pothos for a nitrate filter?

[cichlid tank]

ok so i can't seem to get the nitrates at 0, they are around 5ish. which i know is still OK but i want perfectionism. is there a way to put pothos at the top of a tank without it making it look ugly? can i have pics of any of your plant filters? i just want all the filtration i can on this tank. if any replies that'd be great! thanks!

 

[Kolton13]

You could do bamboo, I’m getting pothos and this other plant that’s going in the top of my filter too soon. Pothos is a good option if you don’t want to do bamboo

 

[Chief Tom]

I have pothos with the vine and shoots immersed but we've used it in the filter before. Bamboo is great too. I just secure it to the corner of the tanks to cover tubing and the fish love the roots. Nitro zorb works great if you don't mind spending 18 bucks or so. It's rechageable too.

 

[Fishnerd360]

You could try other plants, I seen people use sweet potatoes and their roots get big and bushy.

 

[Chief Tom]

There are many videos on YouTube also. Spider plants(roots only) work in a hob filter and look great too.

 

[deeda]

Nitrates don't need to be zero if you didn't already know that.

 

[Chief Tom]

Snail eggs on bamboo protected by the spider plant suspended in a glass egg.

 

[duanes]

Pothos is just one of any number tropical plants that can be grown out of the tanks surface, some suck up nutrients even faster.
This is one I am currently using on my 180 gal, it covers about a 4ft square area.


In order to get 0 (undetectable) nitrates the plant load should probably be about double the fish load.
I have also used papyrus and Pothos, and beside the tank, put them in refugiums.


But I also believe aquatic plants are just as important.

 

[cichlid tank]

yea i have cichlids like oscars, so idk if they can live with submerged plants

 

[Rass]

If your running standard glass tops and dont mind the roots in your tank you can simply cut holes in the plastic strip at the back of the lid as a holder of sorts. I used a small hole saw and then a dremel with a sanding drum to smooth them out. That's the way I did two of my tanks. A 20 high with guppies and golden pothos that is also pinned to grow out across the wall, and a 55 with Herichthys minckleyi, snow queen pothos, and wandering jew plants. I added cheap aquaneat led lights hidden underneath custom shelves for added growth.