# does a moss remove nitrates or amonia



## camboy012406 (Jun 11, 2010)

as the title says.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Plants will remove nitrates, but will preferentially remove ammonia, to a certain extent.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Heh, you're good Darkblade ...

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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Actually, the presence of ammonium inhibits nitrate uptake by plants, and since the aquarium is constantly producing ammonia/ammonium, I imagine nitrate uptake by plants will be very little, if any at all.

On the positive side, since plants will be absorbing a lot of ammonia from the start, your nitrates will build up much slower than an unplanted tank.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

solarz said:


> Actually, the presence of ammonium inhibits nitrate uptake by plants, and since the aquarium is constantly producing ammonia/ammonium, I imagine nitrate uptake by plants will be very little, if any at all.


While the first part is true (ammonium inhibiting nitrate uptake), the second part regarding low nitrate uptake is false. In a highly lit aquarium, there is so much demand for a nitrogen source that plants will actively uptake nitrates. This is precisely why people add a source of nitrate in highly lit planted aquariums.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Plants take up little nitrogen if they aren't growing. Moss is generally slow growing so it can't be counted on to absorb a lot. However, it has immense surface area to support bacteria, so acts as a biofilter that way too. I have several small tanks with moss but no filters and they do fine with low light. They are lightly stocked, too, of course.

Plants have to reduce nitrate and nitrite to ammonia before they can use it, which requires energy. (This takes place inside the plant.) Therefore, they'll take up ammonia preferentially.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> While the first part is true (ammonium inhibiting nitrate uptake), the second part regarding low nitrate uptake is false. In a highly lit aquarium, there is so much demand for a nitrogen source that plants will actively uptake nitrates. This is precisely why people add a source of nitrate in highly lit planted aquariums.


A source of nitrate, or a source of ammonia? (And why would you add nitrate when you can easily add ammonia?)


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

solarz said:


> A source of nitrate, or a source of ammonia? (And why would you add nitrate when you can easily add ammonia?)


If you add ammonia, I only imagine you getting larger bacteria colony due to the increased ammonia, and when you stop adding ammonia, some of that bacteria dies and causes a tiny spike.

Adding nitrate also puts it into the aquarium immediately rather than having to wait some amount of time before you get nitrate.

Also, what's cheaper, ammonia or nitrate?

EDIT:
Ammonia is also deadly if you aren't careful about your dosages.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

solarz said:


> A source of nitrate, or a source of ammonia? (And why would you add nitrate when you can easily add ammonia?)


People add nitrates to their planted aquariums.

You add nitrates and not ammonia because the latter is toxic to shrimp/snails/fish. While nitrates are also toxic, the threshold for toxicity is much higher than that of ammonia.

Also, dosing ammonia (even in a planted only aquarium) can be troublesome, as if you are slightly off, algae can take use the ammonia much more effectively than plants.


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