I know this may not be the best forum to post this, but it's an active forum and I'm sure there are at least a few here who might be able to help.

I'm starting a goldfish tank soon and though it won't really be planted other than a few broadleaf plants in the display, I love the nitrate sucking benefits of plants.

I'm going with broadleaf because I hate tiny leaves in my display floating up and sticking to the filter intakes. Then, it occured to me, I have a hang on back refugium sitting unused in my closet. I could stuff that with plants too and not worry about the leaves so much.

My refugium doesn't have lighting, but this is an easy fix. Is there a good plant pretty or ugly that is great for sucking up the nitrates and phosphates? Something that I could just stuff in the refugium on back and trim as it overgrows? Just trying to keep the water quality as good as I can get it.

You could try Cabomba, mine has grown like a weed and helped a lot with my nitrates. It has fine leaves which help 'suck' up nitrates. Or you could try Elodea or Anacharis, i have these and they have helped as well. I used to have problesm with my Cabombas leaves getting stuck on the internal filter, but the bits that the fish pull off they eat. I have a number of stems packed in together and that seesm to stop the fish pulling it apart. But if it is not going in the tank it wont be a problem. Maybe others have other ideas.

Hmmn, cabomba and anarchis wont solve your small bits of floaty leaves in the filter problem.. although, if they are kept in an area that goldies can't get to them they wont become shredded

How about something completely different, set up a monstera deliciosa (that's the "swiss cheese plant"), a peace lily or a philodendron hydroponically, you could have your refugium with a plant that will grow 'out' of your tank?? (don't know how big the receptical is tho...) I have a monstera and a couple of creeping figs growing hydroponically in my frog vivarium and they just suck up all the nutrients out of the water, I think it'd be an awesome idea if you could be bothered to link up a powerhead to pump your fish water to a receptical where you're growing a decorative plant, perhaps close by on a window sill.

If I had the energy and mojo I would love to rig something like that off my tank (but as you can see in my siggy I've got more important things stealing my time at the mo'... ) There's a girl on this board (user id is Avalon) who has been experimenting in growing plants out of her fish tanks...

A peace lily would be nice, and would love the nutrients from your fish water. If i had the space i would like to do something like that. Your frog vivarium sounds nice mads.

I like the idea of a peace lily... a nearby LFS sells them with the subtitle "beta plants", but completly submerged. Can they be submerged for long periods of time? If so, I wouldn't mind having these submerged in the display itself. Otherwise a more suitable plant for the display that can be submerged. My HOB regfugium is 24" long, 4" to the back, and 13" deep. I could put sand or dirt or whatever in the bottom of that guy and grow whatever will keep my water cleanest. I have sponges to keep the plants from flowing back into the display.

Mads, you've got me thinking. A long time ago I saw a movie where a guy had a self containted terrarium. Basically, computers controlled the lights and watered the plants. I decided this wouldn't be hard to do so I bought a timer for my lights and a little battery operated auto-plant-watering pump that sits in a bucket and pumps out measured amounts of water through a small hose for $30. I never set it up, or even used the pump but it's sitting in the same closet as the refugium (I should really clean out that closet). I could put the little pump in the refugium and pump out fish fertalized water to nearby house plants that would also benefit somewhat from the 260w PC lighting that will be spilling out the sides (plenty of sunlight in that room as well). I have to top off my marine tank with freshwater daily anyhow due to evaporation, I could always just top off that goldfish tank at the same time. So what I'm saying is, Mads, once this tank is up, I already have all the equipment to do what you're describing and thanks SO MUCH for the cool and easy idea! The pump can pump to 10 seperate hoses too...

I think I have to have one of those swiss cheese plants now. Next the the tank currently I have a large sago palm.