I'm curious...I'm running three tanks right now. On my 90 gallon and 60 gallon tank, I have a AC110 and a Tetra filter on each of them. On my 180, I have an FX5. I could easily do this on my two smaller tanks, but what would be the best way to do this on my 180? I have a couple small HOB filters, would one of those work? I'm thinking it should, since I'm not using it for actual filtration...
New DIY Nitrate filter started om my 210 tank
- Thread starter CWO4GUNNER
- Start date
The more stocks you start out with the better the outcome. In a large wide HOB power filter like an Aqua-Tech 30-60 I can fit 5 stocks on each side for a total of 10. In six months 8 stocks (4 each side) usually become dominant like dominant chicks in a nest they just push out the weaker stocks that you replant in the original soil planter, and then you have a monster plant growing out of your HOB. I would sell those small ones and buy a used large HOB unless it was a small tank.
My Aquaclears do a very good job mechanically on my 53gal tank. Also never took the root trimming into consideration. Hmmm. Pretty interesting
Of my 7 HOB power filters 3 are AC's, to their credit they do provide a little more room for plants if most of the sponge is removed but much more temperamental. I have to say Id have no use for any brand power filter if it wasn't converted for nitrate removal for which they were IMO much better designed.:thumbsup:
I think HD is a bit pricey. I by mine at Lowe's as they have regular discount but normally I can buy a medium size hanging plant with lots of overflowing stocks for $6 and their variety to chose from is much bigger and better. After separating and cleaning the stocks, save the dirt and tiny stocks you will not be using and replant them using aquarium water to water them and they will grow for your next tank project although not nearly as well as the ones inside your HOB. Remember to tang the stocks to the wall with tiny finisher nails and dental floss with the root stocks in the HOB with no more then 1.5 inches of the stock submerged below the root line. In other words just like in soil the roots can be submerged but no too much of the stock. this is why you adjust the floss at the nail by just raping like tying up a boat line so you can make adjustments as the plant grows.
Here is a pic of the same plant on the same tank when I first planted into my HOB.
BELOW PICS ARE HOW I DID IT
You will need a cheap waxed dental floss to hang the plants stocks inside and over the HOB reservoir and 1” finisher nails to secure the dental floss to the drywall and a small hammer to drive the nails into the drywall at a 20 degree angle.
Use a slip knot in the dental floss so that you can adjust the size of the look over the tallest leaf stock and so that the slip knot will self adjust as the plant grows not cutting off circulation. The dental floss should be long enough to reach the nail with plenty of slack to rap around the nail several times (NOT TIE) for later adjustment (shorten or lengthen ) as needed.
I was able to pick some pothos, but my pothos does not have long roots as yours does, the roots on the pothos i picked was only about 1/4 inch long or even shorter, will this eventually grow longer?
As long as the roots are there intact and you did not bruise or manhandle them to much they'll work just fine. The roots come off the bulb in all different sizes some lone like hair (7") that I trim with scissors to 4" and some short 2' to 3". The key is to suspend the plant near the top of the stock with dental floss so that it cant teeter as it grows out and gets top heavy and pull the roots out of the HOB, and in a position where the roots remain in the reservoir water, not repeatedly falling out but not so deep that the stock itself is too far under water. I place my stocks not more then 1 to 1.5 inches underwater. After the plants gets established it will adjust itself and the roots will become very long and require ocassional trimming about once every 6 months or when the impeller starts complaining.
thanks, I have mine inside my sump tank, I'll try to post a picture later and will also try to update when the roots grow
I may have missed this when I skimmed the other posts, but have you had any issues with any possible pesticides on the plant? Your idea is amazing and I'm toying with trying it myself, but the thought of inadvertently contaminating the tank with pesticides makes me hesitant.
I used to have issues when I was trying to grow another invasive plant called English Ivy a very hardy, fast growing, low light tolerant plant that is known for its resistance to almost anything but burning and chopping. All except one plant pest called the leaf mite, a microscopic plant mite that systematically feed on leaf juices and eventually kills the plant without the use of strong toxins. Outside in full sun English Ivy can outgrow leaf mites and their are predator bugs (ladybugs) that keep leaf mites in check.
After more research I found out the reason why Golden Pothos is so common in homes and so easy to grow is becasue Pothos makes its own leaf toxins . Originating from the amazon where there is a host of leaf eating bugs Pothos developed its own chemical defense so when a leaf mite or caterpillar eats it the taste is very bad and if ingested make the bug sick so they avoid the plant. I have had a some leaf mites try and start eating a Photos leaf but only get started on one leaf and then go away and try again in a couple months but never make any headway at all.
There are some people that say Pothos is toxic to pets if they eat the leafs which is true but the animal would have to eat almost a pound of leaves if they could get past the terrible taste, a really dumb dog maybe, and even then just throw-up. These toxins are locked into the plants cells and are not randomly dispersed by roots or plant material from touching or water run off. Even so the toxin is so weak that nitrates even in small amounts of 20PPM pose a much larger direct threat to fish over time. So in other words Pothos is no more toxic then some fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, cherries and peaches that contain alkaloid poisons which can cause digestive disorders if enough are eaten at one time. Pothos is perfectly safe for fish and aquariums but more importantly very helpful in turning nitrates toxins into plant growth. Pothos is only toxic to plant eating insects.
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