I have tried growing with green water and having plants. The plants don't grow as vigorously, but they grow. I have only had a problem with iron and nitrogen deficiency. The one time I had a nitrogen problem I just upped the feed a little and threw some urea in the system. I haven't had a problem since (probably because the fish got bigger and the roots of the plants are more established). The iron has been a back and forth battle, but the plants continue to grow. It's a mild deficiency and I am not too worried about it.

Algae that dies and clumps up typically will stick around the roots and other areas in the grow bed. The worms eat it and poop it out and the plants absorb it decomposed from bacteria as well. All I can say is it can work, but a lot more data and research is needed to say why or even how to do it right.

I have heard of farms that use green algae water to fertigate their crops. It acts as a nutrient rich slow release fertilizer. I don't recall the ratio, but I want to say it was 400:1 or something like that.