only plants for filtration? anybody else?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
schaadrak;4132138; said:
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.
Click to expand...

i took out the ac70 with the sponge all together...i have the pothos just hanging in the tank...i added 3 airstones to be sure i have enough d.o.... with the lilly pad it makes it tuff to have other floating plants...i have thought about adding some hyisenths(spell?)...after the raphs have been traded i think i will remove the aluminum foil to give the whole tank full direct sun again...i do also have some java moss in the tank though it isn't growing well i have never had good luck with that moss in any tank...i have been looking at some really big brazilan swords that we don't see often up here...i have thought about getting 2(one for each end) and filling in the mid with the swards i have now...the brazilans are 2' tall each...for some reason my amazons just fill out, but aren't getting taller then 12" though it is a busy 12"...i also have been thinking of adding another pothos or a bamboo bunch to the other end aswell...
 
tested the water again before i did a wc last night...it was the sam as with the ac70 sponge as without the sponge...i did add the bamboo to the other side...i left the roots hanging in the water...
 
it works as long as u have enough water movement
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom