Next best plant for reduction of nitrates

[ddoan]

I currently have hornwort in my tank, but it's causing lots of debris in there. It has done an excellent job at reducing the amonia and nitrite to zero and keeping the nitrate under 5 ppm. It however is a pain now with the debris floating everywhere. Is there a really hardy plant that I can use in a ugf bw tank? I was looking a java moss, but I am not sure if it is as efficient as the hornwort..

The tank is as follows:

29 g ugf bw
2 green spotted puffers
5 zebra danios
2 albino cories

Thanks,
Don

[carpguy]

It really depends on what you're looking for and what kind of enviroment you're prepared to supply for the plants (lighting, CO2, ferts).

Java fern is a fairly slow growing plant compared to some of the stem plants. Its ability to suck up nitrates is going to be limited by that. A big enough plant, or a bunch of smaller ones may do the job.

Watersprite is a notorious nitrogen vacuum. Hoovers that sauce right up. If you plant one in good conditions it'll develop more like a celery plant than most stems (very localized center) and then toss off floating daughter plants that will do their bit as well. Might be ideal for a UGF tank. I toss the extra plants when they start shading the tank too much. Endless supply.

Vals are another fairly quick growing plant that has a very centralized structure with a shallow root system. Sort of like a scallion. I'd think you could disentangle it from a UGF fairly easily.

I've got all three and toss extra nitrate in at each regular water change.

[RTR]

Well, I'll agree with hunger of Val, but I disagree on the depth of the roots - they are fine and can be broken easily, but they go straight down to whatever depth the substrate offers, including into plenum space under 4-6" of substrate.

I'd vote for water sprite also.

[plantbrain]

Another vote for water sprite.

Regards,
Tom Barr