# Wanting to build something to contain floating plants



## Rinfish (Aug 16, 2015)

Hey all!

Just started up a 15g a few weeks ago and purchased some wonderful Azolla to help absorb nitrates and keep the levels down. 

I love the plant, but its becoming a bit messy as my tank isn't calm enough to allow it to settle in the areas i'd like to see it in most. 

To compensate, I was thinking of measuring/cutting a strip of plexi-glass, about 1" high, to put across the tank to contain it in one area.

Has anyone done something like this in the past? Or is there an easier solution to keeping it settled in one area of the tank?

Any and all thoughts are welcome!


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## falcooo (Sep 30, 2011)

I have a 7.5g cube in which my HOB filter was overpowering the floaters creating a mess. So I cut a water bottle and rigged it to redirect the filters outflow. This change in flow direction resolved the issue and now the floaters aren't overpowered.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

A very simple solution includes making a loop out of air tubing, and connecting it together with a drip irrigation 1/4" tubing connector. 
If you want to keep this in a particular spot you can add a suction cup that comes with a clip, suction it to the wall. 

I suppose you could use a narrow sheet of thin plastic, and figure out how to hold it in place (perhaps suction cups and zip ties?)


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## rtfish (Oct 2, 2014)

Right now I have fishing line between suction cups in an X pattern keeping my floaters in one part of my aquarium. Four suction cups and two lines crisscrossed. I have a couple of high light need plants so need to both keep them from the hob and from over those plants. Just ordered 25 ft of airline tubing for like 4 bucks that I'll swap out the fishing line with. The fishing line works ok, but is straight line only. The tubing you can create archs, etc, for little plant corrals. Also saw someone used the tubing to corral off the hob itself if you want the plants to go everywhere but right infront of the hob. I also have water sprite that I have sitting in a floating feeder, blue square one. Saw someone selling a hob outflow protector that looked tlike metal mesh in like a 1" wide strip with two suction cups to arch around the outflow area and keep the floaters out of that area.


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## ngrubich (Nov 29, 2011)

Diana said:


> A very simple solution includes making a loop out of air tubing, and connecting it together with a drip irrigation 1/4" tubing connector.
> If you want to keep this in a particular spot you can add a suction cup that comes with a clip, suction it to the wall.
> 
> I suppose you could use a narrow sheet of thin plastic, and figure out how to hold it in place (perhaps suction cups and zip ties?)


This ^. I did this with my [dwarf] water lettuce and it stayed very well.


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## Rinfish (Aug 16, 2015)

Hey Thanks everyone! These suggestions are fantastic, and much easier than what I was planning on trying. Both the airline tubing and the bottle sound very effective, i'm going to have to try both and see which works for my tank. =)


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## rtfish (Oct 2, 2014)

got my airline tubing today and replaced the fishing line that I had there temporarily. One tiny issue I am having is getting it to straighten out. Has a bit of a twist to it so is not making a neat circle. Has a wave to it. Will have to figure it out.


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