has anyone tried this with a discus tank?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Some discus keepers I know keep a variety of pothos plants draped across their tank lids/canopies with the roots in the water. The roots draw up nitrates from the water. You'll still need to do water changes as they don't absorb enough of the nitrates fast enough, but they do help. Also, as was mentioned in the thread linked, water changes add back in minerals and nutrients that your fish absorb from the water. For this reason, you'll still want to do water changes.
 
So does this work with any plant? I believe this was something that is generally known. Plants do soak up nutrients and use waste as fertilizer. Once you have a plant in the water for a long period of time the nutrients to go into the plant but as the leaves die and decompose the nutrients become part of the water again. Energy is never really wasted.

Interesting thread.

Larry
 
The only thing you have to be careful with are plants that are poisonous to fish. There are some varieties of hanging plants that are bad from what I remember reading. But certain varieties of pothos vines were preferred because they did well in water and looked nice draped over the canopy of the tank.
 
PS: these floating plants work pretty well too if you dont want to go out and spend too much money. Just throw them in the water.

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