Sudden Ammonia Spike

[Zeus.]

Been to TGM and it's all about the profit OFC but that's business.
As for Bear Grills eating steak for lunch me too given the chance, there's lots of evidence to show the health gains of a Paleo Diet. Same for drinking pee in wild to survive I would too, esp considering the pee from a man is pretty bacteria free.

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[ceg4048]

Turning off CO2 does nothing to accelerate the use of NH3 by plants and does not detoxify ammonia.
In fact, it is just the opposite. The more Carbon a plant uses the more Nitrogen it will consume.
The opposite is also true. Carbon and Nitrogen usage is coupled.
This is the main reason that when CO2 is added to the tank the hobbyist must pay attention to nutrition.
This can be accomplished in many different ways. In the ADA system the nutrition is based primarily in the sediment. As the sediment content is reduced by consumption and water changes ADA implements supplements via their liquid which are identical to the raw products we can buy at the garden center.

Additionally, NH4 (ammonium) is much less toxic than NH3 (ammonia). These two compounds exist in equilibrium, where under acidic conditions (at pH below 7) the less toxic NH4 is more prevalent and under alkaline conditions (at pH above 7) the highly toxic NH3 is prevalent.

Adding CO2 will always reduce the waters pH due to conversion to Carbonic acid. This is well known and fundamental fact.

Therefore, reducing the CO2 will have the effect of reducing the plants ability to uptake NH3/NH4 and it will tend to increase the pH and so will increase the risk of toxicity.

So lots of people do the wrong thing and get away with it for a variety of reasons, because the subject of biology involves so many factors at play which have effects and counter-effects.

Simply having a lot of plant mass will reduce the NH3/NH4 concentration levels quickly, regardless of pH or CO2 concentration, for example.

We do not actually know WHY the OP's fish died. No autopsy was performed and just because he THINKS that it was due to ammonia this does not mean that was actually the case, especially since he was using a hobby grade Nitrogen test kit, which is notoriously inaccurate.

So it's not a good suggestion to reduce the CO2 - unless it is actually the CO2 concentration levels that are damaging the fish.

Cheers,

 

[Planted Bows]

Zeus, its just from experience comes knowlege. I've had aquariums for many many years. Started with co2 a few years ago. Always had live plants and found that good subtrate choices, good ferts, lighting etc and trial and error help.

Too many people go by what they read in books or on the net which is good but everyones tank is different. Different water quality and treatments in different countries etc. Lots of river plants dont get a high intake of co2, thats something we put in to just speed up the process. So when you balance it that way, river plants dont get much co2 until they grow to the surface and even then they dont use much.

People have kept fish and planted tanks for decades without co2. When the green machine first started in the uk 2008/9, they amazed people with new ideas & techniques. I know because i was there and know Jimmy very well. But one thing to remember, he is a very very good aquascaper but is also a business man who wants to make money at the end of the day. ADA is a business out to make money and will sell you anything that may work for them but not others. I have friends at ADA too who would agree. Its all a learning curve that deprives us of money for our hobby. The old ways are still good before the hi tech took over and thats something i have had long conversations with jimmy over when he first started out. Nature finds a way to adapt. Imagine taking supliments every day to help us grow strong and healthy. If we run out we find other stuff to eat and use up whatever to get what we need. Bear Grills likes steak dinners but drinks his own pee to survive in the wild. Hope that helps.

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