plants to remove nitrates?

[0000]

what kind of plants, that are decent looking, can I put in my 36 gallon to help eat up the nitrates?

I dont have a sump, so they must go in the tank.


any god places to buy them online?

 

[masonicman]

What about trying a HOB refugium. I made mine but the do sell them. Besides if you have any grazing fish they might eat the plants.
http://www.nextag.com/aquafuge-hang-on-refugium/compare-html?nxtg=66c0a500509-C07D70582125F4CF

 

[Sk8r]

there is no plant safe to put into a display tank except cheatomorpha, and it may clog your intake and cause a problem.

Suggest water changes to solve your problem: 10% a week, plus removal of all filter material, reliance on 1 lb live rock per gallon, low fish load, minimal feeding until this is solved. Bioballs, dirty filters, etc, not enough live rock and overcrowding and overfeeding are usually the cause.

 

[israel.kendall]

Sk8r, normally you are spot on with your advice, so I have to ask a question here. I'm growing shaving brush and mermaids fan in my tank with the assumption that they are safe. Could you tell me what danger there is of growing these in my display?

Not trying to go off topic, but I was going to recommend trying shaving brush plants.

 

[Sk8r]

You're fine! sorry about that: I swept too broad a brush. They're exotics, don't root easily, and I wasn't thinking of those pretty things. You're quite ok with those SFAIK, and I think you are.

 

[0000]

thanks for the advice, i'll look for a HOB regugium

 

[d0ughb0y]

instead of plants, your other option is to use bacteria.

 

[djkms]

There is no danger to putting plants into a display tank over putting them in a refugium. Virtually all macro algae's have a chance of going "sexual". Some more than others. Most species of Caulerpa being the most prone to going sexual.

When a macro algae goes sexual it basically releases spores into the water before it dies. This process causes the algae to respire much more than normal. When the algae respires it is releasing CO2 into the water column. Too much of a buildup of CO2 causes the PH to rapidly drop which in turn can crash your tank.

There are 2 ways to avoid potential disaster with macros going sexual.

1: make sure there is plenty of oxygen exhange. This is handled by good surface agitation (aim powerheads near the surface to agitate the water) and a good protein skimmer helps as well.

2: Run a fuge on a seperate light cycle. At night plants release CO2 and during the day they release oxygen. Having a fuge on a seperate light cycle helps balance this.

Hope this helps.

 

[jeff@zina.com]

Two quick notes, first, macro algae going sexual doesn't necessarily end in death of the plant. And second, there are quite a few varieties of caulerpa that are safe and not an issue.

All plants are technically safe in a tank, though not all are suitable. Especially if you have herbivores that simply eat the plants you wanted to grow.

Jeff

 

[MarsRover]

there is no plant safe to put into a display tank except cheatomorpha, and it may clog your intake and cause a problem.

Suggest water changes to solve your problem: 10% a week, plus removal of all filter material, reliance on 1 lb live rock per gallon, low fish load, minimal feeding until this is solved. Bioballs, dirty filters, etc, not enough live rock and overcrowding and overfeeding are usually the cause.

Sk8r, so in light of removing all filter material, are you suggesting just having essentially an empty filter? Filter material being jus4t the spongey things?

I'm (of course) having Nitrate problems and i'm wondering about this comment you made. My filter only consists of three grades of spongey (mechanical filtration) and a pack of purigen.

Thanks!

 

[thegrun]

Dragon breath algae ( Halymenia) will work, although tangs and some angels will eat it.