Can plants solve environmental problems?

[kokomo]

I'm trying to visualize your setup, it seems like the Matala mat is positioned vertically behind the wood piece on the lower left side of the tank.

I'm still having trouble picturing the pump's location, could you clarify that for me? The design you've described reminds me of a Matten filter, and I'm wondering if the mat might be restricting water flow more than a typical Matten filter would, which usually just uses a 20-30 PPI sponge.

[graye]

Your tank is really something special. I think I'd just suck the mulm out with a siphon hose and deal with the microfauna disruption. Those other methods with pumps just seem to move the problem around. I'd grab a thin piece of clear tubing from a hardware store and use that to hover over the mulm and pull it up - no gravel vac needed. Then you can focus on enjoying those beautiful epiphytes.

[matti]

Dwarf sagittaria and crypt parva are excellent choices - their roots provide a great environment for detritus worms, copepods, and ostracods to thrive. These little critters are the best mulm cleaners you can ask for. Any bottom dwellers that move the substrate around will also be a great help in reducing the buildup. And let's not forget about water movement - it plays a significant role in preventing the accumulation of mulm in "hot spots".

I think I could've taken better pics, sorry about that. So the Matala mat is actually installed horizontally inside the glass filtration chamber on the right, and the pump sits above it.

The bottom circle is the Matala mat - it's 1 inch thick. The top is an Eheim pump wrapped in a sponge to stop vibrations against the glass. The mesh bag is carbon.

[kokomo]

Fixing the filter media on the bottom will clog it fast. The water flow should be in the good direction of the media, and the larger the contact area, the stronger the filtration system. Installing the filtration media vertically will help prevent clogging from the bottom up.

I'd redirect the water circulation and add filtration media to fix the setup. For an even better setup, I'd plan it like this... This is roughly how I'd do it. I have zero experience with paludariums, but I stick to using the largest amount of filtration media surface available and the slowest water flow possible for a good turnover. This is just my personal view, and it's not based on any factual statements beyond my own experience.

I prefer running oversized filters that might clog less often, rather than always clogged ones. Sometimes less is more, but in filtration systems, more is more.