only plants for filtration? anybody else?

[sbuse]

before i tried this i had anothe high output filter on it and i didn't like how it made the tank flow...belive it or not the my payara have always tried to stay in any area that is current free...when i had them in a diff tank when i first got them they all stayed behind the rocks that blocked the current and rarely ventured out...they are more active with the reduced current flow...i also had an airstone before, but since i have the water leval down 3-4" the ac70 output creates more then enough filtration...


also a powerhead on the other side would put the lilly pads over to the ac70 and then they would get pushed down and die...when i first set a tank up with pads i did have powerheads, but that is what happend...also you never see pads in fast waterfor the same reason

 

[Cichlidfeesh]

before i tried this i had anothe high output filter on it and i didn't like how it made the tank flow...belive it or not the my payara have always tried to stay in any area that is current free...when i had them in a diff tank when i first got them they all stayed behind the rocks that blocked the current and rarely ventured out...they are more active with the reduced current flow...i also had an airstone before, but since i have the water leval down 3-4" the ac70 output creates more then enough filtration...


also a powerhead on the other side would put the lilly pads over to the ac70 and then they would get pushed down and die...when i first set a tank up with pads i did have powerheads, but that is what happend...also you never see pads in fast waterfor the same reason

well in that case, keep doing what your doing

 

[sbuse]

well in that case, keep doing what your doing

one of those if it ain't broke don't fix it deals...

 

[sbuse]

did a wc last week and i tested today...nitrate 10ppm, nitrite 0ppm, amonia 0ppm, ph 7.5, temp 79f...fish are feed eveyday with market shrimp and minnows...only difference is that i took out the jurunese and added a endli and ornate...

 

[bomber]

Whoa! What plant is that in your HOB filter? I was thinking of putting some Lucky Bamboo in my HOB filter... but that actually looks nice. Is the root something that grows like crazy? If so I'll stick with the bamboo.

That plant is called a Pothos plant. Those spread very easily.


@OP, if you feed like how you say you feed and your nitrates still stays as low as you say, good work. Your lucky to have low nitrates with feeding like that.

Bomber.

 

[schaadrak]

The title of this thread is a little misleading. It makes it sound like you're using only plants. But you're using an HOB which supplies a fair amount of movement around the tank, a good sized sponge which supplies some extra bacterial filtration, and you are doing large weekly to biweekly water changes. So the plants are not actually doing all of the work. That's probably why you were initially met with some hostility from a few folks.

Basically your doing a variation of EI dosing: large doses of nutrients (the minnows and shrimp) and then a huge water change to reset your water parameters. I'm curious as to what the growth rates of your plants are as that would determine how much they are actually removing from the water.

 

[sbuse]

The title of this thread is a little misleading. It makes it sound like you're using only plants. But you're using an HOB which supplies a fair amount of movement around the tank, a good sized sponge which supplies some extra bacterial filtration, and you are doing large weekly to biweekly water changes. So the plants are not actually doing all of the work. That's probably why you were initially met with some hostility from a few folks.

Basically your doing a variation of EI dosing: large doses of nutrients (the minnows and shrimp) and then a huge water change to reset your water parameters. I'm curious as to what the growth rates of your plants are as that would determine how much they are actually removing from the water.

the pothos plant was only 3" tall when i put it in the tank and it is now got 2 vines that are 3'+ and as big around as my pinky...the leaves are as big as my palms... the swards add a new leaf every week and filling out nicly...i have 3 sproutlits off of one of the swards that have gone from sproutlits to 4" plants i a week and a half...the lilly pad puts out a new pad to 2 pads every day...my perams don't change through out the weeks i just change the water to clean poop of the black sand and make sure there are enough minnerals in the tank as i don't use ferts or add anything but food and prime to the system...


so what you are saying is that the sponge from the ac70(witch i have on the tank for airation only) is doing all the work for the 2 weeks with no real increase in nitrates and that i am basically putting all the fish through bi-weekly cycles, witch all the fish in the tank have above average growth and are all stable(witch says alot for 5x 3" IT dat)...

if i take out the sponge and hang the roots in the water i would have to add an airstone, witch will be turned into a "current maker" and still wouldn't be plant only...most people have nitrate problems with a normally stocked tank and good filtration, and i have no issues and perfect water perams...with highly sensitive fish that are thriving...yet i am made out to be a fool... i don't get it...my payaras have had around 1" a month growth rate...average is 1/4"-1/2" per month...

 

[sbuse]

did a wc last week and i tested today...nitrate 10ppm, nitrite 0ppm, amonia 0ppm, ph 7.5, temp 79f...fish are feed eveyday with market shrimp and minnows...only difference is that i took out the jurunese and added a endli and ornate...

i missread my card it is 5ppm not 10ppm...i thought the first color level was 10ppm...i pulled out the kit to retest and take a pic to prove it is as low as it is...as it has been 13 days since the last wc...with nothing added but food everyday...

i willpost the pics as soon as i have them uploaded and this test is at 5ppm like before...

 

[sbuse]

13 days no water change here are the tests to prove my claims...there is a few goldfish that the jar killed and didn't eat that i haven't gotten around to getting out yet and they don't look like goldfish anymore so i think my system is good and strong...

 

[schaadrak]

the pothos plant was only 3" tall when i put it in the tank and it is now got 2 vines that are 3'+ and as big around as my pinky...the leaves are as big as my palms... the swards add a new leaf every week and filling out nicly...i have 3 sproutlits off of one of the swards that have gone from sproutlits to 4" plants i a week and a half...the lilly pad puts out a new pad to 2 pads every day...my perams don't change through out the weeks i just change the water to clean poop of the black sand and make sure there are enough minnerals in the tank as i don't use ferts or add anything but food and prime to the system...

so what you are saying is that the sponge from the ac70(witch i have on the tank for airation only) is doing all the work for the 2 weeks with no real increase in nitrates and that i am basically putting all the fish through bi-weekly cycles, witch all the fish in the tank have above average growth and are all stable(witch says alot for 5x 3" IT dat)...

Oh, no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no. Sponges do not remove a significant amount of nutrients from the water, they only act as a habitat for bacteria to complete the nitrogen cycle. Plants and water changes are doing that. And you are not creating a new cycle with a water change as your bacteria colonies are remaining intact. Water changes only remove the excess nutrients from the water that plants cannot use and replace the trace elements that they have. My point was only that you've got other elements of filtration and water quality besides just plants alone.

You obviously have good growth rates from your plants, so there shouldn't be any doubt that they are removing nutrients from the water. The only way I could see that would improve the system without adding more light (which doesn't seem to be necessary at this point IMO) would be to add more plants, preferably floating plants or another emergent set-up like you have with the pothos.