Fwd: plant filtration

["Ed Pon" <edpon@hotmail.com>]

Gary wrote:
>Hi all,
>The idea of experimenting with plant-root filtration has appealed to me
>for some time. Can anyone tell me how the plant is held on top of the
>tank? By this, I mean what rooting medium, if any, is used between the
>stalk of the plant and the roots in the aquarium water?
>Gary
>
Gary-- Justin of Ocean Aquarium has the philodendrum growing above his 
tanks in a plastic rain gutter (available from Home Depot).  I believe 
that it is slightly slanted and that the tank water is circulated 
through it using an air uplift tube.  I'm not sure if the medium he was 
using was gravel or what (I didn't notice).

By the way--Many years back,  I remember reading in an Aquarium digest 
about someone growing a potato plant with the roots hanging into the 
tank water to keep up water quality.  Potatoes are supposed to be a good 
source of minerals,  I wonder if a potato plant has any water softening 
qualities by taking minerals from the water.

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