Originally Posted By: Rainman
Any comments about needing more bacteria to process more waste could also be debated to be moot. Bacteria colonies will not grow and expand unless there is waste for them to consume.

Like plants and fish, bacteria colonies cannot magically grow and expand unless there is food to grow on.

Affecting one will always affect the others in this simple, 3 part circle of plant, bacteria and fish.

The perfect example is cold weather where bacteria colonies die off due to fish not creating waste due to plants dying off from reduced sunlight during winter....and a ponds natural "carrying capacity" drops in direct proportions.


Your explanation is correct.

I confused things by saying aquatic plants can use ammonia. Its been about 10 years but I dabbled in hydroponics. During that time period I vaguely remember reading about some terrestrial plants that actually preferred waste in the concentrated ammonia form.

My apologies for the confusion.

Edit: It had been so long since I read on the subject that I honestly couldn't remember if the plants were aquatic or terrestrial.

Last edited by Fish Food; 10/30/14 07:22 PM. Reason: Old Timers Diasease
Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank, Give a man a bank and he can rob the world.