Removing Dead Plants and clippings

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J

J0ker

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 16, 2011
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New Jersey
Do pieces of dead plants harm the tank?

Just thinking about compost from when I used to landscape, as plant clippings die on the ground they release nutrients into the soil, making it more fertile.

Is this the same for aquatic plants? I have some dying plants and dead plant clippings floating around the tank from before I got proper lighting...Will these release nutrients into the tank or are they harmful and should they be removed?
 
in planted tanks people often add mulm (from their filters and etc.) which is detritus of organic material like dead plants and fish waste. tank mulm is slowly digested over months up by the bacteria living there and is broken apart into useful chemicals that plants and other life living in the gravel can absorb.

so just burry under the substrate. i have started to remove as much as i can from my filter to be placed in my aquarium.
 
Depending on the size of the tank and how much plant mass is dying off, dead plant matter can contribute to water quality and algae issues.

I personally trim regularly and pull out as much dying plant matter as possible. I'll use root tabs if my plants need ferts, and certainly don't need to worry about INCREASING the amount of mulm in my tanks (heavily planted tanks produce more than enough debris to go around! lol)
 
I think it depends, do you use fertilizer? If not then i would leave the dead plant matter in the tank as long as there isn't to much and you have a nice amount of live plants. As it starts to be broken down by bacteria there may be small spikes of ammonia , nitrites and nitrates, but if you tank is mature enough and you have enough plants then there should be no problems and your just letting the minerals and nutrients enter the cycle again, think of it as a wheel that plant part was once just various minerals in your substrate that's was used by a plant to make a leaf or stem and now its dieing and is going to re-enter you substrate to be used by new plants. I don't believe you have to take it out of the filter, no matter where is it will break down , some places more than others.

To make it simple if your tank and plants can handle the break down of the dead matter then leave it if not then remove it. Do regular testing to see if you are having any spikes in ammonia, nitrites and nitrates And go from there.
 
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