Re: Fluidized bed filter and the planted tank

["Chuck MacNaughton" <chuck at newnetco_com>]

>>As I am new to aquaria plants please forgive me for any stupid
questions. I run a Lifegard fluidized bed filter on my planted tank. (A
fluidized bed filter is like a great big biowheel except it works by pumping
water through sand) I just read a comment by someone which stated the
bacteria it contains would outcompete the plants for ammonia thus starving
them. I thought that the plants in my tank would use the nitrate that the
bacteria in my fluidized bed filter produced as food. Any thoughts?<<

When I started, I was running a fluidized bed filter and did not have any
problems with plant growth. I did not have optimal plant growth, however. I
removed the FBF and my plants seem to grow much faster. I don't have hard
empirical evidence, but I'm pruning far more frequently than I was with the
FBF running.

Don't despair....you need not think you've thrown away your money! You can
convert your FBF to an external CO2 reactor, which is what I did. I opened
it, and swapped the sand for some mini bio-balls and inject my CO2 into the
powerhead that's hooked up to the former FBF.


--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
multipart/alternative
  text/html
---