Do live plants need a filter?

[Pseudomugil]

I'm doing a science project and I'm using hornwort for the experiment. I have read that hornwort does not need heated water but does it need a filter?

 

[Nils]

No way! Plants filter themselves, and hornwort is one of those plants that is a nitrate sponge. You can't kill a plant due to water quality, and if you have enough hornwort and stuff, you could even throw a couple shrimp in there...

Nils

 

[ImACoolguy]

If you could have a sustainable amount of nutrients without fish then yes you do not need one. Plants feed off the ammonia from fish and like Nils said Hortwort is a nitrate sponge. It's a very easy plant to grow.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

 

[Pseudomugil]

I'm testing how well the plants will grow in different conditions and stuff so I will need to put fish food or something in the water to make ammonia? This will only be a temporary setup. Afterwards I'll add them to my tank

 

[Mattfinn]

I grow several plants in a buckets outside my window. They're all things I find locally so I can see how they grow and convert them to submersed growth. They grow fine. Actually got a local pond snail infestation now.

 

[Pseudomugil]

I grow several plants in a buckets outside my window. They're all things I find locally so I can see how they grow and convert them to submersed growth. They grow fine. Actually got a local pond snail infestation now.

Wish I had a snail infestation. Would help feed my avocado puffers.

 

[Nils]

Not hard to get one, grab a couple snails from your LFS for free and raise em in a jar.

Nils

 

[Mattfinn]

Yeah I got mine by accident in an egg sac on some parrots feather I collected. Survived a bleach soak and everything.

 

[Pseudomugil]

I read that all plants need Co2, which is carbon dioxide right? How do I put that in the water (I know, this sounds like an idiotic question)?

 

[ImACoolguy]

There are no stupid questions!

There is natural co2 diffusion in the water. Unless your plants need extra supplement (some medium and the high light plants) then your plants will be fine with just fertilizers.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

 

[Vlado21]

I read that all plants need Co2, which is carbon dioxide right? How do I put that in the water (I know, this sounds like an idiotic question)?

CO2 could be put into water naturally (air above surface or breathing fish) or by using diffuser & CO2 set (see: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f44/60-gallon-and-questions-332410-2.html#post3186295 and http://www.aquariumadvice.com/beginners-guide-to-co2-injection-in-the-planted-tank/ )...

 

[Pseudomugil]

CO2 could be put into water naturally (air above surface or breathing fish) or by using diffuser & CO2 set (see: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f44/60-gallon-and-questions-332410-2.html#post3186295 and Beginner's Guide to CO2 Injection in the Planted Tank - Aquarium Advice )...

So Co2 is in the wtaer as long as there is air access to the water?

 

[ImACoolguy]

So Co2 is in the wtaer as long as there is air access to the water?

To put it simply yes.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

 

[Vlado21]

So Co2 is in the wtaer as long as there is air access to the water?

Sure, but there's very low input from the air (CO2 concentration in atmosphere is less then 0.04%) compared to the CO2 diffuser (dissolving 100% CO2-bubbles into water).

 

[Brookster123]

Hornwort would be the exception here..
Most Plants "need" light, nutrients, co2 and flow/current. If you set up a tank by a window with an airstone and add ferts once every so often the hornwort probably won't die. Mother nature has made her offspring rugged and raw.. there is a difference between surviving and thriving though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Vlado21]

Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) is a hardy aquatic plant. It doesn't require enormous portions of CO2 as some other plants do. So yes, it can be fine with less CO2 from the fish or... from the air too.