Any advice/ideas? High nitrates

[layna]

It might just be me being stupid, but how do you have the plant roots in the top of the water AND a lid on your tank? my tank isnt that deep and i dont want to go lidless

 

[tigmades]

So you just let it sit on top of the tank?

Yes. One side of the basket rests of the edge of glass, then the other is supported by a piece of wood that runs the depth of the tank (you can see the wood piece stick out in the pic). So long as you don't bump it it stays suspended

Arent they also great for air quality?

Yes, they're fantastic for air quality too! And LOL about your axies eating duckweed! I never heard of that before!

how do you have the plant roots in the top of the water AND a lid on your tank?

My "lid" is non-existant. My tank is 15"H, but I only fill the water to 10-12". If you want to do this and still have a lid, use a mesh lid, then cut out a hole for the basket :3

 

[Alkylhalide]

I cant believe that they ate all the duckweed! At first i was like "is it really possible that i cant even keep duckweed alive!?" Then after fridging them and seeing all the duckweed it all made sense. And i probably just never noticed it before because i siphon the poop out everyday. Dont really pay attention to their poop often.

Hornwort is a different story. Only one axolotl ate 9' worth of hornwort. That made a huge mess.. Axolotls dont digest plants.. So yah.. And i use to catch him doing it and i would start yelling for him to stop but of course, they dont listen well