Planted Tank And Overstocking

[aaronc]

Hi All

I am running a high tech and densely planted tank.

I have a slight problem. I am currently run a second small tank that contains 7 Harlequins, however in the coming weeks I need to empty this tank, as we have a lodger moving in.

I want to be simply place the fish in my 33gallon, however this is already at the very upper limits of the reccomended stocking levels.

However I am aware that having a heavily planted tank can act as a very effective biological filter. I currently have crystal clear water and no traces of Ammonia or Nitrite, and very low nitrates.

Adding these fish would take my stocking to the following, with the internal Juwel Filter.

9 Congo Tetra
10 Harlequins
6 Pearl Danios
3 Small Clown Loach - Will be rehomed when they grow too big - home already arranged
5 Corys
4 Shrimp

It is also worth noting that I am dosing EI and performing a weekly 50% water change which is probably a bonus.

I am asking this question in here as I expect that more of you guys will have come accross a similar situation given your planted tanks.

Thanks in advance

Aaron

 

[ShoC]

I'm no expert But plants use Nitrates not the nitrites or ammonia.
So you could still suffer a spike,

is it possible to add an additional filter?
or maybe add a Sump?

 

[aaronc]

I have read somewhere that the bio mass of the plants absorbs ammonia and nitrite from the water column

I want to avoid adding an external filter if possible, as will all the additional lighting etc, the tank and tank cabinet are both pretty full

Aaron

 

[three-fingers]

7 small fish like harlequins to will be no problem whatsoever.

IME in a heavily plated tank, you don't need to worry about the bioload nearly as much as the oxygen that's available to the fish.
But adding 7 harlequins to your setup will be no problem.

From what I've heard on here, plants use ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in that order of preference .

 

[ShoC]

7 small fish like harlequins to will be no problem whatsoever.

IME in a heavily plated tank, you don't need to worry about the bioload nearly as much as the oxygen that's available to the fish.
But adding 7 harlequins to your setup will be no problem.

From what I've heard on here, plants use ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in that order of preference .

I stand corrected,
thanks thats good to know, Guess my source of info was crud hehehe

 

[SuperColey1]

We add nitrate which plants then turn back into ammonia to consume!!

Therefore if there is ammonia in the water they will ignore nitrate until the ammonia is gone as it is easier to take the source ammonia than produce it from nitrate.

If there is no ammonia in the water because the plants use it then bacteria do not grow to change ammonia to nitrite.

Therefore if you over stock a planted tank you will get a spike but it should settle because the plants will adapt to take more ammonia in, but they will leave more nitrate behind. This shouldn't be a problem because of the water changes we do and nitrate is not as toxic as nitrite or ammonia.



Andy

 

[three-fingers]

Sounds like an interesting subject, what if you were to have a tank running with a mature filter, then add plants afterwords?
Would the plants out compete the bacteria for the ammonia? Or would the bacteria out compete the plants, and the plants would just use the leftover nitrate?

My thinking has always been that it's in between, the plants get some ammonia, and the bacteria get some too.
But there's stuff I don't know about plants, like do they always use ammonia 24/7?

 

[Dave Spencer]

From what I have read recently, while all you dirty old men were flirting with ebrck...whatsername, plants can and do take up NH4 very quickly, as it uses less energy than utilising the N in NO3, but they are not as well adapted as algae in doing this.

Plant uptake of NH4 increases with increased levels of NH4, but minimal levels which are undetectable to the hobbyist will not be taken up by your plants and will linger, and we all know who takes advantage of this. Plants take their N from NH4 and the NO3 we dose, but not from NO2, apparently.

Heavily planted tanks like the ones a lot of us on this forum keep will have a smaller bacterial filter colony, but there will still be Nitrosomonas that produce NO2, and it is Nitrospira that rids the tank of toxic NO2 to produce NO3.

Anyway, that`s enough nerding it up. Andy, I always thought you were a hairy arsed Lincolnshire Yellow Belly, but it turns out you are one hot tamale.

Dave.

 

[lljdma06]

From what I have read recently, while all you dirty old men were flirting with ebrck...whatsername, plants can and do take up NH4 very quickly, as it uses less energy than utilising the N in NO3, but they are not as well adapted as algae in doing this.

Plant uptake of NH4 increases with increased levels of NH4, but minimal levels which are undetectable to the hobbyist will not be taken up by your plants and will linger, and we all know who takes advantage of this. Plants take their N from NH4 and the NO3 we dose, but not from NO2, apparently.

Heavily planted tanks like the ones a lot of us on this forum keep will have a smaller bacterial filter colony, but there will still be Nitrosomonas that produce NO2, and it is Nitrospira that rids the tank of toxic NO2 to produce NO3.

Anyway, that`s enough nerding it up. Andy, I always thought you were a hairy arsed Lincolnshire Yellow Belly, but it turns out you are one hot tamale.

Dave.

OK, back to topic! Add the harlequins. You are not nearly as overstocked as I am, and my tank is fine.

 

[aaronc]

I enjoyed that little tangent

Thanks for the feedback lol

Aaron

 

[SuperColey1]

From what I have read recently, while all you dirty old men were flirting with ebrck...whatsername

Old??? I'm only 32. lol Flirting. me. well OK don't tell the wife...shes twice my weight and twice as strong. lol

Anyway, that`s enough nerding it up. Andy, I always thought you were a hairy arsed Lincolnshire Yellow Belly, but it turns out you are one hot tamale.

nerding it up?? me never. I didn't worry about a spike in my tank and went from 4 fish to 22 in one go after going planted. They all survived until the damned CO2 took its revenge on me.

hairy arsed? No
Lincolnshire Yellow Belly? Only from parents choice. born in Winchester matey. I is very posh. lol

hot tamale. That'll be the portuguese wife's influence

Andrew Colin Cole Esq