Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #1384

[Biplane10 at aol_com]

<< Final question (maybe...) - In a well planted/well lit, suitably stocked
 tank (algae eaters, regular fish, snails), if care is taken to monitor
 NO3/Fe (& check that NH3, NO2 etc. remain at 0ppm), maintain the filter in
 good order (with no GAC) & fertilise the plants in a controlled way with
 PMDD, why do we need to do partial water changes? >>


I was just pondering this myself . . . I was scanning through a catalog with 
filter additives which remove nitrate/organic waste/etc.  If one uses "good" 
water (well-filtered or R.O. and adds appropriate nutrients) in filling and 
water changes, this eliminates the need for the continuous filtering of 
metals and pollutants which the GAC provides, or some of these other filter 
resins. So what you have left are proteins and nitrates at the end of the 
cycle which need to be removed (which aren't removed by plants). I was also 
told there are other waste/hormones put out by the fish which need to be 
removed periodically. It makes sense that there are other metabolic 
by-products given off, other than respired CO2 and the obvious fish waste. 
The question is would some type of filter additive remove those types of 
buildups?  I was looking at products such as "Hypersorb" which are resins 
rechargeable with hypochlorite bleach. They claim it removes "nitrate and 
other pollutants". Another product is "Purigen", a "synthetic adsorbent 
removes both soluble and insoluble water impurities including proteins . . . 
and a broad spectrum of organics". This can be regenerated also, but doesn't 
say how. 

Any ichtyologist/biologist/chemists out there? Does anyone have any 
experience or comments on the above. Thanks in advance.

Sylvia

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