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Planted HOB thread.

227K views 328 replies 122 participants last post by  pejerrey 
#1 · (Edited)







I started this thread because of the interest I see from other members to start their own planted HOB.

The cascade 200 hob comes with an attachment that is perfect to be planted. Then the rest is adding media instead of their cartridges in the back. I'm sure you can make a lil mesh bag filled with soil and plant thru the mesh.

An hob resembles to me an hydroponic pot pot, it does get decent light too! Even in a low light tank!

this is my other planted HOB with baby tears I collected from a lake, invasive species... its better for it to be in my hob rather than in that lake:


In both HOBs I have there is fluval or eheim biomedia instead of the stuff (sponges or cartridges) that came with the hob. In top of the media there is a small square of sponge or pad (don't remember), in top of that moss and in top of the moss plants.

In one of the hob the moss goes all the way down to the substrate of the tank and the plants too.

When I clean the filter I just pull the plants and moss that is attached to that pad or sponge and fold back into the tank, go clean it, put it back in the tank and then unfold/ place the pad again in the same position, there is very little root growth into the media.

Now, because of the plants you will evaporate more water than your HOB already does normally. I was Surprised by this and I was looking around for leaks! Lol!

The HOBs can be noisier with their lids on, this is why I did this. To my surprise again, the plants provide excellent sound dampening.

please share you pictures and experience here
 
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#166 ·
I have an aqueon 10 hob right now I have some taiwan moss tyed to a piece of filter sponge in the outflow spout. Is there a better way to do this. How could I add something else any recomendatio. Do you tank out the carbon filte with a planted hob. I would love some directions on how to possibly do this
 
#168 ·
Don't fret the carbon, I've read it's as effective for nitro reducing bacteria but with current and time be worn to sediment. Just try out simple plants such as spider, dieffenbachia, pothos and peace llies. Wedge them between filter pad and outflow, stuff biofilter sponge to fill spaces if you like
 
#171 ·
I had a vision where I wanted some weeping moss to cascade from my AC30 down to a rack below the output. I cut a piece of screen and super glued the moss in place.
 
#180 ·
I'm going to give this a try on my 20L! I've got a small Fluval U series filter in it now, I will be adding a small penguin 150ghp HOB that I've got laying around. I was thinking about using lava rock as a media, a sponge with moss on top of the media and plants stuck down into the moss. I haven't decided between moss and riccia to cascade down the outflow. I am having to raise my light off the top of the aquarium, but thats not too much of an issue. I've been reading about planted HOB filters for a while now and I'm excited to give it a try!! I've got a ton of terrestrial plants I care for and a lot of aquatic too, so I'm excited to mix these two hobbies!!
 
#185 ·
All of these beautiful tanks have really inspired me :)

I have a rimless 30 gallon that I want to set up again and really heavily plant it. I love the look of the planted HOB. I think I will do this and make it a shrimp tank. I am not sure when I will be able to get this set up, though. My cat eats plants and I am worried she will destroy anything I set up. Hopefully in the not too distant future!
 
#186 ·
i dont have a really good camera, or one at all really.. but in my aquaclear 50, i have 2 sponges, and java moss on top. its really thick, like a 1 inch pad that covers the same area as the sponges. right now i have biomax hanging in a net in the water. Gonna have to do something about that soon lol.

oh and i have an LED light shining on my HOB.

ps. before i had pothos, which is actually a house plant, but with the roots/stem submerged it grows great :D
 
#187 ·
Here's mine that is just getting started. The ricca mat actually started as a fissidens mat on black plastic craft mesh (the square hole stuff). a couple of little broken ricca fragments that hitchhiked from somewhere got in there, and just a few weeks later you can see the result :smile: Not going to fight it, just roll with it.

Bought some black sponge sheet (the coarse stuff for a Marineland canister, can't believe I paid $9 for a piece of foam, but I was too impatient to find an alternative, and the Fluval foam I had is white), cut to fit and shoved under the finger handles on the media basket. I'm hoping that this way I can keep my foam/bio/carbon/purigen media basket full with the planted part on top. Can always stop using carbon and use the space for more foam if the roots get crazy I guess.

Snipped the leading edge into a slot and put a few small Anubias rhizomes in the slot. They should send out anchoring roots into the foam and grow like they are emerged.

The leaves on top are some brand new African Violet clippings, should also grow roots into the sponge. Hoping the sponge will provide a growing medium that stays wet while providing a surface above the waterline so the crown of the plant won't rot. We'll see! If it works I'll have a flowering planted HOB! :smile:

 
#188 ·
When I started this thread, I didn't imagine that it will get such a good reception. I'm glad to see that people like the idea, which wasn't new to all but I feel that this thread made it a bit more inspirational to other TPT members.

I really appreciate the input and sharing your experiences and pictures. I will soon update the first post to make it a bit more informational.

Thanks guys!
 
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