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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Bum
| Adding real plants to a 10 gallon
Okay, I'm sick of having fake plants in my aquarium. They are pretty and all, however I think the fish would be happier with live plants. I think live plants would help my ammonia to right? The question is, when I add live plants would it be okay for me to replace the fake plants all at once? If there is beneficial bacteria on the fake plants could replacing them all at once raise my ammonia and nitrites? Should I replace say, 2 or three fake plants a week with live plants? What should I do?  | 
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Master
| they will help with the ammonia, but not enough to get done the cycle process you have been going through ....it takes time for them to absorb ammonia and fish dont have time to exposure..but live ones are great for the fishies to enjoy...I would put the live ones in and wait a couple weeks to remove the fake ones....good luck! | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Mentor
| Im now converting my 34G to mostly live plants but for now I'm just trying to add as many live plants as I can before it gets too crowded, then I will start taking fake plants out  | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Addict
| Quote:
Originally Posted by TreyGiles  I think live plants would help my ammonia to right? | Live plants absolutely LOVE ammonia. In Diana Walstad's book, Ecology of the Planted Aquarium, she states that some plants can reduce the amount of ammonia by 50% in 8 hours or less.
I'd probably remove half the plastic ones, and once the plants get established, remove the rest.
If you've got one of those hoods on your tank that use "screw-in" bulbs, you can get some "Daylight" compact flourescent bulbs that work great with live plants. Save electricity too!
Dennis | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Keeper
| Daylight flourescent bulbs are allright for 'low-upkeep' easy to keep plants, but if you're going to be seriously planting the tank, you're going to need to get specialised colour tubes.
That said, there are many nice plants which don't need that much light, care or attention. | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Helper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Danionins.com Live plants absolutely LOVE ammonia. In Diana Walstad's book, Ecology of the Planted Aquarium, she states that some plants can reduce the amount of ammonia by 50% in 8 hours or less.
| Huh ? I thought they liked nitrItes? | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Keeper
| Plants need Nitrogen in order to make proteins.
Usually they'll get it from the NitrAtes, but if there are nitrItes and Ammonia, they'll sometimes absorb that instead and use it. | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Addict
| Actually most plants have a decided and overriding preference for ammonia. It's simply easier for them to use ammonia than either nitrates or nitrites.
Here's the article cited by Diana Walstad showing that plants prefer ammonia to nitrates... http://depot.knaw.nl/3383/1/21273.pdf
I'm not the least bit interested in arguing over this topic, it's just the lady has received rave reviews about her book from the planted tank community. I simply assumed she knows what she's talking about.
Dennis | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Danionins.com
I'm not the least bit interested in arguing over this topic, it's just the lady has received rave reviews about her book from the planted tank community. I simply assumed she knows what she's talking about.
Dennis
| Dennis...everyone has an opinion and different experiences on Fishlore...I do not think this comment was needed nor was anyone arguing with you.. please respect every ones advice even if its something you dont agree with ...thank you! | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Helper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Danionins.com Actually most plants have a decided and overriding preference for ammonia. It's simply easier for them to use ammonia than either nitrates or nitrites.
Here's the article cited by Diana Walstad showing that plants prefer ammonia to nitrates... http://depot.knaw.nl/3383/1/21273.pdf
I'm not the least bit interested in arguing over this topic, it's just the lady has received rave reviews about her book from the planted tank community. I simply assumed she knows what she's talking about.
Dennis | OH my god I'm sure there is useful info in there and I will take your word for it but thats WAAAYYYYY too technical for me.
Thanks for your input and thanks for posting !
I LOVE THIS SITE ! <3 | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Danionins.com Actually most plants have a decided and overriding preference for ammonia. It's simply easier for them to use ammonia than either nitrates or nitrites.
Here's the article cited by Diana Walstad showing that plants prefer ammonia to nitrates... http://depot.knaw.nl/3383/1/21273.pdf | Walstad's book is great
AquaBotanic has an article written by her that pertains to this topic, with the pertinent quote being: Quote:
Plants, algae, and all photosynthesizing organisms use the nitrogen from ammonia- not nitrates- to produce their proteins. If the plant takes up nitrate, it must first be converted to ammonium in an energy-requiring process called ‘nitrate reduction’.
Nitrate reduction in plants appears to be the mirror image of the bacterial process of nitrification. Nitrifying bacteria gain the energy they need for their life processes solely from oxidizing ammonium to nitrates; the total energy gain from the two-steps of nitrification is 84 Kcal/mol. The overall reaction for nitrification is:
NH4+ + 2 O2 >> NO3- + H2O + 2 H+
Plants theoretically must expend essentially the same amount of energy (83 Kcal/mol) to convert nitrates back to ammonium in the two-step process of nitrate reduction The overall reaction for nitrate reduction is:
NO3- + H2O + 2 H+ >> NH4+ + 2 O2
The energy required for nitrate reduction is equivalent to 23.4% of the energy obtained from glucose combustion [5]. Thus, if nitrifying bacteria in biological filters convert all available ammonium to nitrates, plants will be forced-- at an energy cost-- to convert all the nitrates back to ammonium. This may explain why several aquatic plants (e.g., water hyacinth, Salivinia molesta, hornwort, and Elodea nuttallii) seem to grow better with ammonium or an ammonium/nitrate mixture than when they are forced to grow with pure nitrates [10]. The nitrogen cycle is often presented incorrectly to hobbyists as nitrifying bacteria converting ammonium to nitrates and then plants taking up nitrates. Actually, it consists of both plants and bacteria competing for ammonium. Only if plants are forced to, will they take up nitrates. Thus, nitrates may accumulate even in planted ponds and aquariums.
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Addict
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawnie Dennis...everyone has an opinion and different experiences on Fishlore...I do not think this comment was needed nor was anyone arguing with you.. please respect every ones advice even if its something you dont agree with ...thank you! | Hi Shawnie,
From their comments I though they were confused about the whole ammonia, nitrite, nitrate issue where plants are concerned.
I certainly didn't mean to step on anyone's toes! 
Dennis | |
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January 8th, 2010
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Danionins.com Hi Shawnie,
From their comments I though they were confused about the whole ammonia, nitrite, nitrate issue where plants are concerned.
I certainly didn't mean to step on anyone's toes!
Dennis | allot of our members are very very young..we have them as young as 10 and up...I dont think they meant any harm either..and sometimes when we give advice, its hard to remember not everyone is an adult or understands allot of the technical scientific ways (me included as far as the scientific parts... and im no youngin LOL) | |
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January 9th, 2010
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| | Fish Keeper
| That was a very very interesting read.
Thanks for posting that. | |
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January 10th, 2010
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| | Fish Helper
| wow i can't belive that there are so many pros in our fishlore. after reading this i gain alot of experience. | |
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