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 65°F to 75°F (or 18°C to 24°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water moderately and wait until the top inch layer of soil to dry in between waterings. You can water less in the winter season.
11. Kimberly Queen Fern
Kimberly Queen Fern is another plant that will enjoy the high humidity of a fish room that have a lot of aquariums. If you have low humidity, then you can keep the plant moist by occasionally misting its leaves. This plant requires medium lighting and very little water as you basically only need to wet the top quarter level. Let the top layer completely dried out before watering again. It will get rid of the Formaldehyde, Toluene and Xylene from the air.
You can buy the Kimberly Queen Fern here. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Australian Sword Ferns and Nephrolepis Obliterata
- Toxins Purified: Formaldehyde, Toluene and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Medium Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 60°F to 70F° (or 15°C to 21°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water just enough to wet the top quarter of the soil. Wait until the top soil is completely dried before watering again.
12. Lady Palm
Another good plant at removing air toxins from your home is the Lady Palm, which will get rid of Ammonia, Formaldehyde and Xylene. This plant need to be in indirect sunlight and requires a lot of aquarium water during the warmer months. During the colder seasons, you can reduce its water consumption.
You can purchase the Lady Palm on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Bamboo Palm, Broadleaf Lady Palm and Rhapis Excelsa
- Toxins Purified: Ammonia, Formaldehyde and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Indirect Sunlight
- Temperature Requirements: 60°F to 80F° (or 15°C to 27°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water liberally during the spring and summer and less during the fall and winter. Wait until the top 1 or 2 inch of soil is dried before watering again.
13. Peace Lily
One of the most popular house plants is the Peace Lily, which is great to have in your home as it can remove Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene and Xylene from the air. Not to mention that is also looks beautiful, especially when it blooms with flowers. To make sure that your Peace Lily grows and maintain its health, you need indirect sunlight or artificial light. When it comes to watering, you can use your outgoing tank water to keep the soil consistently moist but not damp (you can water less during the winter months).
You can buy the Peace Lily with this link. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Spathiphyllum
- Toxins Purified: Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene, Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 65°F to 85F° (or 15°C to 27°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water moderately to keep the soil consistently moist. You can water a little less during winter.
14. Philodendron
The Philodendron is an easy, fast growing vining plant that will clean your air by removing Formaldehyde. While this plant will also grow in low light, it is going to grow much faster in brighter settings. You should water this plant moderately with your tank water and wait until the top half of the soil dried off in between waterings. This species also prefer some humidity, which is great if you have a fish room with many tanks. Otherwise, you have to occasionally mist the leaves.
You can purchase the Philodendron here. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Philodendron Brasil
- Toxins Purified: Formaldehyde
- Lighting Requirements: Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 55°F to 80F° (or 13°C to 27°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water moderately. Wait until the top half of the soil is dried before watering again.
15. Pothos
Pothos is actually an excellent plant for your aquarium as you can dip its roots into your tank waters in order to remove Ammonia and Nitrates. At the same time, the plant will also help purify Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, Formaldehyde, Toluene and Xylen from the surrounding air.
You can grow Pothos directly in water. As we mentioned above, you can put the roots in your fish tank (you can find out how to do so with this guide) or in a water container. If you decide to use a water container, we recommend pouring out the old water and adding in new fish tank water on a weekly basis to prevent the water from becoming foul and, thus, rotting your plants.
If you want to grow Pothos in soil, keep the soil moist but not damped. You should also wait until the soil is completely dried before watering again.
You can purchase Pothos on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Ceylon Creeper, Devil’s Ivy, Devil’s Vine, Hunter’s Robe, Ivy Arum, Money Plant, Silver Vine, Solomon Islands Ivy and Taro Vine
- Toxins Purified: Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, Formaldehyde, Toluene and Xylen
- Lighting Requirements: Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 60°F to 85F° (or 15°C to 29°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water until soil is moist but not damp. Wait until soil is dried out in between waterings.
16. Rubber Plant
Another excellent plant to keep in your fish room is the Rubber Plant as it thrives in high humidity. If you have low humidity, you have to mist the leaves. You should also keep this plants in bright lights while making sure that the soil stays consistently moist but not damp. You can water less during the colder months of the year. The Rubber Plant is good at removing Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene and Xylene.
You can buy the Rubber Plant with this link. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Ficus, Ficus Elastica, Indian Rubber Bush, Indian Rubber Tree, Rubber Bush, Rubber Fig, Rubber Plant and Rubber Tree.
- Toxins Purified: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 50°F to 85F° (or 10°C to 29°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water until the soil is moist but not damped. Water less during the winter months.
17. Snake Plant
This hardy plant is not only great to look at, but will also filter out Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene and Xylene from the air in your home. It requires moderate lighting and watering (you have to make sure that the soil completely dries out in between waterings). This plant will also do well in both low and high humid environments.
You can purchase the Snake Plant here. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Devil’s Tongue, Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, Saint George’s Sword, Sansevieria Trifasciata and Viper’s Bowstring Hemp
- Toxins Purified: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Moderate Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 40°F to 85F° (or 14°C to 29°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water moderately. Make sure that the soil dries out before watering again.
18. Spider Plant
The Spider Plant is an unique looking plant that will help remove Formaldehyde and Xylene from the air. It prefers being in bright indirect lights at room temperature. You should water enough of the plant to keep the soil moist but make sure you don’t overwater. Once the top inch of the soil has been dried out, you can then add more of your aquarium water.
You can buy the Spider Plant on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Airplane Plant, Chlorophytum Comosum, Ribbon Plant, Spider Ivy and St. Bernard’s Lily
- Toxins Purified: Formaldehyde and Xylene
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 55°F to 65F° (or 13°C to 18°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water enough to keep the soil moist but not damp. If the top inch of the soil is dried, you can water again.
19. Weeping Fig
The Weeping Fig is a cool looking miniature tree that is capable of purifying Benzene, Formaldehyde, Toluene and Trichloroethylene from the atmosphere of your house. It requires bright indirect lighting. When watering, you have to make sure that the soil is moist but not damp (remove any extra aquarium water that seeps out at the bottom of the pot). You can water the plant again once the top soil has completely dried. During the winter season, you can water less.
You can purchase the Weeping Fig on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned)
- Also Known As: Benjamin Fig, Ficus Benjamina, Ficus and Ficus Tree
- Toxins Purified: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Toluene and Trichloroethylene
- Lighting Requirements: Bright Indirect Sunlight or Artificial Light
- Temperature Requirements: 65°F to 85F° (or 15°C to 27°C)
- Watering Requirements: Water enough to keep the soil moist but not damp. Water again after the top inch of the soil is completely dried. You can water less during winter.
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