Best plants to use as Nitrate sinks

[chris_todd]

If you had a rack of tanks with a common sump, and wanted to add plants to the sump to soak up as much nitrates as possible, what species would you use? Perhaps one way to rephrase the question is: which species are most dependant on dosing nitrates?

[krisw]

Hydrilla - LOL! No, I'd bet that something like watersprite, anacharis, or the like would be what you want. Or, if you've ever seen Robert Rickett's setup, he uses Crinum americanum as an emergent nitrate filter.

[eleontie]

Water hyacinth is a good one.
I would choose a floating or emerse grow plant (like the crinum), as its growth will not be limited by the amount of CO2 in the water. Instead it would find it freely and widely in the air. I assumed you will not dose CO2 in such a setup.

Eugen

[chris_todd]

Water hyacinth is a good one.
I would choose a floating or emerse grow plant (like the crinum), as its growth will not be limited by the amount of CO2 in the water. Instead it would find it freely and widely in the air. I assumed you will not dose CO2 in such a setup.

Finally, a decent use for all our duckweed!

Yeah, I figured emergent plants might work best, and I know Bob has suggested philodendron or (dang, what was that other one) oh, yeah, pothos. Bacopa caroliniana was also suggested.

[krisw]

If you go the Bacopa route, get one of Rick's pillow-sized bags of Bacopa monnieri!

[DelawareJim]

Chris;

Any of the aroids grown emersed would do well (another excuse to add to your collection ).

Kris W and I are using a form of hydroculture a guy with the handle "Hydrophyte" calls a riparium system that uses LECA in hanging planters suction cupped to the inside of te tank to grow plants emersed.

http://ripariumsupply.com/

I got my "large hanging planters", which are actually kitchen sink sponge holders, at Sprawl Mart for like 2 or 3 bucks. Stick them on the back glass, fill with PrimeAgra, add your plant of choice and you're good to go.

Albert Thiel of reef tank fame, also used to have a company called Thiel-Aqua-Tech that made a rail and cup system that attached to the back frame of the tank and allowed you to grow plants in hydroculture above the tank. His favourite plants were diffenbackias, philodendrons, pothos, and spider plants.

Cheers.
Jim

[ingg]

Hornwort

[londonloco]

I have a 75g and 29g setup as a rip. Below are pics of the 29g a month back while it was cycling. Thought I'd give Chris a visual...

[chris_todd]

Chris;

Any of the aroids grown emersed would do well (another excuse to add to your collection ).

Kris W and I are using a form of hydroculture a guy with the handle "Hydrophyte" calls a riparium system that uses LECA in hanging planters suction cupped to the inside of the tank to grow plants emersed.

Duh, I'm so dense, I didn't even think of that! (I'm familiar with Hydrophyte's stuff) I like the dual-purpose approach; I get both a filter sump and an emersed plant setup all in one. Nice!

[chris_todd]

I have a 75g and 29g setup as a rip. Below are pics of the 29g a month back while it was cycling. Thought I'd give Chris a visual...

Beautiful, Loni! I'm not plant identification expert, but I think I see a Spathiphylum and a jewel orchid in there, right? Whatever they are, they're nice!