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Re: Pothos Ivy Filter?
<color><param>7F00,0000,0000</param>> It's my understanding that terrestrial plants are better at removing
> phosphates than aquatic plants (which are better at removing nitrates). I
> have a setup where it would be easy to dangle the roots of a terrestrial
> plant in the sump of a planted tank. I've heard that pothos ivy can be
> poisonous to people, so I was wondering if it would be a good candidate as
> a phosphate absorbing plant for a tank with fish. If not, what other
> plants might be good?
<color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>I don't know how good pothos is at removing phosphates or nitrates, but thought you
would be interested to know my experiences of having a pothos plant growing in my 10
gallon for over three years. It started as a cutting I just plopped in there and it grew
roots and slowly sprawled across the bottom and out the top in a hole in the hood. It
has roots that have buried themselves in the substrate as well as exposed roots in the
water. It looks very interesting. I have had no problems with it harming any fish. I have
the same tiger barbs and paradise fish I have had for over a year and a half. Before
that it contained female bettas but they began to harrass each other so I moved them.
I do know that nitrates get a little high in this tank, but it is not one that I do regular
water changes on so that is probably why. My phosphates are low in all my planted
tanks so can't single it out for that either. It is planted in a tank that also contains java
moss. It is an actual pothos plant (Scindapsus aureus) AKA Devil's Ivy not a
philodendron (Philodendron species). The two plants are not the same. People tend to
get them mixed up because they look similar but they are two different plants. I don't
know which one you have but maybe you could do a little research to find out.
Here's a website with some great pictures:
http://www.plant-a-seed.co.uk/ivy.html
Tracie
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