How do you keep floating plants out of filter waterfall?

[geli-gel]

Hello, I have a freshwater fish and shrimp nanotank with about 9"x9" surface area at the top and all our floaty plants died after our homemade tubing ring failed and the waterfall pummeled them. Does anyone have tips on what kind of tubing I should buy and how to make it leakproof, or honestly is there anyone at the store who I can pay to make me one from some thinner tubing? I am looking into feeding rings but the ones I see online are kind of ugly and look like they'd take up too much space since they are attached to an arm that is supposed to stick to the wall of the tank. My ideal solution, though I'm open to better ideas, is a larger ring to keep all the plants inside, so that the corners of the tank (including where the filter water falls) will be plant-less, and that's where I'll drop fish and shrimp food.

[tolstoy21]

This looks promising or worth a try —

Floating Plant Corral - 3D Printed - Self Adjusting - Aquarium Safe

 

Edited October 30, 2020 by tolstoy21

[Maggie]

I am having the same problem. All the red root lost their long roots being whipped around by the current. A bunch are stuck behind the filter area. There are videos of how to make a homemade feeding ring (along the lines of - cut the circular edge of a plastic container top to make a ring, sand down sharp edges) which can be used to contain plants or give access to floating food (or air for gouramis, et al.)

[Seized]

Best method is to make ring out of air line tubing and use a airline tube holder to hold it around the waterfall.

[O13SC3N3]

I honestly thought the same with feeding rings as well but I gave the following a shot. After failing with airlines, straws, even foam.

Sorry! Something went wrong!

WWW.AMAZON.COM

https://www.amazon.com/SLSON-Feeding-Aquarium-Floating-Suction/dp/B07HBV4GMC?pd_rd_w=YVt7u&pf_rd_p=4eebd874-436f-4f05-a794-09646834b2dd&pf_rd_r=491MNRA88MC2CV9EMJTV&pd_rd_r=a9f1cc7b-0576-4f7f-834c-3a1421734bdf&pd_rd_wg=n5fQv&pd_rd_i=B07HBV4GMC&ref_=pd_bap_m_rp_1_45_sc

We personally use the square ones under our aquaclear 20s and they work perfectly, keeping our Frogbit back. The circle ones we use as well so our Bettas have clear shot to their food. It's rather inexpensive, and works great. Worth a shot if you decide to try it.

[Crash_2011]

I have used two straws from restaurant. To block the filter side of the tank. You put one inside the other so u can adjust the size for a snug fix. If u put them just under the water surface the roots will hold them and you don’t have to adjust them as much for water evaporation. I hope this help it’s cheap and works for me I tried the ring but it still would get stuck under outflow 

[Streetwise]

Would it be possible to use an airstone or sponge filter to create a standing wave a certain distance from the waterfall, which would act as a limiter for floating plants?

[ChefConfit]

I've tried a feeding ring made out of airline tubing around the plants and also around the Hob outlet. I found using it around the plants to be the better option. Putting it around the outflow eliminated all surface agitation since the tank didn't have an air stone and an oil film developed within days.