Would having plants in a fish tank starve the biofilter? I origionally was under the assumption that the plants ues nitrate but research tells me that they prefer ammonia as a source of N. If they use the ammonia would they deprive the bacteria in the filter of it and crash the biofilter??
Plants and ammonia consumption?
- Thread starter Capt Dave
- Start date
Short answer, no.
I don't think it's even possible for plants to utilise nutrients that quickly. If it is possible you'd have to try really hard.
You could maybe crash an established bio-filter by transferring mature algae scrubbers to a tank. But then, you wouldn't need a bio-filter, you've got thriving algae scrubbers.
I don't think it's even possible for plants to utilise nutrients that quickly. If it is possible you'd have to try really hard.
You could maybe crash an established bio-filter by transferring mature algae scrubbers to a tank. But then, you wouldn't need a bio-filter, you've got thriving algae scrubbers.
I dont think it would matter if the bio filter stopped working. It serves the same purpose as the plants. To remove harmful substances from the water to make living in the water easier for your fish and inverts.
The biofilter would just die back to a level that can be sustained by the ammonia that is left. If you plant heavily you may not even need a filter, check out the Walstad-type natural planted tanks.
Huh? Nitrate in the form of N? All nitrogen is N. Nitrate is NO3 Pure Nitrogen (N2 in the atmosphere) isn't available to most plants plants will get it either from NH3/NH4+ or nitrate NO3 in the soil/water.Capt Dave;4597849; said:
Plants prefer Ammonia/Ammonium(NH3/NH4+) as a nitrogen source and some heavily planted tanks never go through an initial cycle due to this.
some people have plants growing in their sump or in their HOb as a way to remove nitrates from the tank.