Another overgrown nitrate filter root trim & filter mod
- Thread starter CWO4GUNNER
- Start date
It works just like your bio-filter in that it takes time for the filter to catch up to increase to bio load and like cycling it takes time to get established. In reality Pothos is just a larger organism then beneficial bacteria, except Pothos eats bacteria waste, heavy metals, and chemicals.
Gunner, I have a number of plants growing now with their roots in the water in back of my tank (Anibias Hastoflora, some orchids, a mangrove). Do you think they'd grow better if I aimed a small powerhead at their roots to keep the nutrients flowing over them?
Well you have to look at it from a logical perspective. The reason why plants will grow so much better when nutrients are channeled directly in and through the roots path is the same reason why filter media collects dirt so much more effectively when water is channeled directly into and through the filter media path inside a filter. Otherwise all we would have to do is float filter media and carts in an open tank to remove dirt. But we all know that it doesn't work that way too well.
To answer your question remember a power head pushes water around but does not channel it and power head outflow with air can be pretty agitating to roots I would think. If your looking for an effective alternative to using a Power filter, I would say that a sump tank which basically does the same thing would be my second choice.
To answer your question remember a power head pushes water around but does not channel it and power head outflow with air can be pretty agitating to roots I would think. If your looking for an effective alternative to using a Power filter, I would say that a sump tank which basically does the same thing would be my second choice.
Somehow I missed this post. Your saying that you had established Pothos in a terrarium with soil and at some point the plant failed right? Or are you saying you established Pothos hydroponically (growing great) in a PF and for no apparent reason the plant up and died one day? I know terrariums are much more difficult becasue the roots are are exposed to soil pathogens that have been killing plants for ever, whereas hydroponics eliminates allot of the plants natural root enemies since hydroponics is not a natural state protecting the roots from a host of natural pathogens now eliminated by environment. Sort of like a scuba diver not being able to get malaria from a mosquito bite while underwater. So other then having the plant go into shock from lack of water, a medication, treatment, or chemical like salt (which will kill a plant fast), I cant imagine what would kill it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaponics
http://farmfountain.com/
Your filter is basically a tiny tiny aquaponics system that has been very popular in Australia where water is scarce.
I think it's becoming a lot more popular in the states with all this "Green" BS goin around.
I'm actually working on turning my 20 gal tank into an aquaponics system for small vegies & fresh herbs.
In large commercial systems, Plants are so effective at removing nitrogen compounds from water that they NEVER change the water. Not exactly great for the fish (Tilapia), but in a small home system I think there could be a very happy medium with a small quantity of actual food produced AND very happy fish in a good looking setup.
EDIT: If you have heart issues, food produced from aquaponics systems are typically VERY high in Nitrates (which would be obvious for obvious reasons.) I've heard kids are most susceptible to a high nitrate intake as well if anyone is tempted to try this. Also some produce simply needs more nutrients than this high nitrate water can provide. Just FYI
http://farmfountain.com/
Your filter is basically a tiny tiny aquaponics system that has been very popular in Australia where water is scarce.
I think it's becoming a lot more popular in the states with all this "Green" BS goin around.
I'm actually working on turning my 20 gal tank into an aquaponics system for small vegies & fresh herbs.
In large commercial systems, Plants are so effective at removing nitrogen compounds from water that they NEVER change the water. Not exactly great for the fish (Tilapia), but in a small home system I think there could be a very happy medium with a small quantity of actual food produced AND very happy fish in a good looking setup.
EDIT: If you have heart issues, food produced from aquaponics systems are typically VERY high in Nitrates (which would be obvious for obvious reasons.) I've heard kids are most susceptible to a high nitrate intake as well if anyone is tempted to try this. Also some produce simply needs more nutrients than this high nitrate water can provide. Just FYI
Last edited:
Thanks for the link this article put it very plainly on aquaponics really and truly can work without consuming fictional space in the tank nor adding to the bio load of the tank as aquatic plants do. In the case of my tanks what I have found almost as important as aquaponics itself it the use of this extraordinary plant "Pothos" which has 6 huge advantages for fish keepers, 1 Pothos by designe compared to most other plants requires very little lighting which is a huge advantage and cost savings benefit, 2 Pothos requires no insecticide to fight off common leaf mites and other plant juice sucking pest becasue it houses its own locked inside the cells of the plant which is a huge advantage in growing a successful plant while keeping fish safe from use of topical pesticides, 3 Pothos grows lushly and rapidly equates to high nitrate and toxin removal, 4 Pothos is a beautiful plant lending attractiveness to the tank and the room, 5 Recent studies of Pothos effects in office and home environments have shown their leafs are very efficient and exchanging CO2 into O2 making home and office environments much healthier, 6 most importantly Pothos accomplishes all of this at almost no cost for power, maintenance, and for such a small initial investment, engineered filters designed to remove nitrates alone cost hundreds of dollars and require constant maintenance and a power source.
Whether this idea has been around for years or not, one thing is for certain, Pothos Aquaponic benefits as an effective tool against solving the nitrate and frequent water change portion of the aquatic cycle problem and burden for aquarium keepers (especially Older hobbies) has been grossly overlooked as the unsolved, persistent, and even necessary problem, and in most circles has unwittingly become an inseparable part of the aquarium culture, viewed as an uncompromising ritual and right of passage. Unfortunatly it will take years of success stories to brake that mental montra, just like it took years to brake the old-water/new-water method of fish keeping for the Bio-cycle method of fish keeping.
Whether this idea has been around for years or not, one thing is for certain, Pothos Aquaponic benefits as an effective tool against solving the nitrate and frequent water change portion of the aquatic cycle problem and burden for aquarium keepers (especially Older hobbies) has been grossly overlooked as the unsolved, persistent, and even necessary problem, and in most circles has unwittingly become an inseparable part of the aquarium culture, viewed as an uncompromising ritual and right of passage. Unfortunatly it will take years of success stories to brake that mental montra, just like it took years to brake the old-water/new-water method of fish keeping for the Bio-cycle method of fish keeping.
