Plants as an addition to filter

[headbanger_jib]

The tank is a 90 gallon, with a 20gallon sump. Like filter, with aqua clay balls as media and Mbbr as media in the inlet chamber, and Lava rock at the outlet chamber, added plants over the aqua clay balls.


This is how the filter looks, the pink hue is because of the grow lamps, added for the benefit of the plants.


The filter is a 4'*1'*1' tank that is divided into three compartments one for the Mbbr, and two compartments for aqua clay balls.

The design of the above tank is similar to that of a sump, with baffles, but is placed over the tank.

The hood was designed such that it hides the filter tank completely and only the plants that are growing in the filter can be seen.

I have also added money plant, so eventually when it grows it will be hanging out of the filter and will be on the hood of the tank.

 

[mattison187]

Thats a pretty cool idea

 

[duanes]

I use planted refugiums, between the tanks and the sumps, and find they do make a dent.
The more plants used, the more nitrate that gets sucked up.

 

[headbanger_jib]

I use planted refugiums, between the tanks and the sumps, and find they do make a dent.
The more plants used, the more nitrate that gets sucked up.

Whenever I need a boost in filtration, I just trim the plants, and the filter is running extra hard

 

[Oughtsix]

Using plants to pull nitrates out of your water is a well established and effective practice. To maximize the filtering effect of the plants you want to use really fast growing plants. Pothos is a very common VERY fast growing plant that does a fantastic job of sucking nitrates out of your tank water... it would be MUCH more effective than your money plant and the Pothos grows very well with regular lighting making the grow light unnecessary.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...ltration-why-not-popular-in-the-hobby.404668/

 

[Drstrangelove]

Great job on adding plants to your filtration! Nice set up.

Totally agree. Great growing plants with some routine maintenance (trimming off dying or surplus growth) can have a major impact on water quality,

Plus it really enhances the naturalness of the aquariums.

 

[headbanger_jib]

Using plants to pull nitrates out of your water is a well established and effective practice. To maximize the filtering effect of the plants you want to use really fast growing plants. Pothos is a very common VERY fast growing plant that does a fantastic job of sucking nitrates out of your tank water... it would be MUCH more effective than your money plant and the Pothos grows very well with regular lighting making the grow light unnecessary.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...ltration-why-not-popular-in-the-hobby.404668/

Pothos is the golden money plant

 

[tarheel96]

I like overhead sump designs. I have/had one full of pothos but it's no longer connected to the tank.

If you have enough hydroton clay balls to fill the two compartments, you could plant many more stems/vines strait into the hydroton. I've never tried this with a strong current though and because hydroton is so light it might be difficult to keep down. Have you tried that? You can also plant pothos directly in the lava rock compartment which stays together better than hydroton.

You have pothos and what's the other plant? By money plant I thought meant pothos.

 

[headbanger_jib]

I put aquaclay balls in a mesh bag and weigh them down with rocks.

I plant, the plants in a plastic pot, after drilling many number of holes in them and filling it with pebbles, these plants are new and have shed all their leaves, as they have been removed from soil and placed in water.

These are begonias, waiting for them crowd up the pot.

 

[headbanger_jib]

I like overhead sump designs. I have/had one full of pothos but it's no longer connected to the tank.

If you have enough hydroton clay balls to fill the two compartments, you could plant many more stems/vines strait into the hydroton. I've never tried this with a strong current though and because hydroton is so light it might be difficult to keep down. Have you tried that? You can also plant pothos directly in the lava rock compartment which stays together better than hydroton.

You have pothos and what's the other plant? By money plant I thought meant pothos.

Yes pothos is money plant.

The other plants are dwarf begonias