fish water would make a good solution to

[cichlid]

I currently have a 55 gallon african cichlid fish tank with a undergravel filter. I was curious if the fish water would make a good solution to grow a few plants hydroponically. I wanted to assemble the 11 plant system at waist level next to the tank since the tank in question sits on the bottom of a double stand. the ph is 8.5 would this be two high and what plants would you suggest I try first. Also what other water tests should I do and what results should I look for.

[Ron]

Yes it is called aquaponics. I helped build one for the Biology Lab at Fisk University a few years ago.
You can only grow low nutrient hungry plants like lettuce and some herbs.
The problem is that fish like the water pH 8.5 and plants like it at 6.0 so the only thing you can do is compromise at set the pH at around 7.0
It would also be a good idea not to use expensive fish because you might be feeding your plants expensive fish emulsion when your fish start croaking.

[barrelponic]

This is a common misconception about aquaponics. I have grown just about any vegetable you can imagine with the aquaponic system I have here in SC. You can see photo's of what I have grown at the photo gallery of my website Faith and Sustainable Technology - Welcome to Faith And Sustainable Technologies!!.
Most people who have pretty much done only aquaculture or hydroponics, for some reason or other, can't quite get thier heads wrapped around this. Yes some fish are more sensitive to pH than others but good choices of fish can make all the difference in an aquaponics setup. I have grass carp, koi, and tilapia in mine and they do quite nicely. The aquaponics feature can even allow higher stocking densities than standard aquaculture without the pollution potential and constant partial water changes (I have even had over 700 1/2lb fish in a 1000 gallon system). The only water I add is from evaporation/transporation. There are some limitations but not nearly as much as one would think.
Trav.