aquatic plants not doing their job

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

poxy

Registered Member
Mar 23, 2005
4
0
0
Devils Ivy (pothos)
I have several pothos plants which have a large root structure in a 7-8 filled out of 10 gallon tank. I keep california blackworms in the tank, and filter the water, and have a 100watt equiv flourescent light aboutone foot above the tank. I see new root formations and plant buds growing, so the plants are flourishing in the tank.
The ph in the tank is way over 7.6, and the ammonia is climbing to over 5mg/L. The worms have survived with ammonia over 10mg/L without any bad effects, but my question is why arent the plants reducing the ammonia? I can add more...there are three plants with large root structures and lots of leaves and 4 with less.
I added over 70 drops of ph-down checking ph 5 minutes after every 10-drop addition, but ph is still over 7.6.
 

Harlock

Educated Idiot
Dec 15, 2004
2,405
0
0
50
San Angelo, TX
members.cox.net
Well, it's not really an aquatic plant. Do you just submerge the roots in the tanks and let the leaves grow out of it?
 

poxy

Registered Member
Mar 23, 2005
4
0
0
I guess technically you are right, it's not an aquatic plant.

The leaves are near the surface, but below the water line. The roots just dangle. I was thinking about somehow designing something similar to a rake with tines and fit it on the tank so the roots can dangle in the water, and the leaves can be in the air.

These are some really hardy plants. They can have their roots dangled in a jar of water and survive forever like that, with water changes to prevent root rot.

I think CO2 may be missing from the ammonia conversion equation because of how the leaves are, but I dont know of an easy and convenient way to keep the leaves out of the water.

*edit*
I found a very effective way to string up the plants. I took the spiral binding from a notebook and stretched it, and strung it on two airline holders (the ones with the suction cups, and a y-looking thing) an inch or so above the water line, and laid the stems of the leaves over it. It holds the plants securely, and with the leaves out of the water (for the most part).
 
Last edited:

Harlock

Educated Idiot
Dec 15, 2004
2,405
0
0
50
San Angelo, TX
members.cox.net
Well, CO2 could be beneficial to you in that it would help in dropping the pH without expensive additives of questionable benefit. You could try a DIY injector first and see what you think and if it seems worth it, you could look at upgrading later to a more efficient system.
 

ergo sum

AC Members
Mar 15, 2005
576
0
0
Have you considered that there are too many worms and not enough plants? What would the ammonia be with no plants? (just a guess)
 

RTR

AC Members
Oct 5, 1998
5,806
0
0
Braddock Heights, MD
Pothos will do far better with the foliage in the air and the roots in the water. In that situation the foliage will have access to atmospheric CO2 and will not need tank supplement. I belive you will find it can use much more nitrogen from the water in that situation as well. I use eggcrtae grids to support emerse veggie filters and find them far less troublesome than submerse.
 

poxy

Registered Member
Mar 23, 2005
4
0
0
Thanks for your suggestion RTR. I will repost something:
"I found a very effective way to string up the plants. I took the spiral binding from a notebook and stretched it, and strung it on two airline holders (the ones with the suction cups, and a y-looking thing) an inch or so above the water line, and laid the stems of the leaves over it. It holds the plants securely, and with the leaves out of the water (for the most part)."

I can't wait to see what happens! I was trying to look online for the equation of what goes into a plant and what goes out of a plant in order to get rid of ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites...but I couldn't find it.

I also have some real aquatic plants... They look like clumps of grass(forgot the name), and I noticed that some of the bottom blades were getting yellow and dying... This is when I acquired the pothos, which I know to be able to withstand a whole lot.

Should I do anything about the high pH of my tank?
 

RTR

AC Members
Oct 5, 1998
5,806
0
0
Braddock Heights, MD
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. My tanks all run higher than yours and have for decades. I do not breed blackwater fish, but other than that it bothers my 2 dozen tanks, most planted, not at all. Stability is far, far more important than a particular pH. Don't us Up/Down type products - the are a waste and are unstable.
 

poxy

Registered Member
Mar 23, 2005
4
0
0
Well it's been about 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of light the plants have had with the leaves out of the water, and the ammonia hasnt changed at all. Nitrites are zero.

My biological insert at one time had one small tenticle which has dissapeared since I cleaned off the filter, so I guess the plants are doing something which prevents them from colonizing very well. Could it just be that the plants cant do the job? Here is a picture of the tank:
http://www.bettagirl.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=24
Here is a picture of the roots of those plants in the picture above:
http://www.bettagirl.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=25

By the way, I raise california blackworms...which I use to feed to fish...My wife raises the fish which my worms are fed to. They're really worms, not a type of fish.
 

RTR

AC Members
Oct 5, 1998
5,806
0
0
Braddock Heights, MD
One day is nothing in the life of a plant. If this is the first day with emerse foliage, I think that you will have allow time for adaptation, and then some growth. If that coil is metal, you may want to trade it for a plastic one - I like the idea though, that is a good one. I may something of the sort to semi-anchor some of my floaters.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store