Pothos roots in aquarium lowers nitrates?

I've read or seen somewhere that this plant can have its roots planted in the aquarium to help with nitrates etc., Anyone know how to do this please?

 

Ususally pothos is grown with the roots in the water and the rest of the plant with the leaves hangs over the side. It is a vine. You can buy a small one and wash all the roots clean of dirt or take a cutting and strip some of the lower leaves off and put the stem end in the water. Where the leaves were there will be little nubs where new roots will develop. Some people use a plastic soap dish that comes with suction cups and put it inside the tank on the glass and put the stem ends in there. Alison

 

If you have an HOB that's not an AquaClear, but it might work on an AquaClear, you can also put the pothos in the back of the cartridge. The roots will even grow into the cartridge! I do both. I have a pothos hanging in my 20 gallon high and the betta loves resting on its roots. Pothos not only remove nitrates in the water but it will also provide hiding places when the roots gets really long an will create like a small thin mangrove.

 

This is very interesting! Where can you buy Pothos from?

 

Any plant store or even at a hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowes in the gardening section. Just make sure you remove them from the soil and rinse off any dirt. Just a warning when you put them in water the roots will dies off and the leaves may turn yellow and fall. Do not worry about this. First the roots will regrow although when they regrow it will be so that it can be submerged in water since now the roots went from soil to aquatic. The leaves on the plant are adjusting to the different lighting. The new leaves that grow will now match the lighting of your tank or room. Some people make the mistake that their plant is dying but it is actually the plants process of adjusting to its environment.

 

Porthos in many color variation of green. I like the lime green one called,, Neon, The are green and white ones like marble queen and Jade and pearls, and ones with yellow on the leaves like golden pothos. They will all work just pick the color you like. Alison

 

I have a HOB filter with a missing top that is just sitting in storage. I think I'm going to give this a try!

 

I searched on the online auction site and got it from there

 

Many thanks - they're beautiful plants.

 

I have a HOB filter with a missing top that is just sitting in storage. I think I'm going to give this a try!

That's a good idea that I never thought of. I have three internal filter that came with the three 10 gallon start up kits. That would be a real good use for them to hold the roots. Alison

 

Yep!. I just though of an idea You can just get one of those small containers(criter keepers) attatch an cheap HOB and make it a pothos container. You can add some in the back and in the container. The running water from the filter will also cause a nice sound. I will post pics of my HOBs, I also have lucky bamboo that also does the same thing.

 

Great stuff !

 

Another thing is that all the fish poop and plant debris that get stuck to the cartridge the Pothos/lucky bamboo will use that as a nutrient source beside the lights

 

Just one thing how do you clean your filter media with all those roots entwined in it?

 

I don't need to, the roots will helps clean all the dirty stuff. The pictures don't really show it that well but the area near the roots is lighter than the area where the roots aren't this is because the roots had absorbed all the dirty stuff.

 

Fabulous !

 

So I was at the dollar store and I saw these little clear plastic sink caddies with suction cups. Has anyone tried using one of those to put in their tank with pothos?

 

I use the suction cup air line holder to hold my pothos. But I guess any thing with a suction cup and has a piece that can hold the pothos will work.

 

I love the idea of using a suction cup I was just told today to use pothos to help reduce nitrates. When I looked up pothos to my surprise I already had the plant in my house and never knew it could be used in an aquarium.

 

Just don't submerge it unless you have lights meant for plants. Usually if they are put submerge most of the time they will just slowy rot away. Just have the roots in the aquarium and that will be fine! I am creating a pothos root wall in my 40 breeder. I have a whole bunch of small and medium size pothos hanging on one of the sides.

 

Dang it I believe I have this plant in my betta sorority tank. Had a deliberate convo with the LFS employee about this being partial or full aquatic and he swore it was full!

Maybe not....after googling pics it might it be port his after all

 

I only have them about 1-2 inches in the water right now I don't have a way to make them stay where I want right now so they are just kinda hanging on the side on there own. I thought it was kinda fitting cutting some starts putting them in my aquarium my dad loved to watch my fish and he passed away almost 3 months ago now and the pothos is the flower I brought home from his funeral.

