Do all plants help minmize nitrates? If so, how would dividing a small section on a flowerhorn making it a planted section for low light requirement plants, would that help with the water quality? I have read alot that planted tanks requires alot less water changes. Not sure if thats feasible.

I have a couple of clumps of ParrotsFeather and Java Moss started in my big Cichlid tanks so I'll let you know in a couple of months if they make a difference with the NitrAtes in there since it's still too early to tell now.
I do know I don't think planted would work well with Flowerhorns or any other large Central American Cichlids since they're such obsessive diggers. The ParrotsFeather is a good choice for this reason. It's pretty sturdy and floats well. The biggest problem I've run into is trying to keep the stuff out of the filter intakes.
My 120 tank is heavily planted with Java Moss, Amazon Swords, and ParrotsFeather. There's six Senegal Bichirs, a bunch of Plecos including two Sailfins, eight Ptychochromis oligocanthus, a TireTrack Eel, and a bunch of other Catfish, Gouramis, Tetras, Knifefish, etc. I never ever do water changes on that tank and NitrAtes are always below 20ppm. In there I'd say the plants do make a huge difference in the water quality.

This post has been edited by Katt66: Mar 29 2008, 08:23 PM

Nice, my intentions are to have a divider to seperate a small portion of the tank perhaps 2" space for plants so it will be out of the grasp of the flowerhorn or cichlids in general

Ken,
I'm assuming you are trying to use plants to rid of nitrate and other compounds, much like how they use floating plants in waste water treatment plants or a salt water refugium.
Your idea of a small separation for plants will work; however you have to realize this equilibrium, light loving plants needs strong light, CO2, and lots of nutrient. While low light loving plants do not need strong light, can accept a different carbon source other than CO2, but they don't take up alot of nutrients. So there is a small dilema here. Low light plants aren't going to do much good as a nitrate uptake source for the flowerhorn tank and high light plants have more demands.
I'll let you imagine a refugium idea and will let you in with a new plant that I've been trying that is perfect for this setup.
They even filter your water too.

Exactly what im driving at. I await your secret on the "plant" as if it sound that good, im going to have some in all my tanks

You might want to try Amazon Frogbits. They are small floating plants with long fine roots hanging down.
The roots will pick up fine particle floating in the water.
I have some of these in my planted tank and they multiply like mad.
I added some to my flowerhorn tanks and they did fine.
One particular IML likes to eat his Frogbits.
They should do OK with most lights since they are on the surface and get most exposure.
Let me know if you need some.

Splendit great idea like refugium pile it up with plants and get ur self T5 lites they are great and cheap the plants will florish keep ph just over nuetral and netral Gk=salts big als has the lights cheap and i f u want to kik it up a noch go to a fire extinguisher placand get ur co2 cheap plus atank