[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Plants as Filters
Stuart wrote:
> I have heard that plants can be used as filters....
That's correct Stuart - up to a point. And I realize you did qualify
your comments with "so long as regular water changes are done". I have
undertaken an experiment with a small numbers of fry in small
containers. As many as 100 containers at the peak of the study. I had
some with Riccia in them and some without (those without were in poor
light) and can verify that that plants do make a difference if they are
growing. They don't remove solids but they are apparently removing
disolved materials such as the nitrogen compounds. Without plants the
water HAD to be changed daily or I would loose some fry. In those
containers with plants, I could usually get by with every second day and
not loose any fry.
Java moss has also been successful for me, but I dislike it and seldom
use it due to the fact that it traps all the solid waste and needs to be
"cleaned" occasionally. I'm unashamedly lazy by virtue of years of
practice :)
I have no tanks with rooted plants so cannot speak to the breakdown of
solid matter by rooted plants.
Joe Weber