[plantbrain]

Plant filters have been around since the 1800's.
How these will fit your needs is another question. High PO4 will not cause issues for Discus, that is one of the anions they use for Discus buffers etc.

NO3/NH4 are another issue.

Discus are often over feed to achieve larger sizes which "more is better" in their view. All this food causes lots of waste.

You can get rid of the waste by exporting it as plant cuttings. Emergent plants are best for filtering applications, they need less light, no CO2 and are easier to place in a system.

Basically a large sump with hydroponics media can be used and adapted for plant growth. You will need a light to grow the plants, but a shop light would do fine.

A well set up system can go 2 years or more without a water change and have the Discus breed.
But you are not going to maximize your brood unless you stick with the basic water changes in barebottom tanks etc.

There will be a trade off. Things will slow down and no water changes will not allow for so much feeding etc.

But it will help a lot and may even reduce the water changes down to 50%-75% or more.

Peace lilies work very well.

As far as a plant to add to the tanks: water sprite works very well.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[plantbrain]

I've had tanks that have no water changes for 6 months or longer with plants. Fish bred.

As far algae or duckweed, don't waste your time. These are no where as effective at high load rates for nutirent removal and both are messy and hard to deal with in the main tanks. They also require far more light for the same amount of uptake.

Emergent plants are far more efficent at reduced light(thus electrical cost) and also in terms of dry biomass export. Algae is 95% water, emergent plants are 80% or less.

They also do not get into your tanks..............

As far as using a UV to prevent algae, no, that generally will not work, it'll keep things reduced, but a few will make it through or go airborn and make into the tank.

You can use PCV 3" tubes with peace lilies in them and test caps glued to the bottom and filled with Profile(or better yet, hydroponic media, the clay porous balls, they will not clog as easily) etc and trickle water through these slowly.

Cut the PVC to 2x the average height in the sump, fill with profile/Hydro media, drill many small 1/8" or so on the bottom 1-2".

This way you can add as many "pots" of whatever plant you wish to grow in there and remove them for trimming, cleaning etc.

Very cheap, simple and practical over the long term.
2x20 w of light is plenty for 10 or so of these tubes.

Regards,
Tom Barr