How to grow Pothos Plant in aquarium filter:
Aquarium plants absorb toxic
nitrogen compounds from the aquarium water, but what if you own goldfish who
will eat whatever plants you put in the fish tank? It would be a good time to
think about putting some pothos plant in the aquarium filter. Pothos will do a
great job at reducing nitrate levels (and algae growth) and goldfish won't get
an opportunity to destroy the plant. Continue to read to find out more ....
In below video I will show you how to grow Pothos in aquarium overhead filter.
What is Pothos?
Pothos is green & mustard
multi-colored plant, & it is hard in nature which make it suitable for
beginners. This plant is able to grow in desired pot if properly cared.
It is a wise idea to use aquarium
plants in filter so that fish never eats them. We are introducing Pothos plant
in our aquarium filter to reduce nitrates level. This plant has other names
such as Money Plant or Devil’s Ivy & it is an ordinary plant available in
many nursery & garden centers in Australia & rest of the world. In this
tutorial I am going to use Pothos plant in my fish tank overhead filter for
reducing nitrates.
How to grow Pothos in aquarium filter:
I am converting my sump filter to
an aquaponic top filter, so I need to dismantle my tank canopy. I have used
timber to make a DIY planter for fish tank depending on the directions of my
overhead sump filter. After I finished building, I applied paint to canopy
& planter to make them weather proof. I used pothos plant for tank by
removing it from pot, removing the dirt, & trimming plant roots. I have
divided plants into 4 & potted in containers. For this project I am using
lava rock as aquaponic substrate which in future will be replaced with clay
pebbles.
This plant can help reduce
nitrates if they are at high levels in aquarium. It is cheap & grows
quickly.
Direct sunlight can blacken Pothos’
leaves but if the light is very little then it causes the leaves to yellow
& wit.
Step 1: Dismantle canopy & prepare open hood:
Re-using wood is an inexpensive
choice. This process can be completed
quickly using jigsaw.
Use an extra wood for supporting
the filter.
This step can be completed
quickly if you use a drill machine.
Overhead sump filter will be
placed on this end.
Step 2: Making a planter box for top filter:
Attach both planter boxes. This method is much simpler.
Step 3: Paint the canopy & planter box:
Painting the canopy & planter box can be done quickly.
Step 4: Preparing pots & planting pothos in them:
Pothos are washed & its roots
are trimmed before putting them in pots. I have filled the pot with lava rock. You
can also use gravels for holding plant firm in the container. However, I will change
lava rock with clay pebbles in future.
I am planting only 4 plants in
aquarium filter. Planter box can be used to give look of a garden. Pothos does
not impact water flow in aquarium filter.
How to care for Pothos:
It is recommended to provide top
conditions for a pothos plant to grow in aquarium by taking care of the plant.
Light:
It is not recommended to grow
money plant in aquarium that is facing sun all the time. Pothos can do great in
moderate indoor light, & if you plant a variegated money plant then it
might lose its color if you are keeping it in low light conditions. So it is
advisable to select a location with moderate indoor light if you want to offer
ideal conditions for the plant to grow.
Temperature:
The best temperature for pothos
plant is b/w 12 – 30 degree Celsius, but for the best growth, it is recommended
to keep them in temperature b/w 25 – 30 degree Celsius, as Pothos are tropical
plants.
Water Conditions:
It is recommended to offer water
that has high nitrates level for Pothos to grow. The top nutrient that Pothos
needs is nitrates & ammonia. In case money plant is kept under direct
sunlight, or the level of nitrate is kept low then money plant leaves might
turn yellow. Keeping money plants in gold fish aquarium is a wise idea because
they produce lots of waste which is converted into high levels of nitrate.
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