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house plants in top of tank

12K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  inthedeep2 
#1 ·
i have a question for you all. i was thinking about putting some spriggs of some house plants into the holes in thehood of my tank and was woundering what plants would work out in the idea. i think some of the fish might enjoy the roots in the water and play in them also alittle more hiding placed for fry.any one have any ideas for me. i was think of maybe some philodendron.
thank to you all.
 
#3 ·
i was thinking about more of a house plant to drape over the hood and light fixture on the top give it a more hidden look also letting it drape down the sides of my tank. not just for having a floating plant in my tank i want it more for the outside.
 
#4 ·
I saw this in a magazine once. I think the plant that was mentioned was indeed philodendron. Some years ago I had contemplated doing this as a means of lowering phosphates and other nutrients. I think it might look sharp given the right setup; however I decided not to do it as I really couldn't figure out how I could feasibly do tank maintenance without having to move the house plant(s) and drip water from their roots all over the floor. However if you have a low maintenance tank with lower lights and low ferts it might be worth a try. Post pics if you give it a shot.
 
#5 ·
I've used house plants in tanks like that for some years now and so have lots of other Finns I know. It's a nice way to combine two hobbies into one :)

I think good plants for the kind of effect you want are centipede tongavine (Epipremnum pinnatum), creeping fig (Ficus pumila) or creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), but there's lots of other plants which are also suitable. Basically any not badly poisonous plant you can grow in hydroculture (is that the right word?) is good for growing in aquarium roots submerged and leaves above water.

First you need to get plants that aren't full of pesticides and other nasties, clean them under the shower couple of times and you might want to let them grow roots in a mug, vase or some other container filled with water before you put them in the tank.

Here's a picture of my friends tank with house plants growing roots in the water. And here's my tank few years ago (dwarf puffers, peat exctract and only one fluorescent tube) with Monstera deliciosa:
 
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