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Bacteria filtration
>I wrote:
>>>If you have more then very small (10 ppm or less) amounts of nitrate, you
>_need_ that bacterial filter! <<
Darren wrote:
>Hi Karen. Is this right? A bacterial filter _creates_ nitrate.
A bacterial filter can't "create" anything. If there is not ammonia/um
available, it can't be converted into nitrate.
>I've
>always operated under the assumption that our main goal is to get the plants
>cranking and the animal load balanced so the plants would "intercept" the
>ammonium prior to its entering the nitrogen cycle, thus avoiding unsightly
>nitrate buildup. A full throttle bio-filter would compete with the plants
>for the available ammonium, producing nitrate.
In a reasonably loaded tank, you are absolutely correct. With fast growing
plants and a reasonable bio-load, there is little if any need for extra
bacterial filtration. There are _lots_ of attachment points in the tank
already, and what little ammonia/um escapes the plants will easily be
handled by the bacteria in the tank.
However, an overcrowded aquarium often produces more ammonia/um than the
plants can possibly handle. If you don't have enough bacterial filtration
on line to handle the excess, the fish die. If you _do_ have enough
filtration to handle the excess and don't change lots of water, you get
algae problems instead.<g>
>Aside from whatever bacteria
>reside inside my tanks and my frequently cleaned canister filters, I stopped
>using bio-filters of any kind, and my nitrate levels dropped within days.
Certainly sounds as if your tanks aren't overstocked.
Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association