Has it been Calculated?

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T

Tanyoberu

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 10, 2006
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NJ
If I desired to use a planted aquarium to be the sole filter for a fish only aquarium, what would the size ratio be? Or if that's too broad, let's say I have a mildly stocked 75g with larger (plant eating) cichlids. Could a planted 75 turn over their waste and purify the water in the Fish tank?

I'm seeing how the natural pools are doing well. So just wondering.
 
It can be done if you keep the fish/gallonage ration the same as those outdoor pools, plus beam copious quantities of sunlight into it, and create a complete ecosystem. In short, no it can't be done. In tanks, there just isn't enough water volume, or available plants, to adequetly transform fish waste into plants. That's why we use filtration, which exists in nature as the bottom, structure, and border of ponds, among other things. There are detritivores that live in ponds that won't make it in aquaria, and a whole host of other organisms that are essential, but not easily sustained in captive ecosystems.
Just stick with filtration, it's your freind.
 
Never say never. It can be done. It's just how far you want to take it.

I'm thinking you'd have to HEAVILY plant that 75 & only keep 3-5 small fish for the miniature ecosystem to work. Maybe some tetra or the like.
 
I agree that we couldn't create a whole ecosystem Kzimmer but two tanks would still rely on pumps (in the least) just to circulate the water between them. But my question is more about the calculated amount of purifying planted tanks actually do. We know one wouldn't put a corner bubble filter in a 300 gallon tank and expect that filter to cope with the bio load of that tank. And so like filters, I wonder if there is any such calculation on how much a planted tank can filter.
 
maybe an areo/hydroponics forum would be able to out. the reasoning for this is because they use specific amounts of fert/food to get the optimal growth. And they prob have good or exact idea of how much food a plant will consume. I hope this helps you out a little bit.
 
Amazing find! I'm reading on this system and wow, just amazing... Thanks for sharing!
 
wastland is the closest on this. i still dont think there is any real calculations x amount of plants = this amount of waste. there are many factors that come into play such as the light type of plants and type of fish. if you are going to be doing pumps why not just do a cheap diy filter with some media in it to help out.
 
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