Do you wanna place the refugium before or after the biological media? I was just wondering if you placed it before that in the event of the plant dying I could have a crash because it Will not have enough beneficial bacteria in the biological media because the plants absorbed most it before it got to it.
Where to place the refugium
- Thread starter Tj203
- Start date
Aquatic plants will consume ammonium (bound ammonia) first and then nitrates. BB will consume ammonia/ammonium and nitrites (lumping all autotrophic bacteria together).
It's not like the bacteria can consume all the ammonia in one pass, I wouldn't worry about a plant dying. It happens to planted tanks all the time and folks generally don't have issue with it like you do with a fish dying.
It's not like the bacteria can consume all the ammonia in one pass, I wouldn't worry about a plant dying. It happens to planted tanks all the time and folks generally don't have issue with it like you do with a fish dying.
I’m not worried about the plant dying what I was worried about is putting the plant before the biological media so the tank is used to the plant soaking up the heavier bio load so in the event of when the plant died would I have a spike in ammonia because I don’t have Enough beneficial bacteria built up because the plant was soaking it up before the biological media So the biological media would think I had a smaller bio load? Or I’m thinking too far into this and there’s so much ammonia and stuff to break down that it doesn’t matter where it is and they all will have plenty. I’m leaning towards putting it in the second chamber not the first
You are over thinking this. It won't be an issue to have plants before the bio-media. A single plant dying won't cause the dramatic ammonia spike that you are fearing. This is no different than having plants inside the aquarium itself.
Beneficial bacteria do not seek out the biological media you have apportioned to them and then colonize there and only there! The BB coats pretty much every water touching surface in your entire aquatic system.
So plants before the bio media or after really makes very little difference. My goal in designing a refugium would be to make it as easy as possible to identify a dead plant and then remove its remains as easily as possible before significant decay has occurred.
That said my 35g planted tank is so overgrown (in preparation for transferring to our new 180g tank) it is stock full of dead plant debris but has very low nitrate levels which are easily controlled by water changes every other week.
I agree with Rocksor... you are way over thinking this!!!! (Welcome to the club, I always way overthink things until I have gained the practical knowledge of how stuff actually works together in "real life").
So plants before the bio media or after really makes very little difference. My goal in designing a refugium would be to make it as easy as possible to identify a dead plant and then remove its remains as easily as possible before significant decay has occurred.
That said my 35g planted tank is so overgrown (in preparation for transferring to our new 180g tank) it is stock full of dead plant debris but has very low nitrate levels which are easily controlled by water changes every other week.
I agree with Rocksor... you are way over thinking this!!!! (Welcome to the club, I always way overthink things until I have gained the practical knowledge of how stuff actually works together in "real life").
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