Re:NO3 loss

["David Kysar" <kysard55 at suscom_net>]

>I still say the plants are doing the deed here and that the denitrifiying
>bacteria only play a very small role.
>
>I think vacuuming is a source but there are folks that don't vacuum at all,
>I did not for a few different tanks. Filter cleanings is another.
>Pruning/leaf removal etc doesn't count since it's plant parts.

>Regards, 
>Tom Barr    


I've been monitoring the nitrate removal in my new planted tank.  I have seen the nitrate drop from 40ppm to 10ppm.  Being a new tank
it was easy for my to weigh the plants before and after this of course was a wet weight.  The plants gained a total of 100 grams,  this is a 100 gallon
tank and to go from 40ppm Nitrate to 10 ppm a total of 2.7 grams N needed to be removed from the water column.  Obviously there is is no way
100 grams of wet plant matter contain 2.7 g Nitrogen.  In my case the denitrification in my deep sand substrate is doing the brunt of the nitrogen
removal.  I think what Tom is seeing with increased nitrate removal with higher lighting could be atttributed to higher plant growth: more carbon from the 
detris off the plants and roots feeds the denitrifying bacteria (they need a carbon source.)

Dave

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