# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk >  Which aquatic plants absorb nitrate most?

## exotic_idiot

I'm thinking of doing a low tech planted setup. 
Wonder what's the best plants i can use which absorb lots of nitrate.
Low tech plants like crypts, moss, ferns and nana??? :Smile: 
Any suggestions?

----------


## bossteck

I think the plants you listed are too slow growing to be effective. 

Would you consider keeping some floating plants?

----------


## Morgan01

You need fast growing plants and just to name some: bacopa,cabomba,egeria densa,wisteria...etc

----------


## winston77

Hornworts, Water Sprite, or even floating plants such as duckweeds, salvinia, water hycinath, ...

----------


## freshfish

duckweeds for the win !

----------


## beetlejuice403

I would recommend hornwort, Salvinias, duckweeds also...

----------


## exotic_idiot

> I think the plants you listed are too slow growing to be effective. 
> 
> Would you consider keeping some floating plants?


Floating plants, i have... i have duckweed, salvinia and frogbits but all die easily??? I'm using PL light on them for 4 hours a day.




> You need fast growing plants and just to name some: bacopa,cabomba,egeria densa,wisteria...etc


Are they low tech? Because i'm only using PL light, no co2..




> Hornworts, Water Sprite, or even floating plants such as duckweeds, salvinia, water hycinath, ...


Hornworts i have very fast growing plant. But what's water sprite?




> duckweeds for the win !


Yeah... Super faster grower no need alot of care... But very small and a bit messy in my opinion..




> I would recommend hornwort, Salvinias, duckweeds also...


Any other plants which i can use?

Thanks all bros for the suggestion... Do we really need fast growing plants which can aborb nitrate better? How about moss? :Smile:

----------


## Zenislev

I agree that Water Sprite is quite good, they grow damn fast so will take out nitrates abit faster than other plants.

----------


## wllm33

most of the above are floating plants.
what about if indoors with just a FL or PL light with no co2?
i have tried using money plant and the chinese bamboo plant with a bit of light.
don't know if they absorb nitrate very well, but they seem to thrive with low requirements.
hyacinths , water cress, frogbits don't seem to thrive so well indoors with low tech tank in my experience, all die shortly.

----------


## ghim

Just get those cheap cheap stem plants. You tank will become a jungle within 2 weeks. :Grin: 

Will be doing that to cycle my new tank.

----------


## wllm33

> Just get those cheap cheap stem plants. You tank will become a jungle within 2 weeks.
> 
> Will be doing that to cycle my new tank.


will they also be able to thrive if there is no light on . Just only room light?
thanks

----------


## gene

no i think not enough, why not increase the hours you on the light, low tech tank wont have that much of algae issues. I think the floating plants are easy to maintain and good for nitrates

----------


## ghim

> will they also be able to thrive if there is no light on . Just only room light?
> thanks


Room lights? Plants sure die  :Sad:

----------


## wllm33

i also think so, even though i am putting in money plants.
but got so many tanks, but not many lights.
think only way is to change water.
thnks

----------


## zyblack

Since low-tech means no CO2 injection, the best option for you is to use plants that have direct contact with air since there will be a lot more CO2 in the air than in the water. Floating plants or plants that have leaves outside of the water will do fine. The only thing you can adjust to increase the nitrate uptake rate is to increase your lighting periods and intensity. Ambient or room light may allow the plants to survive but will not thrive nor increase nitrate uptake rate.

----------


## freshfish

> Just get those cheap cheap stem plants. You tank will become a jungle within 2 weeks.
> 
> Will be doing that to cycle my new tank.


like what ? can name a few ? pictures ? :Very Happy:

----------


## ghim

I am using the ones at the background. With needle like leaves.

And bought a few packs of plants from seaview - those packed and cost 80cts each  :Grin: 

Found the name for the plant. Rotala wallichii.

----------


## exotic_idiot

> Rotala wallichii


Won't they drop leaves? Will be messy if they do... That's why i hated stem plants.. Not enough lights they drop leaves and the whole tank will have lots of floating dead leaves... :Smile:

----------


## freshfish

hey guys do you all use a chiller for the planted tanks ?

i went to a shop and the guy told me that if the water too warm , the plants will produce ammonia or nitrates ? is it true ??!?!

----------


## wks

Hi Freshfish, the real reson is that he wants to sell the chiller to you. The plants produce ammonia etc are all nonsense.

----------


## properfool

i think very hard for anything to grow under 4hrs of pl light/day. Anything that takes up nitrate well generally grows pretty fast. Grows fast often need energy which will need light.

The low tech tank approach by D walstad advocates floating plants.

minimum Photoperiod for effective photosynthesis in plants is a minimum 5-6 hrs. less than that you won't get much results

----------


## ghim

> Won't they drop leaves? Will be messy if they do... That's why i hated stem plants.. Not enough lights they drop leaves and the whole tank will have lots of floating dead leaves...


I dont experience dropping of leaves for this plant. There are quite a few that does. I like stem plants, so no choice. Every few days use tweezers and pick them up. 




> hey guys do you all use a chiller for the planted tanks ?
> 
> i went to a shop and the guy told me that if the water too warm , the plants will produce ammonia or nitrates ? is it true ??!?!


Which means the plant died and rotted? 26-29 C will be good enough. Which can be achieved by usage of fan.


Finally found the name of the easiest stem plant I grew - Water Wisteria.

----------


## exotic_idiot

Think i really have to adjust my lightings to 5hrs a day? Hopes it helps...

----------


## wllm33

my lights are 8 hours daily, but i think it depends also on the intensity and the other conditions.
i am having algae on the glass now, which i thought would not be with just 8 hours.
but i am doing gujing and downoi, both are really a handful and dead worried they will melt on me again.

----------