 

Here's a pic of my new setup;

 

How much pothos would it take to make an impact for tank size? I have 180 gallon tank. How much pothos would it take to even make a dent in nitrates?

 

For an 180 gallon your gonna need to probably get 3-4 pots of pothos! Keep in mind this is only to assist with filtration but shouldn't replace it! Also you would need the plant to be bigger since the bigger the plant the more it will absorb. If you aligning them on the back or side they can make a nice minI root hiding places!

 

For the person saying they added lucky bamboo -- I currently have a huge lucky bamboo plant that I was hoping to replant soon anyways. It lives in a vase and was planted using wet river sand. I've had it for over a year now -- do you think it's possible to remove it from the vase and use it in my aquarium or will it be a risk for contaminating my water with things from the river?
If it isn't a good idea to use the bamboo, where could I find pothos at? How much is it generally?

 

lilmomosa you can use the bamboo. rinse the roots and plant, just make sure the leaves are above the water line

 

I totally will thank you! You guys are awesome.
I saw those pictures of the beautiful above water plants in the tanks and just have to get some now! The people on here have some amazing and beautiful setups man #goals lol

 

For an 180 gallon your gonna need to probably get 3-4 pots of pothos! Keep in mind this is only to assist with filtration but shouldn't replace it! Also you would need the plant to be bigger since the bigger the plant the more it will absorb. If you aligning them on the back or side they can make a nice minI root hiding places!

I have a sump rated for 210 and lots of filtration just thinking assistance for nitrates in between water changes. Don't know if I want 4 large pothos sticking out of the tank or how I would hold it all in place.

 

You could do just one plant but it won't be enough however it will probably do a dent since pothos have been used by many to help remove nitrates!

 

Ok cool thanks I'll try it

 

I worked at steins gardens and gifts for 3 years and pothos are a common house plant. It is not semI aquatic and while can take a fait amount of water they often root away if roots are kept in water. But they do look nice. You can give it a try if you'd like but it might end up with them dying.

 

I worked at steins gardens and gifts for 3 years and pothos are a common house plant. It is not semI aquatic and while can take a fait amount of water they often root away if roots are kept in water. But they do look nice. You can give it a try if you'd like but it might end up with them dying.

Actually many aquarist incorporate pothos in their aquarium by hanging them over their aquarium! From terrestrial life to aquatic life the pothos' roots will experience some melting but after awhile new roots will form! Most pothos do well with roots submerged in water! Herenos a recent pic of my pothos in my 40 breeder, the plants are really healthy;

 

Is this also know as Ivy? Like the common household? I'd like to start putting live plants in my guppy tanks, but just haven't gotten any from the pet store yet. Alas I do have ivy. Identical to these above pictures.

 

Is this also know as Ivy? Like the common household? I'd like to start putting live plants in my guppy tanks, but just haven't gotten any from the pet store yet. Alas I do have ivy. Identical to these above pictures.

WELCOME to Fishlore!

If your plants look like these then they are pothos. Ivy is a different kind vine plants.

 

I love my pothos -- I've always kept cuttings in vases full of water, and so I had a giant chunk of it in a vase on my back porch that became my first plant in my new tank. It has a giant root system that my cory cats love (and they keep it clean), and then about 3/4ths of the main plant is submerged. The vine that comes out the back curls around the back of the tank, and I have put the end of it back in the water to spout new roots. The fun part about pothos is that once you have a water-rooting version of it, you can stick any piece of it just underwater and there are these little nubs that turn in to roots. Then just clip that part of the plant off and you have a new pothos to move somewhere else in the tank. As long as you have some portion of the plant above water, it's fine.

 

However it also depends on your lighting of having some submerge! Agree though you should have leaves sticking out this is due to co2 intakes. Plants abosrob co2 and in non aquatic plants there are holes known as stomatas on the bottom of the leaf. The plant can absorb a lot of co2 if the stomatas are submerge since it clogs the tunnel. If you have good lights then you can have some leafes underwater however if you don't have any or just cheap lights then you probably shouldn't since the light has less effectiveness once it goes into the water

 

Ive heard pothos can actually kill blackbeard algae just by being in the same tank.

 

Most places like home depot get small sized pothos for around 3 dollars and hanging pots for 9 to 10 dollars. Then larger hanging pots for about 15 dollars. Alison