Lol yeah young maples prefer dry shaded areas till a few feet tall, I've been thinking of dwarf bald cypress
Plant only filtration (why not popular in the hobby???)
- Thread starter JK47
- Start date
Well, as an AP guy, plant filtration is kinda my thing. That said, I still use a swirl filter to remove (most of) the particulate on my outdoor system, and a "pond" filter w/ a UV sterilizer (as of today). Yeah, it has bio filtration, but I'm not using it for that as much as for the UV clarifying my water. What I really like about the swirl filter though, is that the fish waste collected composts really easily into manure.
On my indoor AP system, I was using a Fluval 406 as a water pump to feed the previously mentioned pond filter as the water source for my display tank, and a really fine mesh bag for the water pump feeding the grow beds.
Before I added my display tank to the system (when I was only using the mesh bag and grow beds), my water was severely tea-stained, though clear. Simply enough, between the uneaten food and the fish waste, the solids were not breaking down fast enough. My 30-odd tomato plants shot up with some incredibly fast growth though.
AZR
On my indoor AP system, I was using a Fluval 406 as a water pump to feed the previously mentioned pond filter as the water source for my display tank, and a really fine mesh bag for the water pump feeding the grow beds.
Before I added my display tank to the system (when I was only using the mesh bag and grow beds), my water was severely tea-stained, though clear. Simply enough, between the uneaten food and the fish waste, the solids were not breaking down fast enough. My 30-odd tomato plants shot up with some incredibly fast growth though.
AZR
Using plants to help reduce nitrate levels is used by many people but an issue is the positioning of the plants correctly at the top of the aquarium. As mentioned earlier it takes a carefully designed lid system hold the plants, allowing the roots of the plants to be submerged while also allowing the tank to be lit from above. Depending on the type of fish to be housed it can also lead to issues where the fish nibble at the root structures, leaving the plants to struggle.
I can say that if you really don't want to see the plants, but want plant filtration, to put the plants in your sump (if you have one). Just make sure there's some light down there too (I have the light on the same timer as the grow light over my AP grow beds...) You would be amazed at how quickly caulerpa propagates, and if you have a good local network of hobbyists or a good relationship with the pet store, you can barter/sell clippings off of it as it grows...
AZR
AZR
Nearly every plant I've tried in my system has went nuts. I had a Dracaena bloom 3 times in one year. To push that point home, I've know 10 year old plants that have never bloomed. I will never plant any sort of mint again as it literally takes over. I had 3 philodendron vines all over 25' by the time I tore it down. ahhh yes, i tore it down. I love in a small place and it gets mighty cold in the winter. My growbed was a 2' wide x 12" deep x 8' long filled with growstone. Anybody familiar with growstone knows that it wicks water very very well. With my house being sealed up in the winter I had to run a dehumidifier 24/7 and collected over 2.5 gallons of water a day just from that. If I didn't run it the entire house was soaked, carpets, furniture, etc. blech.
So now I am changing it up to go with a more simplistic media-less grow area with pots inserted into Styrofoam. I'll also be toning down the number of fish I grow and will go decorative. 50 Tilapia was extreme overkill though they and my plants grew like crazy. I've had it shut down since April and have now decided to restart with the change-up. I'll beep everyone updated. Oh, btw Pothos do best with access to an east facing window, morning sun and full day shade.
So now I am changing it up to go with a more simplistic media-less grow area with pots inserted into Styrofoam. I'll also be toning down the number of fish I grow and will go decorative. 50 Tilapia was extreme overkill though they and my plants grew like crazy. I've had it shut down since April and have now decided to restart with the change-up. I'll beep everyone updated. Oh, btw Pothos do best with access to an east facing window, morning sun and full day shade.
![H]-[H](/forums/data/avatars/s/44/44128.jpg?1463640742){kind=avatar}
Hey guys, anyone here uses plants(pothos in particular) as mechanical filtration? Using just the roots of plants to trap waste from fish without using any filter pads/sponges/etc..
Hi im newbie here
actually Ive been using plant filtration for 1 year
I just put bunch of photos plants in my overhead sump filter,
I put them with their old soil roots and trim them before, but I realized something,
the one start that use soil roots never stop rotting until now even the leafs grow so well but make alot of debris which is awful,( so the nitrate absorber absorb nitrate from their own waste not the bioload waste
, another one that start with completely no roots just doing fine with their new water adapted roots,so I just curious and start over again with new photos plant and put it again with no soil root at all,
the thing is, the photos are used to be growing on soil then we change it to grow in the water, even if it works, some people said they need time to adapting new environment ( water) and to enhance the growth u must trim the roots, but based on my experience , its best to grow them from completely no roots compare to start from soil roots, any opinion ?
actually Ive been using plant filtration for 1 year
I just put bunch of photos plants in my overhead sump filter,
I put them with their old soil roots and trim them before, but I realized something,
the one start that use soil roots never stop rotting until now even the leafs grow so well but make alot of debris which is awful,( so the nitrate absorber absorb nitrate from their own waste not the bioload waste
, another one that start with completely no roots just doing fine with their new water adapted roots,so I just curious and start over again with new photos plant and put it again with no soil root at all,the thing is, the photos are used to be growing on soil then we change it to grow in the water, even if it works, some people said they need time to adapting new environment ( water) and to enhance the growth u must trim the roots, but based on my experience , its best to grow them from completely no roots compare to start from soil roots, any opinion ?
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