Hope I'm in the right place for this. This is something that I have been thinking about for a while now. Would it be possible to use a large planted tank as a filter to a main display tank? I have been thinking about using an old 135 as a planted sump filter to my larger tank. That would be a 135 gallon planted sump on a 240 gallon tank. I would use no other filtration chemicals such as carbon. This would be the sole source of filtration. Any opinions? Would this even work? What kind of plants would be used?
Planted tank as a filter
- Thread starter BC1
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Yes this would great! Just like a refugum on a salt tank. You will want some sort of mech. and bio filtration. Also lighting is important, 8 hours per day is enough for good plant growth but not algea. However you might not worry about algea since it will be helping you out.
Hornwort is a fast growing notrate sucking machine that doesn't require a ton of light, I've had little success with it, it tends to defoliate on my.
Water wisteria aslo grows well with lower light along with Water sprite.
Others like java fern, java moss, anbuis, all grow well in low light are slower growing and will remove nitrates slower.
Hornwort is a fast growing notrate sucking machine that doesn't require a ton of light, I've had little success with it, it tends to defoliate on my.
Water wisteria aslo grows well with lower light along with Water sprite.
Others like java fern, java moss, anbuis, all grow well in low light are slower growing and will remove nitrates slower.
would work very well, I should think . . . one of the reasons I keep all of my tanks as planted tanks is that it makes for a great natural way to control ammonia, nitrates, etc. . . .
as noted, your plan is basically a FW refugium and should achieve the same benefits or better
as noted, your plan is basically a FW refugium and should achieve the same benefits or better
should work well just set it up like a sump with a baffle forcing the water through some kinda mech first flow up through a gravel bed then overflow into the pump section and return to the tank.
if i remember right you want as little water movement going from tank to the refuge so you dont outgas the co2 which can increase your growth rate by a ton, if i remember right someone had seen up to 7x more growth dosing co2 into there system.
if i remember right you want as little water movement going from tank to the refuge so you dont outgas the co2 which can increase your growth rate by a ton, if i remember right someone had seen up to 7x more growth dosing co2 into there system.
You might want to add ghost shrimp or gammarus shrimp to the refugium for the benefit of eating unmetabolized organic material. Doing so will improve the efficiency of the refugium by breaking down large wastes more quickly.
One thing to keep in mind regarding the salt water thing.. While it is similar to a refuge, most reef aquarists still ran a skimmer (or two) AND mechanical filters... Although small tanks were kept with great success using only a refuge (20L and below, possibly up to 30g).
Yeah i would set this up like most any other sump. Mech. filtration of some sort, filter socks or sponges. Then something for bio filter, bio balls, scubies. The in the return area you have your plants growing and have a screen set up around the pump. Or you could had another baffle for the planted section. Depending on the plant you will probably get some debri comming off the plants so you want some sort of screening.
Now that i think about it the fiirst section could be planted then mech. and bio. if there were shrimp in there they could help with some debri.
I have a 40 gal. planted with mostly Jungel Val, it's heavily stocked with tetra's. I did a water change about 5 weeks ago and the nitrates are at 10ppm. My 75 gal tank with a 8" Red eraed slider got a 100% change a week ago (had to move tank) and it's also at 10ppm. If only the damn turtle wouldn't eat the plants.
Now that i think about it the fiirst section could be planted then mech. and bio. if there were shrimp in there they could help with some debri.
I have a 40 gal. planted with mostly Jungel Val, it's heavily stocked with tetra's. I did a water change about 5 weeks ago and the nitrates are at 10ppm. My 75 gal tank with a 8" Red eraed slider got a 100% change a week ago (had to move tank) and it's also at 10ppm. If only the damn turtle wouldn't eat the plants.