# Plants in my sump ?



## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

Hey guys, SoloW here. I am planning on building a 120 gallon sump, where one of the chambers will be stuffed with plants to absorb nitrates.. Does anyone have any plants they can recommend to soak up the most nitrates as well as be able to be "stuffed" into one chamber as to have to most < nitrate removal : volume > ratio ? Also would like a cheap plant that I can buy in bulk.. I'm thinking of either filling the whole 120 gallon or maybe 50 gallons worth of plants.. Also, with this type of setup , do you think I will need to add fert or liquid fert to the water?

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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

If you're looking for something to suck up the nitrates and excess nutrients I would just fill it with simple mosses like java, flame, any kind you find cheapest, and then tons of duckweed and other floaters.


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## Kimchi24 (Mar 22, 2013)

i hear hornwort is also very good. im planning on using it as well for when i get my larger tanks on to a single system


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

A big downside to having all your tanks networked is the risk of infections spreading all over and the problem of treating an individual tank.

But it would make things like wc and stuff very easy.

pros and cons no matter what you do.


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

What do you mean infections ? Like infections that are carried by the plants ? 

I was only planning on having this system with a 120g sump that is plant filled and a 225g tank that is fish filled and a couple canisters connected to produce nitrates .

Anyhow .. Does Anyone know how to design a sump that will maximize plant growth & volume in a 4x2x2 tank ? Would I even need to insert baffles into this sump ?


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

Btw planning on hornwort .. Heads up for anyone growing hornwort and has extra .. I'm going to need 120 gallons worth lol


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

SoloW said:


> Btw planning on hornwort .. Heads up for anyone growing hornwort and has extra .. I'm going to need 120 gallons worth lol


Hornwort is a great fast growing low light plant that doesn't need co2 or dosing. But there is one big negative side to it. If something happens to your tank that starts killing off your hornwort my god the mess it will make. Hornwort is made up of many needles and it will shed like crazy. I can't imagine the amount of work trying to scoop out all the millions of needles in your sump, stuck to your return pump and worst of all needles in your display tank and stuck under every crevice you can think of.


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

Should I have a prefilter or something so it doesn't get into my pump ?


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

Yes its a must if you don't plan on installing baffles


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Might try guppy grass rather than hornwort. Fast grower, similar habit, being a subsurface floater, and does not need supplementation, though it grows faster if it gets extra feeding. If it dies, it isn't as messy as hornwort is either. I find it easier to grow than hornwort, actually.


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

Guppy grass ?


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Najas guadalupensis, if I spelled it right. Ordinarily I'd have loads of it, but at the mo, I don't, sadly. Look it up, it's quite attractive and very versatile.


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