Do Plants Remove Nitrates

[stotty]

okay
thanks

but that still didnt answer: then tell me why all of us plant fenatiks dose nitrate in are pmdd instead of ammonia?

Ignorance

It’s like all these things, you think you know what you are talking about and some one proves you wrong! I have had it done to me. Aquatic plants are different to house plants. We as aquarists are finding out more and more about the hobby look at Marine fish didn’t have protean skimmers years ago as I say all I say is what I have picked up from the web and other people. I have been proved wrong on points before and will hold my hand up if there is sold proof every time.

In aquariums both fish and bacteria continuously release ammonium as they metabolize food and organic matter, most aquatic plants (and algae) vastly prefer ammonium over nitrates as their nitrogen source. This means that plants continuously sift the water for ammonium and its toxic component ammonia. I’ve never had problems with ammonia in my planted aquariums.

I have a 6 ft tank full of big hungry fish. I put in some plants just a few at one end as my Ammonia was starting to go up. They have grown in 4 weeks they are in sand no other food and low lights, all were small. I over feed my fish but have a large filter on it see picture my water last test was fine.

As I say this was a handful of plants just pushed in the sand at the end of the tank no special care just hungry fish and a bit of Ammonia in the water. Its fine now!

 

[fishnutham]

http://www.aquabotanic.com/plants_and_biological_filtration.htm

thanks for picking that up i would have probably have lost my cool if i read that post i think its tims for an article on plants because if one more person says to me plants are decorations i'm going to loss it i have a 55g heavly planted for a year now i havent touched the filter and my paramitors are perect and its stocked with around 25 fish

 

[DeLgAdO]

actually plants prefer the ammonia over the nitrate

whoops

i meant to say ammonium

 

[stotty]

whoops

i meant to say ammonium

The polarity of NH3 molecules and their ability to form hydrogen bonds explains to some extent the high solubility of ammonia in water. However, a chemical reaction also occurs when ammonia dissolves in water. In aqueous solution, ammonia acts as a base, acquiring hydrogen ions from H2O to yield ammonium and hydroxide ions.


Wish I had written that but did not

 

[Lund]

I put 2 bunches of horn wart, and 2 bunches of cocomba. I am looking at putting in some swords, and java fern. Can anyone suggest a good floating plant? I was told the hornwart was a floating plant, but when I bought it, it came in single strands bunched together. I was looking for something more like a round shape with a center root hanging into the water.

 

[stotty]

I put 2 bunches of horn wart, and 2 bunches of cocomba. I am looking at putting in some swords, and java fern. Can anyone suggest a good floating plant? I was told the hornwart was a floating plant, but when I bought it, it came in single strands bunched together. I was looking for something more like a round shape with a center root hanging into the water.

floating plants will tend to block the light so dont get to carried away with them but try some water lettuce

 

[guppy]

I think that the true answer is sort of.
Let me explain my understanding of the way it works.
The plants use nitrogen products all the way from ammonium to nitrates with varying effeciency. They use some nitrates and also lock up nitrogen product earlier in the cycle so that less nitrate is produced.
Keep in mind that these products are still in the tank in one form or another, just locked up in the plant tissue. for fast growing soft bodied plants like elodea this is both a boon and a potential problem. As the new growth occurs it reduces the level of free nitrates in your tank but as the older parts of the plant die and degrade they release nitrogen products back into the water. I have had a lot of success with weekly trimming out the older parts of the plants as well as harvesting new growth for trade.
So like I said at the start, sort of.

 

[ja__]

thanks, i learned something new today so they take up nh3 what about nh4? and what about nitrites? are they taken up to?

and then i still dont get it, why dont they sell ammonia in pmdd mode?

 

[HarleyK]

Howdy,

Let me chime in, too
Plants are perfectly fine without ammonia, ammonium or nitrite. If they depended on it as source of nitrogen, we would not be able to keep fish in planted tanks: The required levels would be toxic. That's why none of these compounds is in aquarium fertilizers. I may also add that I truely hope no one of you buys fertilizers with nitrates. Aquarium fertilizers should not contain any source of nitrogen or phosphorus, since our tanks provide plenty of that. Adding them can cause algae. Test your water conditioners and fertilizers before use, and throw thjose away that contain phosphates and nitrates, e.g. Tetra ToruMin.

To answer the original question: Yes, plants are great in reducing nitrate levels. Especially floating plants, which exclusively draw their nutrients from water, not substrate. I have the suggested water lettuce, and I love it. I have to throw out a lot every other week, and that's a great way of binding nitrogen in your tank and removing it. However, the most efficient way of reducing nitrate levels are water changes. Make sure your tap water is low on nitrates.

HarleyK

 

[ja__]

Howdy,

Let me chime in, too
Plants are perfectly fine without ammonia, ammonium or nitrite. If they depended on it as source of nitrogen, we would not be able to keep fish in planted tanks: The required levels would be toxic. That's why none of these compounds is in aquarium fertilizers. I may also add that I truely hope no one of you buys fertilizers with nitrates. Aquarium fertilizers should not contain any source of nitrogen or phosphorus, since our tanks provide plenty of that. Adding them can cause algae. Test your water conditioners and fertilizers before use, and throw thjose away that contain phosphates and nitrates, e.g. Tetra ToruMin.


HarleyK

hey you obviusly never hear of "poor mans dupla drops"(pmdd) it is the ultimate fertillaisor for planted tanks. you dose the exact ammount of what your plants need to get ultimate growth and algea controll, this includes po4 and no3, but if the plants take up nh3 easier why isnt this a ingredient in the pmdd that they sell in the shops? nh4 is not as far poisiuness as nh3 as far as i know nh4 isnt really poisenous at all in the same amounts that nh3 is