Does adding plants help with ammonia

[tamk415]

Hello

my name is Tracy. I have a 10 Gallon tank with an ammonia spike. I am doing 50% water changes and feeding less. If I add plants will that help? And how do I get the bacteria to multiply?

thanks for your help

[MJV Aquatics]

Absolutely! ... especially fast growing floating plants. Ammonia is the desired source of nitrogen for most plants and what plants use is converted into plant tissue (growth) instead of being processed by bacteria into nitrites and nitrates. In addition, plants will use other pollutants to further aid in water purification.

(note that some plants will use nitrates, but it requires more energy to process nitrates than ammonia which is why ammonia is preferred. Also slow growing plants are also beneficial, but no where near as much as fast growing plants.)

Keep doing water changes and/or use a water conditioner that neutralizes ammonia as ammonia is toxic to fish AND beneficial bacteria. Beneficial bacteria reproduces at their own rate. Perhaps you might explore a bacteria in a bottle product. Dr. Tim's one and only comes to mind.

[Cory]

Also note that if you get a plant that is in a pot, the rockwool in the pot is filled with bacteria. Which will help establish it faster. So kind of double duty by adding a plant.

[darkG]

Many plants can be floated or emersed, at a pinch, even some who maybe won't last so long may be helpful short-term.

I tossed in a few "corn salad" rosettes (I googled the english name, hopefully it's right) just for fun and one is still happily floating along 🙂 

[StevesFishTanks]

Thats a great point about the rockwool. 👍