Heavy planted wet/dry filter= less nitrate???

[tonymofo]

I am planning to make my own wet dry filter out of a 75 gallon tank. Do you think if I took 1/3 of the tank and put as many plants in that compartment that I am making in the wet/dry will it help reduce my nitrate levels.

Somemore info - I will be plumbing my three tanks(100,85,85) to this wet dry. I'm trying to find a way to cut down on W/C's.

 

[frasertheking]

it will lower your nitrates just remember to thin out the plants when they get overgrown and you be fine

 

[AnDr3w]

No No No No and No. lol.

Your plants wont be able to thrive because the gas exchange of the overflow and the sump. Never a good idea to do sumps or wetdrys with planted.

 

[frasertheking]

he can grow emergent or floating plants like frogbit or duckweed .

or anything hydrophonic grown will suck up nitrites

 

[me_wee_todded]

anacharis.
or you can do spider plants hydroponically.
or tomatoe plants

 

[tonymofo]

That's what I was thinking, some floating plants like some Water hyacinths

 

[Miguel]

Your plants wont be able to thrive because the gas exchange of the overflow and the sump. Never a good idea to do sumps or wetdrys with planted.

Care to explain why with a little more detail?

 

[frasertheking]

its that water movement increases gas exchange driving off co2 and increasing o2 in the water .

so to increase co2 you want less surface movement but a wet dry cause higher gas exchange and lower co2 .

i think thats right can someone back me up on this

 

[AnDr3w]

Because plants need co2 to thrive. They can live without it, but they will be drab and ugly IME. So when you have a hob filter or a cannister with the spray bar above the water level, the co2 trapped in the water for the plants will be exchanged for oxygen from the atmosphere. o2 is good for fish. Co2 is good for plants.

So:

The more oxygen in the tank, the less co2 for the plants.
The more co2 in the tank, theres more oxygen for the fish.

Now that we understand that, the water coming from the W/D is oxygenated, which would let co2 out.

 

[Dr Joe]

Partially right, you forgot that aquatic plants reverse the process when in the dark.

Terrestrial plants will remove a share of the the nitrates from the water without adverse effects to the water quality.

The tank still needs W/C's.

And the point was to remove nitrates, not make the cover of garden monthly.

Dr Joe

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