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Re: Biofilter in planted tanks
Adrian Banica wrote:
>
> I have posted a couple of questions a few days back and nobody seemed to
> 'bite' (granted they were buried within a longer message). One of the
> issues I was trying to raise had to do with biological filtration in
> planted tanks and particularly if we should have it or not. The approach I
> took was to heavily plant the tank from day one and slowly increase the
> fish load (it is still very light) allowing the plants to absorb all the
> ammonia generated. These conditions would prevent the bacteria from
> multiplying and competing with the plants for the available ammonia. What
> is everybody's opinion on this? I was thinking of compiling a list of pros
> and cons for each case but I would rather wait and find out if anybody is
> interested in this subject out there before wasting space and time.
I used the same method in the last tank I set up. I don't think it's
so much preventing bacteria from multiplying. They will exist in the
tank and filter to the extent that there is nitrogenous waste to feed
them. It is rather a matter of not needing to plan for them - no need
for bioballs or noodles or whatever in the filter. So it's not whether
we should have biofiltration - we will, in any tank - but whether we
need to provide a specific home for the bacteria. My experience is
that we do not.
Cathy Hartland
Middletown, MD
http://www.nfis.com/~hartland/aqua/aquaria.html