I have used Pothos as a nitrate filtration aid, but it's not the only option.
One of my alternative favorites is Papyrus-Umbrella Palm (Cyperus alternifolis).
I have used it in Wisconsin in ponds, planted sumps, and directly in tanks, and use it here in Panama, where it is feral, I even place it in the yard where the washing machine sends waste water. It can tolerate wet, and dry conditions, the roots can be totally submerged, although the umbrellas need to be above the surface.
This is usually not a problem, because they grow 4 to 6 ft tall.
The tank above is 24"tall, and 6 ft long, the root ball loosely takes up about a foot of one end.
It is one of the fastest growing plants, and reproduces easily.
The first one I bought in Wisconsin came from an auction of our aquarium club, for a buck or two (just a couple stems and small root system), It soon was in all planted sumps, in my pond, and in tanks.
To reproduce the root ball can be divided, or .......my favorite way is to bend a frond so the umbrella lhangs in the water....when it does, a new young plant begins to sprout.
Below, a shot of papyrus growing in pots in my pond in Milwaukee, being a tropical plant, it couldn't survive the winter there so it was brought in as a house plant.
.Below in a planted sump, and in a tank indoors.
Umbrella palm is originally a Malagasy plant (although it is found thrughout the world now, and grows wild (feral) here in Panama)) so I thought it was very apropos in my Paratilapia biotope tank.
One of my alternative favorites is Papyrus-Umbrella Palm (Cyperus alternifolis).
I have used it in Wisconsin in ponds, planted sumps, and directly in tanks, and use it here in Panama, where it is feral, I even place it in the yard where the washing machine sends waste water. It can tolerate wet, and dry conditions, the roots can be totally submerged, although the umbrellas need to be above the surface.
This is usually not a problem, because they grow 4 to 6 ft tall.
The tank above is 24"tall, and 6 ft long, the root ball loosely takes up about a foot of one end.
It is one of the fastest growing plants, and reproduces easily.
The first one I bought in Wisconsin came from an auction of our aquarium club, for a buck or two (just a couple stems and small root system), It soon was in all planted sumps, in my pond, and in tanks.
To reproduce the root ball can be divided, or .......my favorite way is to bend a frond so the umbrella lhangs in the water....when it does, a new young plant begins to sprout.
Below, a shot of papyrus growing in pots in my pond in Milwaukee, being a tropical plant, it couldn't survive the winter there so it was brought in as a house plant.
.Below in a planted sump, and in a tank indoors.
Umbrella palm is originally a Malagasy plant (although it is found thrughout the world now, and grows wild (feral) here in Panama)) so I thought it was very apropos in my Paratilapia biotope tank.
