Room for sump plants?

[Sac39051]

Hi all,

I would really like to have some plants incorporated in my system for nitrate removal. Don't think I have enough room in the sump. Display is a 150g, sump is 55g

Ideally, I would somehow find a way to throw a small grow light in the stand and have it all contained within.
I don't think pothos is an option because the area where my tank is gets very little natural light.

Design me a plant set up!

Here's the sump:

 

[West1]

just clip the roots of new pothos and toss them in. No need to design something for them LOL

 

[predatorkeeper87]

pothos would grow in a completely dry cave, just get some clippings and hang them into the tank lol.

 

[Woefulrelic]

To save you some effort you could probably put stems down where your drain going into the sump. Then you can have it sit on top of the sump and closer to wherever lighting might be. The only thing you don't want is household pets like cats having access to the roots, and you don't want leaves of the pothos to be submerged. The stems will take up virtually no room and are usually easy to remove until it gets huge. You can pick up pothos at a hardware store although it might be slightly more rare if you wait for winter to hit. Here's a picture of pothos from over a year ago. It might be sold as Devils ivy or something of that nature.

 

[Sac39051]

ok thx

 

[duanes]

Submerged plants can easily be put in pots in the sump, if space is a concern.
Here is one of my crypt planted sumps during a water change, you can see by the water line in the back, it's usually another 3" or 4" higher. I show it this way, so you can see the compartment for the pump.

A normal water line shot.

And if the sump is too dark, or not enough space, a small tank can be placed above the main tank near a window, and drain into it or the sump by gravity, with submerged or marginal plants, below is a 20 gal refugium set up just for plants, and shrimp.
The shrimp help break down organic matter to better be used by beneficial bacteria and plants, and occasionally flow into the main tank, and end up as snacks.

But as others have mentioned, I also drape pothos plants in the main tanks, for extra nitrate removal.

 

[Sac39051]

well I decided I am going to do a small tank next to my display. Needed a new project anyway lol. I can only fit a 10 gallon length wise (only have about 12" between wall and display tank). I will use a small pump to feed the 10 gal, then drain it into one of the filter socks. Putting it above the tank is out of the question, as it is already over 6 feet high.

I don't know if I can pack enough plants in a 10 gallon, including the pothos out the top, to make a difference with nitrates, but we'll see. Will be a nice little display anyway. I may put a couple fancy guppies and some shrimp in there.

Still need to figure out lighting. I've literally never had plants before, and I am hoping I can get away with a bare bottom and anchor them down so they don't clog up the over flow.

I'll be driling the 10 gal for 3/4" full siphon and 3/4" emergency drain...I'm hoping the barbed fittings don't restrict flow too much. Return line will be 1/2" python tubing over the back...haven't figured out the exact design of that yet.

Thx for the help folks

 

[MRE]

I have a similar setup to what you're talking about. My 150 gallon has a 55 gallon sump split in half with a planted refugium one side. My return pump is located in the middle of the sump and feeds a spray bar into the planted half while it travels up to the main tank. I have a variety of plants in there and it really helps with water quality.

 

[Sac39051]

Well what started as a simple plant in sump set up turned into this:





The pothos roots can take over the back half and I figured I would attempt to make it a reasonably nice low tech planted display in the front. No substrate, will add some crystalwort moss to the rocks and a couple small pieces of mopani suctioned to side. Fauna is a few neons, RCS, an a guppy for the kid

 

[Ihsnshaik]

You can use any plants really but pothos is the cheapest and grows roots well.