From the Error Zone re: Biowheels

To: Aquatic plants list <aquatic-plants at actwin_com>
Subject: From the Error Zone re: Biowheels
From: Cynthia Powers <cyn at metronet_com>
Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 20:51:37 -0500 (CDT)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 08:12:16 -0400
From: Karen A Randall <krandall at world_std.com>
To: Aquatic-Plants-Owner at ActWin_com
Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #82

Subject: Biowheel Question
 
> Someone posted a week or so ago, that they took out their biowhe
> plants would get all the nutrients.  Please, correct me if I'm w
> thought the purpose of a biowheel was to provide increased area 
> nitrifying bacteria.  They then convert  ammonia and nitrite int
>  And that the nitrifying bacteria did nothing with the nitrates,
> couldn't use them.  Therefore, all the nitrates are available to
>   Please, comment.

Yes, but plants prefer ammoinium as a nitrogen source, so why 
process it into nitrate just to make the plants work harder to 
process it.  In a healthy, properly stocked planted tank, the 
plants _are_ the biological filtration... And they do a _very_ 
good job!<g>