Back into discus after several years!

[Larry Grenier]

I just bought 8 little guys from "Don in VA", great guy, great fish, great cats :-) yesterday. They are a cross between Stendker RT and Stendker Tefe. Neither Don or I really know how they'll turn-out as adults which I like. They are currently in a 55 with a sponge filter, 1 piece of driftwood covered in anubias (which they like to hang-out in), no substrate, and a ton of pothos across the top with their roots growing in the water (you know, that plant that comes in a hanging basket that you end-out trying to figure-out what to do with all the little plantlets). I will follow-up with pics.

After doing reef for a while and playing with planted tanks I've decided that all my tanks will have a 2nd tank attached which is stuffed full of easy plants, including terrestrial ones, mostly pothos. FYI; the pothos grows faster and bigger with their roots hanging into the tank then they do in dirt with fertilizers.

Until I follow-up with pics, your homework is to so s search on "Aquarium Pothos Filter". It's amazing how these plant pull natrates and other nasties out of the water and don't require much light. No, I'm not advocating zero or infrequent water changes, just a little less and better control of nitrates.

[John_Nicholson]

Glad to see you back.

-john

[Larry Grenier]

Glad to see you back.
-john
Thanks John

[DonMD]

Hey, Larry, I was wondering how those babies were doing. It's truly amazing when you sell fish, the range of fish keepers that come to the house. I'll say, hands down, you are the most experienced aquarist who's come over here to buy fish. I'll be looking for those pics, I might try to see what I can do with those plants you're talking about. -Don

[musicmarn1]

welcome back!

[Larry Grenier]

Thanks Don & Marnie

[Larry Grenier]

OK, so the pics are lousy. The fish are basically hiding-out in the anubias leaves. The came-home just last night. If I speak into the room and don't make any fast movements near the aquarium they are swimming around and picking at things. You can see the top of the tank is covered with Pothos plants drawing nutrients directly from the aquarium water.

[rickztahone]

Very cool. Please keep us updated on the progress of this tank. A few years ago, a member by the name of YikesJason from Plantedtank.net had a tank that had a backdrop on the top of his tank, and he had plants growing off that wall right in to the tank.

The whole thing flowed so beautifully. I forgot the name of that type of setup but it was amazing. I haven't been over there for quite some time and am not sure if he is still active.

[Larry Grenier]

Very cool. Please keep us updated on the progress of this tank. A few years ago, a member by the name of YikesJason from Plantedtank.net had a tank that had a backdrop on the top of his tank, and he had plants growing off that wall right in to the tank.

The whole thing flowed so beautifully. I forgot the name of that type of setup but it was amazing. I haven't been over there for quite some time and am not sure if he is still active.

This tank is for young grow-out only. I have a 100 gal standing-by that these guys will likely be moved to along with a school of tetras. Hopefully more attractive :-) It will be similar with only driftwood with anubias and java fern attached and a large part of the filtration will be an attached plant filter (probably a 30 gallon tank) and pothos. overhead.

[rickztahone]

This tank is for young grow-out only. I have a 100 gal standing-by that these guys will likely be moved to along with a school of tetras. Hopefully more attractive :-) It will be similar with only driftwood with anubias and java fern attached and a large part of the filtration will be an attached plant filter (probably a 30 gallon tank) and pothos. overhead.

Sounds great. Having done a lot of planted tanks, I can't say I remember hearing of pothos plants. However, I do remember water lettuce plants with the root system hanging down which I believe to be a similiar concept.

I may emmulate something similar for a current tank that I'm thinking of putting only DW in to.

[Discus-Hans]

Larry welcome back to the dark side lol You start with some great fish from a great guy,

Hans

[brewmaster15]

Welcome back Larry!

Have to agree with you on the use of pothos as a nitrate sponge...I've done tests here that it can easily drop my nitrates 10-20 ppm.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?60484-Brews-quot-Planted-quot-tanks&highlight=pothos+plants+brewmaster15

Hth,
al

[Larry Grenier]

Larry welcome back to the dark side lol You start with some great fish from a great guy,
Hans
Thanks ole' Dutchy! Yes, the fish look to be from a great source :-)

[Larry Bugg]

Having done a lot of planted tanks, I can't say I remember hearing of pothos plants.

It isn't a aquatic plant so you wouldn't have necessarily have heard about it in planted tank discussions. The plant remains out of the water with just the roots in the water.

[Larry Grenier]

Welcome back Larry!
Have to agree with you on the use of pothos as a nitrate sponge...I've done tests here that it can easily drop my nitrates 10-20 ppm.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?60484-Brews-quot-Planted-quot-tanks&highlight=pothos+plants+brewmaster15
Hth,
al
Thanks Al! I haven't been measuring and documenting, I'll leave that up to guys like you :-) I have a plan on an overtank plant filter that might actually be attractive. I really like the concept of little vegetation in the tank but heavy vegetation over the tank being fed by water from the tank. The plants also diminish the light levels in the tank. Hey, wait a minute! Sounds like "The Amazon".