Upstate TBarbs
Aquarium Advice Activist
I have a Marineland 550 powerhead pumping up about 24" through 1/2" reinforced vinyl hose. The hose is connected to a homemade inflow bulkhead created from parts in the Lowes plumbing section. The bulkhead is located near the top of a 24" plastic windowbox planter, the kind with no drainholes in the bottom. Inside the planter the water flows through an AquaClear 70 sponge that I just pulled from my filter, preserving the bacteria colony. I then have about 5 pounds of lava rock that I got from the grill section of Lowes. I put some golden pothos plants in among the lava rock. Then there is another AquaClear 70 sponge that the water flows through before leafing the filter. The sponges keep the lava rock and the roots in place so they do not clog the drains. The outflow bulkhead is located near the bottom of the planter, and is made from 3/4" fittings from Lowes. A 3/4" regular vinyl hose is running from the bulkhead down back into the aquarium.