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Ammonium or nitrate uptake?
>I have measureable ammonium in my tank. Can somebody explain to me why I
still
>need to add nitrates to avoid nitrate deficiency for the plants? The nitrate
>is used up by the plants but I thought that plants prefer ammonium?
You're right, if you have measureable amounts of ammonium _or_ more than
trace amounts of nitrate, your tank is not nitrogen limited, and adding
nitrate will do no good. The fact, however, that you _have_ measureable
amounts of ammonia(um) is a sign of trouble. In a fully cycled tank with a
healthy biological filter, even without plants, there should be no
measureable ammonia(um) or nitrite. In a "fish" tank, you will see rising
nitrate levels until water changes reduce it. In a planted tank with
strong growth, the plants often use _all_ the available nitrogen, and you
never see the nitrate level rise either.
Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association