Tank filtration

It'll never work!

We need to run a monthly contest where whoever has the best filter mod each month wins a gift certificate to fund their future modding madness.

Oh that could be fun.

The NANFA Irate Mormon Mad Homebrew Filter Hackers Grant.

Yeah. It could work.

in case nobody mentioned this already, i have had good luck with Purigen. this product uses some kind of polymer that somehow captures impurities (how do you like my scientifical talk?!). if you have a big bio-load, however, you'll either need to use lots of Purigen, or recharge the bags (with care, using bleach) frequently.

in lieu of that product, i would suggest more biofiltration, which is easier to manage once established. healthy bacterial colonies--in the substrate and other surfaces--are key to keeping water params in line, but for me live plants have been especially good at promoting water clarity.

Years ago, Elmer Guerri was talking about the algal turf scrubber, which ran water through a series of baffles and corrugations under a bright light. Algae colonized the exposed surfaces, leading to what Elmer described as a really clean tank. Ever since then, I've been really intrigued by the concept, but not enough to actually go out and get one.

Of course, you could get even better water purity from growing emerging plants from the tank. They extract more CO2 from the air than submerged plants can extract from the water (without added CO2) and as a result can really soak up ammonia.

In one tank, I have pothos roots submerged and have snaked the vine up to the window. Floating plants work great, too. My 55 is overgrown with Water sprite, and that's the cleanest tank I have.

in case nobody mentioned this already, i have had good luck with Purigen. this product uses some kind of polymer that somehow captures impurities (how do you like my scientifical talk?!). if you have a big bio-load, however, you'll either need to use lots of Purigen, or recharge the bags (with care, using bleach) frequently.

in lieu of that product, i would suggest more biofiltration, which is easier to manage once established. healthy bacterial colonies--in the substrate and other surfaces--are key to keeping water params in line, but for me live plants have been especially good at promoting water clarity.

An ATS is part of my plan for phase 3 of my pond. BG got one at that Elmer's convention and was not altogether happy with it, although I disremember why.

In one tank, I have pothos roots submerged and have snaked the vine up to the window. Floating plants work great, too. My 55 is overgrown with Water sprite, and that's the cleanest tank I have.

I have read that pothos do not like "wet feet"
I have considered trying some in a tank or 2 but never did for this reason.

This stuff, right?
http://www.istockpho...p;refnum=144502

I've had it growing with the roots submerged for over a year. It doesn't seem to mind. If not pothos, try some philodendron. That works really well too.

I have read that pothos do not like "wet feet"
I have considered trying some in a tank or 2 but never did for this reason.

This stuff, right?
http://www.istockpho...p;refnum=144502

I've had it growing with the roots submerged for over a year. It doesn't seem to mind. If not pothos, try some philodendron. That works really well too.

Thats pothos afaik

I'll give it a shot.

Pothos and philodendron have both done well for me in paludariums with fully submerged roots. Of the two, pothos grew more vigorously.

I've also started growing basil in a partially submerged tub. I bought it at the local Whole Foods, which is selling individual plants with their roots in a plastic bag of water. It's sitting on a windowsill with some bacopa cabomba in a two gallon plastic tank. Both are doing ok. (They need more light, but it's been overcast for about the past week.)

Pothos and philodendron have both done well for me in paludariums with fully submerged roots. Of the two, pothos grew more vigorously.

I've also started growing basil in a partially submerged tub. I bought it at the local Whole Foods, which is selling individual plants with their roots in a plastic bag of water. It's sitting on a windowsill with some bacopa cabomba in a two gallon plastic tank. Both are doing ok. (They need more light, but it's been overcast for about the past week.)

Basil is great, but the problem I have had with it is once it flowers it goes to seed and then just falls apart.

Basil is great, but the problem I have had with it is once it flowers it goes to seed and then just falls apart.

same thing as when you are gardening, you need to pick the flowers/buds off to keep the basil vegetating.

I have had tanks with plants growing out of them for ages. Peace Lillys grow phenominal. I had started by making wire baskets w/ the non-rusting bonsai stuff and lining them w/ coconut matting, and filling with gravel and a touch of topsoil (last pic posted). I later loosely zip-tied thet plants to some willow cuttings that I soaked, debarked, turned up-side down and ziptied together to form an intertwined ""root" system. The fish loved that one. Both times I had rope fish and african butterfly fish in the tanks so I needed to have the water low anyway. Definately have to let the plant be out of the water a bit.

I have grown these well in the past, roots have to be trimmed frequently if given good light.


Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum clevelandii !!!!
Pothos
Spider plants do awesome too
Croton, Codiaeum variegatum