4 foot sump
- Thread starter UncleNos
- Start date
UncleNos;1150874; said:
For nitrate removal you want fast growing "weedy" plants, floating or emergent so they can use atmospheric CO2 (they'll grow far faster)
depending on what lighting you use you could also grow some common hydroponic plants.
If the biological material is large enough in the filter it is unnecessary. The introduction of plants will take away nutrients from the filter thus now the filter is dependent on the plants for filtration, you haven't enlarged the filtering just the filter.
Now if your biological material is max'd out, the addition of plants is an easy way to extent the filter.
Plus the cool factor of course....
Dr Joe
.
Now if your biological material is max'd out, the addition of plants is an easy way to extent the filter.
Plus the cool factor of course....
Dr Joe
.
dont forget to add something to filter out the debree and fish poo, ecample Filter pads or something 
Using macro plants in the confined area of a sump as an export channel for nitrogen is IME at best marginal. Id be happy to change my view if someone has some data on this.
However, another kind of slack or low flow area in sumps has been gaining some popularity. The concept of ultra low flow areas to form anoxic reservoirs which support DE-nitrifying bacteria is a well established practice. Some people simply put sponges in the bottom of their sumps. The idea is that water is allowed to flow around the sponger but there is no direct, through the sponge flow and so the center of the sponge has low oxygen levels and will support denitrification.
The problem with this kind of thing is that keeping the process stable can be rather hit and miss. If you begin to rely on it then failure of the process can wreck your aquariums ecology where as if you do not rely on it then there seems little point in using it as you will already have a reliable method for nitrogen export, such as water changes.
In the old days (when all of this was fields) and no one had heard of continuous drip water changing, experimental denitrification for freshwater aquaria would have seemed like a good idea. IMHO it is now irrelevant beyond providing a bit of experimental entertainment for the aquarist.
However, another kind of slack or low flow area in sumps has been gaining some popularity. The concept of ultra low flow areas to form anoxic reservoirs which support DE-nitrifying bacteria is a well established practice. Some people simply put sponges in the bottom of their sumps. The idea is that water is allowed to flow around the sponger but there is no direct, through the sponge flow and so the center of the sponge has low oxygen levels and will support denitrification.
The problem with this kind of thing is that keeping the process stable can be rather hit and miss. If you begin to rely on it then failure of the process can wreck your aquariums ecology where as if you do not rely on it then there seems little point in using it as you will already have a reliable method for nitrogen export, such as water changes.
In the old days (when all of this was fields) and no one had heard of continuous drip water changing, experimental denitrification for freshwater aquaria would have seemed like a good idea. IMHO it is now irrelevant beyond providing a bit of experimental entertainment for the aquarist.
