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Plant bed filter experiment

1/30/2014

2 Comments

 
I love the look and benefit of live plants in aquariums, and lets face it -I have too much time on my hands...so i designed and built an in-tank plant bed filter using Acorus Gramineus as my plant of choice because it is  easy to grow, loves nitrates and can grow in ponds and marshes. The substrate i used was hydroton on the bottom and a layer of fine pea gravel on top.

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I took 2 clear drawer organizers and marked them with a pen where i wanted to drill holes to allow for proper flow through the plant bed.


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I used a 1/4" drill bit specifically for acrylic, It's messy but nothing a vacuum cleaner couldn't clean up in 5 minutes.

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Here i have added substrate and plants. The bottom layer of substrate is hydroton pebbles and the top is fine pea gravel. I decided on Acorus Gramineus as the plant, because it is an easy to grow pond/wetland plant that loves nitrates and seems to suit my experiment perfectly.

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Next i needed a way to mount the plant tray in the aquarium at the right level so the tray was half way under the water line. I cut 2 extra sheets of 1/4" acrylic i had and measured where they needed to be bent to hold the tray at the right level. Using a heat gun i bent the sheets around a slate tile that was the same width as the top of the aquarium where it was going to be mounted.

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Ta da!

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And they fit perfect!
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I built these uplift tubes by melting together acrylic tubing and extra parts from sponge filters. Air is inserted at the bottom which causes it to raise up to the top of the water through the tube, creating suction and bringing the water up with it. This brings water to the plant beds without me needing to plug in anything extra, just run them off the existing air pump that runs all my other tanks.
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The uplift tubes work well, bringing water above the surface into the plant bed. Now to wait for the plant roots to spread and establish themselves to see how well the filter really works.


UPDATE: 01/30/14
It's been a month and a half since i set this up. The plants have sprouted new growth, as well as grown a few inches to where it grew into the lights and i had to trim it. The roots are also establishing themselves quite well and fastening themselves to the bottom layer of hydroton. So far so good!
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Keep checking in for more updates, thanks!
2 Comments
Robert
12/29/2014 11:57:14 am

very clever idea and solid science behind the concept! Great idea!

Reply
Zoea
6/30/2015 11:38:44 am

Thank you Robert! I literally just saw this comment or i would have replied sooner :)

Reply



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    Zoea's Blog

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    Zoea's Fish/Bird Room Build
    DIY Shop Light Rewiring For LED T8 Tubes 

    Plant Bed Filter Experiment 
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  • Home
  • Products
    • Vinyl Decals >
      • Fish Decals >
        • Angelfish #014 Decal
        • Pleco #006 Decal
        • Stingray #020 Decal
        • Malawi Cichild #011 Decal
        • Pleco #041 Decal
        • Arowana #002 Decal
        • Flowerhorn #015 Decal
        • Catfish #034 Decal
        • Apisto #027 Decal
        • Swordtail #007 Decal
        • Catfish #036 Decal
        • Pleco #040 Decal
        • Arowana #003 Decal
        • Swordtail #008 Decal
        • Platy #009 Decal
        • Catfish #035 Decal
        • Ram #028 Decal
        • Discus #039 Decal
        • Malawi Cichlid #013 Decal
        • Loach #045 Decal
        • Loach #046 Decal
        • Catfish #033 Decal
        • Clown Fish #047 Decal
        • Pleco #005 Decal
        • Flowerhorn #016 Decal
        • Apisto #001 Decal
        • Malawi Cichlid #010 Decal
        • Frontosa #021 Decal
        • Stingray #020 Decal
        • Apisto #029 Decal
        • Blood Parrot #023 Decal
        • Musky #044 Decal
        • Angelfish #024 Decal
        • Flowerhorn #017 Decal
        • Midas #053 Decal
        • Tetra #025 Decal
        • Clown Fish #032 Decal
        • Datnoid #051 Decal
        • Oscar #043 Decal
        • Reef #038 Decal
        • Knifefish #019 Decal
        • Flowerhorn #018 Decal
        • Catfish #050 Decal
        • Gar #037 Decal
        • Walleye #031 Decal
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        • Flowerhorn #026 Decal
      • Other Decals >
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        • L. calliurus #057 Decal
        • L. callipterus Pair #058 Decal
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        • L. multifasciatus #060 Decal
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      • Geophagus sp. 'Tapajos Red' Print
      • Lamprologus similis oil Print
    • Posters >
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